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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|