Fears for lives of two orca whales left to rot in abandoned French zoo after closure
Source: Daily Star – World News
Wikie and her son Keijo are the last killer whales in France and have been left to swim in their desolate, decaying tank after Marineland Antibes permanently shut its doors in January last year
Fears are growing for the two orcas left at the closed zoo(Image: )
The last two captive orcas in France, Wikie and her son Keijo, could be facing a grim fate due to the government’s lack of action concerning their abandoned marine park, warn animal rights activists.
These killer whales are the final ones living in France and have been left to languish in their desolate, deteriorating tank since Marineland Antibes permanently closed its doors in January last year.
Since then, the distressed orcas have spent their days devoid of any stimulation, yearning for the bonds they once shared with their now-deceased family members. They are the sole survivors of their original group of four.
With the park no longer open to the public, their environment is rapidly declining, with the water in their concrete tank growing increasingly dirty each day and foul-smelling green algae spreading throughout the site. Although a skeleton crew comes in to feed them and provide minimal human contact, Wikie and Keijo have largely been forgotten by the audiences they once entertained.
In a nearby smaller tank, 12 bottlenose dolphins are the only other inhabitants of the decaying park – and time is also ticking away for them. Cetacean advocacy group TideBreakers has been urging the French government to intervene immediately and save the animals from the park before it’s too late, reports the Mirror.
The facility’s shutdown came after years of determined campaigning by PETA and other animal welfare groups, featuring demonstrations at the park, petitions, letters, investigations, partnerships with A-list stars like Pamela Anderson, and numerous other efforts.
Yet, a row between French authorities and the marine park’s bosses – who remain legally accountable for the cetaceans’ wellbeing – might persist until all the creatures meet their heartbreaking end.
Laws brought in during 2021 banned entertainment performances involving whales, dolphins and porpoises, whilst setting a strict December 2026 cut-off date for Marineland to move their animals to sanctuary.
But government ministers have since turned down two schemes to rehouse the orcas: one to a marine attraction in Japan, and another to a whale refuge in Canada – which remains under construction. Officials rejected the Japanese option over animal welfare worries, whilst the Canadian Whale Sanctuary Project’s bid was dismissed in preference of a possible European sanctuary, owing to the gruelling trek needed to transport the orcas to North America.
A third option, to move the dolphins and two orcas to Loro Parque in Tenerife, was thrown out by an expert committee, who declared the suggested enclosure “would not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions”.
Loro Parque currently houses four captive orcas of its own, including a calf born in March 2025.
The French Ministry of Ecology has confirmed that the government is persistently seeking alternatives, while campaigners stress the urgency of the situation.
“To date, with the exception of orcas and dolphins, all the animals have found a new habitat suited to their needs,” a government spokesperson stated.
“With regard to the orcas and dolphins, an assessment by the Spanish Scientific Authority led the latter to oppose the transfer of the orcas and dolphins to Loro Parque (Tenerife) and the transfer of ten dolphins to the Madrid aquarium: the Authority concluded that the facilities did not meet the requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth to house the specimens in optimum conditions.
“This unfavourable opinion means that authorisation cannot be granted to transfer these animals to Spain.”
They further added: “Pending their transfer, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Sea and Fisheries is asking Parques Reunidos, Marineland’s owner, to ensure that the animals continue to be cared for pending a future solution.
At the same time, discussions have been held with the Italian, Greek and Spanish ministers to find a satisfactory solution that will ensure the animals’ welfare. Although no solution has yet been found, discussions with the Italian minister have shown that the Taranto sanctuary project has the support of the authorities and could be ready within a year.”
Nevertheless, TideBreakers caution that Wikie and Keijo might not make it through another year should they stay in their hazardous and filthy enclosures. Wikie marked her 24th birthday on June 2, celebrating nearly a quarter of a century behind bars.
The orca has already suffered the devastating loss of her son Moana, who died in October 2023, and her brother Inouk, who perished last March after swallowing a metal fragment that had broken off in his tank.
“Wikie has spent her entire life in the concrete tanks at Marineland Antibes,” TideBreakers stated. “Our wish for Wikie is to see her thrive in a clean, safe environment as soon as possible, where she can live a long life alongside her son, Keijo.”
In December 2025, the French government announced that Wikie and Keijo should be relocated to the Whale Sanctuary Project’s planned sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Whilst the transfer still hinges on Marineland’s consent, this ruling represents a significant breakthrough towards providing these intelligent, social creatures with the vast, natural habitat they’ve been deprived of since birth.
The French government described the sanctuary as “the most credible, the most ethical and the only one that complies with the requirements of animal safety and welfare,” and confirmed the orcas are “destined” to join it – possibly as early as summer 2026, according to the PETA website.
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