‘It’s devastating’: how 30 captive white whales are being used as tools in row over inhumane treatment.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|