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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|