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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales 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 impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

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

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats 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 simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|