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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society 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. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|