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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|