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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|