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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, 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 gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|