‘It’s heartbreaking’: the way thirty confined beluga whales have become tools in row over inhumane treatment.

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|