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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. 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 efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|