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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp 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 understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|