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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|