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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet 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 entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|