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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“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. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|