2 Orcas Trapped in Abandoned Marine Park Months After Closure

Originally published May 16, 2025, updated June 10, 2025

Four months after Marineland Antibes closed, two orcas remain—Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo. They’ve been circling a green, decaying tank in eerie silence for weeks. They’ve outlasted the crowds, the caretakers, and now possibly the plan to get them out.

The footage, shot by animal rights group TideBreakers, shows what’s left of Marineland Antibes, once a family-friendly attraction near Cannes. It closed in January after France’s ban on dolphin and whale shows finally took effect. Twelve dolphins and two orcas were supposed to be rehomed. Sadly, that hasn’t happened.

“This is an emergency and it needs worldwide attention,” TideBreakers co-founder Marketa Schusterova, told BBC News. “These are the last two orcas in captivity in France. They must be moved.”

2 Orcas and 12 Dolphins Trapped in Abandoned Marine Park Months After Closure

Moved where, though? Great question. The French government has rejected two relocation plans already—one to a marine zoo in Japan, another to Loro Parque in Tenerife. A scientific panel in Spain blocked the latter, saying the facility didn’t have enough space. That leaves Wikie and Keijo trapped in a crumbling tank with nothing but a rotating shift of staff tossing them food and calling it care.

Releasing them into the wild isn’t an option either. They were both born in captivity. They don’t know how to hunt, migrate, or exist without the schedule of a show. But there is one plan that might work.

Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project in Nova Scotia, says her team is ready now. “We’ve done this before,” she said. “We have the crew that built Keiko’s sanctuary after Free Willy. We’re the only team with actual experience in this.”

The problem is, France won’t greenlight it. The Ministry of Ecology is still holding out for a European sanctuary—even though one doesn’t currently exist. “If you don’t even have a site, you’re years away,” Marino pointed out. Meanwhile, Wikie and Keijo are circling.

The park’s owners, Parque Reunidos, are still legally responsible for the animals but haven’t offered any timeline. “We are disappointed in the lack of planning and complete mismanagement,” Schusterova added. “They’ve entertained the public for years. The least we can do is make sure they don’t waste away in a tank.”

So far, no new transfer has been approved. Marineland managers have warned that sanctuary plans could take years to materialize—and that Wikie and Keijo “must leave now.” The park called the situation “extremely urgent,” yet these smart, majestic animals are still circling the same crumbling tank. This is a heartbreaking failure to protect two sentient beings who’ve already given decades of their lives to human entertainment.