More than five months have passed since the closure of Marineland Antibes. And no one has been able to find a solution for the two orcas and twelve dolphins still resident at the Antibes park.

The others—fish, birds, turtles, penguins, sea lions—have all been relocated to equivalent facilities. Whether in France, Spain, or elsewhere in the world, particularly in China for the sea lions. The latest is the Steller sea lion Fox, well-known to park regulars, who was sent to Madrid a few days ago before also heading to China.

A Kafkaesque Situation

But nothing for Wikie and Keijo, as well as for the twelve dolphins. A Kafkaesque situation that has been going on for months. The French government initially refused to send them to Japan in the name of animal welfare. And for this same reason, the Spanish government refused in April to accommodate them in parks deemed too small. In the absence of a marine sanctuary, these captive-born animals cannot be released into the wild, and under French law, which will come into effect in 2026, they can no longer perform. The two orcas, Wikie and Keijo, and the twelve dolphins are now the only residents of the park, with their keepers continuing to care for them.

And animal rights organizations are concerned. "After months of a series of twists and turns, silence has fallen around the orcas and dolphins," confides Christine Ringuet of Tilikum's Spirit. "As always with this park, the lack of news does not bode well..."

A video of the state of the tanks causes concern A few days ago, on May 7, a video of the orcas' and dolphins' tanks captured by drone by a Canadian organization, The Flip, caused some concern. The footage shows the dolphin pool covered in a thick layer of green algae, and the mammals swimming in very murky water. Wikie and Keijo can be seen lying on their sides at the surface of the water.

"The behavior of the two orcas doesn't necessarily worry us," notes Christine Ringuet. "If the video was captured after an exercise, it's completely normal; they're resting. If they behave this way all day, it's more worrisome. What really caught our attention and worries us is the lack of maintenance of the pools, especially the dolphin pools. Pools that haven't been cleaned for weeks can be a source of pathogens and toxicity for the animals," reminds the president of Tilikum's Spirit. "It's up to the government and its agencies to ensure that Marineland doesn't leave animals in deteriorating conditions."

For its part, the management of Marineland, whom we contacted, reaffirmed the urgency of transferring these cetaceans for their well-being. It must be said that the care of the two orcas costs nearly €3 million per year. This is difficult to maintain without visitors and therefore without income.

A small marine enclosure in Taranto, Italy, could have accommodated four dolphins. A solution advocated by the association C'est Assez! (It's Enough!), which has remained unfulfilled. "Mr. Picot, the director of Marineland, whom we contacted on this point, does not want to do so," explains the association's president, Christine Grandjean. "He has been clear on this point: he will not make a decision regarding the park's cetaceans until there is a comprehensive plan to send the twelve dolphins and two orcas together. As for the ministry, we truly regret that it no longer responds to our requests," adds Christine Grandjean. "Nothing is happening, and that's worrying!"

For the park, "it is urgent to turn the page for the animals and the employees." The park, however, assures that "discussions are continuing with various partners, as well as with the ministry regarding the transfer of the animals. But also for the employees who remain with them, says the park, and who have no visibility on their future. The situation is untenable for anyone. It is urgent to turn the page..."

But to write what story and where? "Making Marineland a sanctuary, management and the government are not considering this option," adds Christine Ringuet. "And there aren't 36 parks that can accommodate two orcas either. Japan? France said no. Spain refused. The United States no longer wants to accommodate orcas. There are no other parks... Unless we return to Asia..."

[0] https://www.20minutes.fr/planete/3050087-20210528-marineland...

The EU has its issues, and so has this park.

Environment / animal welfare groups are why we have such news.

The park itself had big issues a few years ago, because of massive muddy floods due to heavy rains in the region.

Another risk could be if Wikie and Keijo managed to successfully with a wild pod, they could steer that pod towards contact with humans.

Still, I agree they should be released. Humans need to deal with the consequences of our actions, not put the burden on these creatures.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_(orca)#Evaluation_of_the...