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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. 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 extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|