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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

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

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|