‘It’s deeply saddening’: the way thirty confined beluga whales are being used as bargaining chips in dispute over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely 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 authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|