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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|