Two orcas and a dozen dolphins have been left trapped in an abandoned marine park for four months in what campaigners have described as “dangerous” and “despairing” conditions.
Disturbing drone footage released by animal activist group TideBreakers shows orcas Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo swimming aimlessly in the deserted Marineland Antibes near Cannes, France, which closed on January 5.
The footage also reveals algae-infested pools where the park’s remaining dolphins are confined.
Despite the visibly bleak conditions, French authorities have yet to find a suitable site in Europe for the orcas, rejecting alternative proposals, including one involving a marine zoo in Japan.
This is so sad and tragic. 2 orca whales and 12 dolphins have been left at a closed and abandoned MarineLand in France. pic.twitter.com/2KonMhyCqz
— Rare 🇺🇸 (@RareImagery) May 13, 2025
Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of TideBreakers, said: "The situation in Marineland Antibes is an emergency and needs worldwide attention.
"These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly.
"The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety."
Marineland Antibes closed its doors due to new French legislation, introduced in 2021, which banned performances featuring cetaceans such as dolphins and whales. Since the closure, the park's management have been scrambling to find a suitable new home for the animals, particularly the orcas.
While Marineland has ceased operation as a marine zoo, the management remains legally responsible for the animals' welfare until they are successfully rehomed. Both Wikie and Keijo were born in captivity, meaning they would not survive if released into the wild.
Currently, a skeleton staff is employed to feed the animals in compliance with minimum legal welfare requirements, but activists warn this provides little mental enrichment, which is crucial for highly intelligent creatures like orcas.
The French government has blocked two potential rehoming deals, one to a marine zoo in Japan and another to a whale sanctuary in Canada. Lori Marino, president of The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP), said their site in Nova Scotia, Canada, was "the only option left".
In February, French ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said she was seeking a suitable sanctuary within Europe, though none has yet been identified.
Marino added: "If you don't even have a site, you're years away from being a viable sanctuary."
The French government said long-distance travel would be too stressful for the animals, and a separate relocation deal with Loro Parque in Tenerife was rejected by Spanish authorities.
Schusterova criticised the ongoing impasse, adding: "We are disappointed in the lack of planning and complete mismanagement of this situation by the park's owner, Parque Reunidos, as well as authorities who went silent this past month.
"They were both born in captivity so the option of rehabilitation and release to the wild is simply not possible.
"After entertaining the public for years, we should still provide them with a clean and safe environment to live out their remaining years."
