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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|