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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, 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 rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|