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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|