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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective 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 enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|