‘It’s deeply saddening’: the way 30 confined beluga whales have become tools in row over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|