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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|