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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|