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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|