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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning 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 “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|