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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

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

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In 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 very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|