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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

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

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior health care and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|