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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|