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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. 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 fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

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

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution 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 possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|