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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far better health care and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats 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 ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|