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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer 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 public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released 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 eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|