It is deeply saddening’: how thirty confined white whales have become pawns in row over inhumane treatment.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, 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 wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any individual in the Britain, 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 caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|