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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, 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 important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|