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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely 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 straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|