It is deeply saddening’: how thirty captive beluga whales are now bargaining chips in dispute over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

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

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|