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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways 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 amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

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

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general 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 rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|