‘It’s devastating’: the way thirty captive beluga whales are being used as bargaining chips in conflict over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|