‘It’s heartbreaking’: how 30 captive beluga whales have become pawns in row over animal cruelty

J elly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, Marineland of Canada, the embattled amusement par