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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|