It is devastating’: the way thirty confined white whales are being used as pawns in row over animal cruelty.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight 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 experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|