Correct me if I am wrong, I am just a small boy anyway, so what do I know? To me whales are losing power with Bitcoin adoption, years ago whales are in charge of many Bitcoin and many people are saying, only few people control Bitcoin, since they own many Bitcoin, but right now Bitcoin is spreading to every corner of the world, I am not saying that whales still don't have power, I am just saying they are having less Bitcoin than before and it's getting to the hands of many more people.
For me, it really does not matter at all. Because the Bitcoin network itself is not controlled by anyone. I believe these whales are mostly traders who try to make money from their huge bags. So overall, I can consider these whales as normal traders who just want to make some money.
About manipulation, yes for me it's possible but if you are a trader, it really matters to you.