‘It’s heartbreaking’: how thirty captive white whales are being used as pawns in conflict over inhumane treatment.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, 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 key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea 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 site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|