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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. 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 nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “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 mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition 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|