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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|