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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|