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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life 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 constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|