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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|