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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|