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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|