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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|