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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|