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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|