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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, 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 extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|