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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency 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 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 astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|