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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances 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 blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|