Transfer of Orcas from Marineland: The French Deadlock on Captive Animals

The outcome is not a happy one for orca Wikie and her son Keijo. Despite the fierce battle fought by various organizations, the last two large cetaceans at Marineland in Antibes – which closed permanently in January 2025 – are set to be sent to Spain. While many advocated for their transfer to a sanctuary that would offer them semi-freedom, 24-year-old Wikie and 12-year-old Keijo will remain in captivity at Loro Parque in Tenerife, one of only two facilities in Europe that still showcases orcas to the public.

After months of indecision, French Minister for Ecological Transition, Mathieu Lefèvre, made the contentious decision on Friday, May 15, to support this solution, which animal rights advocates dread. He also confirmed the upcoming relocation of 12 dolphins from Antibes to two parks in Spain, in Valencia and Malaga. However, some of these dolphins will return to France, to ZooParc de Beauval, in its future cetacean research complex.

"Doing nothing would condemn them to certain death," the minister justified, citing a report published in February that raised alarms about the "advanced structural degradation" of the pools at Marineland, built in 2001, where the cetaceans still live. Animal rights organizations have condemned the decision as a demonstration of "political cowardice" and the "greed of the captivity industry." The two orcas are expected to be transferred before the end of June.

"We will do everything to ensure this does not happen." Barely had the decision been made, when animal rights NGOs vowed to counterattack on all fronts—judicial, political, and media—to prevent the transfer of Wikie and Keijo to Spain.

For two years, the Antibes aquapark had been seeking permission to transfer its orcas and dolphins to parks abroad, but the government resisted, advocating for solutions more in line with the 2021 animal welfare law, which prohibits shows and keeping cetaceans in captivity.

In 2021, France adopted a law described as a major turning point, mandating the gradual end of cetacean shows, banning their reproduction, and planning to prohibit their captivity starting at the end of 2026, except in sanctuaries or similar structures.

Source: France 24