It is devastating’: the way 30 confined beluga whales are now bargaining chips in dispute over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|