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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits 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 federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, 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 indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|