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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. 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 points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term 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 “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|