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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She 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 start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|