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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|