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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished 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 kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair 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 reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|