‘It’s heartbreaking’: how 30 confined white whales are being used as bargaining chips in dispute over inhumane treatment.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

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

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|