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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|