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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|