The closure of the Marineland park in Antibes in January 2025, caused by the decline in attendance and the application of the French law of 30 November 2021 which prohibits shows with cetaceans, left the two orcas guests of the structure without a real way out: the adult female Wikie and her son Keijo. Despite the stop to activities and the dismissal of most of the staff, the two animals continue to live in semi-abandoned conditions inside tanks that show the signs of aging.
The French legislator introduced a future ban on exploitation without however establishing a clear system for the relocation of specimens already held, creating a regulatory void that penalizes animal welfare. The petition promoted by the activist and photojournalist Seph Lawless has already collected over 118,000 signatures (which can be signed at this link), addressed directly to the minister delegate for the ecological transition Mathieu Lefèvre, to demand a transparent and safe transfer plan before the deadline set for December 2026.
View this post on Instagram
From the failed hypotheses in Japan and Canada to the legal battle for the transfer to Tenerife
Over the months, the French authorities have evaluated various relocation options, encountering enormous logistical and scientific difficulties. An initial hypothesis of transfer to Japan at Kamogawa Sea World or Kobe Suma SeaWorld was abandoned because it was considered inconsistent with national legislation. Subsequently, the idea of entrusting the animals to the Whale Sanctuary Project in Canada collided with the harsh reality of a structure not yet operational and without the necessary environmental authorizations.
Attention has thus shifted to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, sparking fierce opposition from environmental organizations such as the Captain Paul Watson Foundation and Sea Shepherd France. The latter, led by the famous activist Paul Watson, denounced how the transfer to a structure that continues to practice performances and reproduction violates the spirit of French law.
In 2025, the Spanish scientific authority had already denied the CITES permit due to insufficient adequate space, but the risk of an annulment of the denial due to procedural defects now opens the way to a dangerous authorization gap. Between the risk of a return to disguised captivity and the impossibility of reintegration into the open sea for specimens born in captivity, the fate of Wikie and Keijo remains tragically in the balance while all the other specimens of Marineland have found a new home.
View this post on Instagram
