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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

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

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export 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 wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement 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 straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|