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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent three years 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 outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|