‘It’s heartbreaking’: the way 30 confined beluga whales have become tools in dispute over inhumane treatment.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

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

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|