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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary 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 exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|