‘It’s devastating’: the way thirty captive beluga whales are now pawns in dispute over animal cruelty.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|