It is devastating’: the way thirty captive beluga whales are now pawns in conflict over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|