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

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence 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. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|