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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|