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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to 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 see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|