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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|