It is devastating’: the way thirty captive white whales are now pawns in row over animal welfare.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|