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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|