‘It’s deeply saddening’: how 30 captive white whales are now pawns in dispute over animal welfare.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|