It is heartbreaking’: the way 30 confined beluga whales are being used as bargaining chips in row over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|