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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People 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 surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|