‘It’s deeply saddening’: the way thirty captive beluga whales have become bargaining chips in row over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

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

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|