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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|