‘It’s devastating’: the way thirty captive white whales have become pawns in conflict over animal cruelty.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|