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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|