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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|