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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions 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 key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|