‘It’s devastating’: the way 30 confined white whales are being used as bargaining chips in row over inhumane treatment.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. 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 enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. 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 even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive 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|