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

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. 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 nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|