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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

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 two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|