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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely 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’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|