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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|