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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|