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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, ideas 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 primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|