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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|