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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|