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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon 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 negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive 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|