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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen 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|