‘It’s deeply saddening’: the way thirty confined beluga whales are now bargaining chips in conflict over animal cruelty.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting 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 details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|