It is heartbreaking’: how 30 captive white whales are being used as tools in row over animal cruelty.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|