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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|