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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|