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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|