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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|