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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|