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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|