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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution 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 “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|