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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools 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 heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|