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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

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

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|