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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|