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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon 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 euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|