logo
Spain marine park defends facilities after France orca transfer blocked

Spain marine park defends facilities after France orca transfer blocked

Yahoo11-04-2025

A Spanish aquatic park which authorities prevented from taking in two orcas from a shuttered French attraction that was criticised by animal rights groups denied on Friday it was unfit to shelter them.
France has been struggling to find a home for Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf Keijo after a French Riviera marine park, Marineland, closed down over a law banning shows featuring marine mammals from December 2026.
Earlier this week, Spanish authorities blocked the transfer of the two orcas, as well as 12 dolphins, from Marineland after a committee ruled the parks due to host them lacked the proper facilities.
The two killer whales were due to go to Loro Parque on the Canary island of Tenerife and the 12 dolphins to a Madrid aquarium.
Loro Parque told AFP in a statement it "strictly complies with all standards and recommendations for the care of dolphins and orcas under human care".
The size of its facilities "far exceeds the minimums established in the only two available regulations in the United States and the United Kingdom", the park added.
With the orcas living "in a pool with poor conditions and structural problems that compromise their health and well-being... it is imperative to make an urgent decision to provide them with a quick and appropriate alternative", Loro Parque said.
Marineland has been ordered to care for the animals pending a solution.
Animal-rights NGO Sea Shepherd France called the decision to block the animals' transfer to the Spanish facilities "a huge relief" and said it "remains more mobilised than ever to help ensure a life worth living for the 14 cetaceans held captive" in Marineland.
The conservation group said an orca tank in the park in France must be refurbished and staff dedicated to their care retained while activists and authorities are working on a solution.
It said sanctuaries in Greece and Italy were "about to be finalised".
The campaigners criticised Marineland management for laying off employees and seeking to transfer the animals "more than a year and a half" before the new law enters force.
"The management of Marineland has shown itself to be irresponsible and has caused great animal and human distress, which could have been avoided," it said.
Marineland, owned by Parques Reunidos, a Spanish leisure park operator, declined to comment.
vxm-as-we/imm/ds/jhb

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gold from legendary 1708 shipwreck is seen in new images
Gold from legendary 1708 shipwreck is seen in new images

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Gold from legendary 1708 shipwreck is seen in new images

More than three centuries after a legendary Spanish galleon loaded with treasure sank off the coast of Colombia, researches have uncovered new details about gold coins found scattered around the shipwreck. Dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, the San Jose galleon was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708, killing most of the roughly 600 crewmembers on board. The ship was believed to be holding gold, silver, gemstones and other treasure worth billions of dollars. Now researchers have analyzed intricately designed gold coins found near the wreck, confirming they are indeed from the iconic San Jose. The coins feature depictions of castles, lions and crosses on the front and the "Crowned Pillars of Hercules" above ocean waves on the back, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Antiquity. Researchers, including experts from Colombia's navy, studied images taken by remotely operated vehicles of dozens of coins that are scattered around the shipwreck nearly 2,000 feet below the ocean's surface. The study's authors said the exact number of coins on the seabed is difficult to determine "due to the dynamic nature of the site." But an analysis of high-resolution images from the remotely operated vehicles shows each coin's average diameter is 32.5 millimeters and weighs roughly 27 grams. On some of the coins, researchers were able to discern the letters "PVA" — representing a Latin motto meaning "Plus Ultra" or "Further Beyond." That adage was used on currency to signify the expansion of the Spanish monarchy in the Atlantic, the study's authors said. Numbers depicting the coins' denomination and the date of minting (1707) could also be seen. Last August, Colombian authorities said one remotely operated vehicle surveyed the wreck, uncovering numerous artifacts, including an anchor, jugs and glass bottles. The Colombian government announced last year it would begin extractions from the ship off its Caribbean coast, using multiple remotely operated vehicles. The ship was discovered in 2015, but its exact location has been kept secret to protect the storied wreck from potential treasure hunters. Since its discovery, multiple parties have laid claim to the shipwreck, including Colombia, Spain and Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians who claim the treasures on board were stolen from them. The wreck has also been claimed by U.S.-based salvage company Sea Search Armada, which says it first discovered the wreck more than 40 years ago. The cause of the San Jose's sinking has also been debated. British documents indicate that the ship did not explode, according to Colombia's government, but Spanish reports suggest the ship was blown up in battle. Either way, the ship — laden with chests of emeralds and about 200 tons of gold — sank with most of its crew while heading back from the New World to Spain on June 7, 1708. In May 2024, Colombia declared the site of the shipwreck a "protected archeological area." An accused woman skips her pedicure, kills her ex-husband LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests Sneak peek: The Day My Mother Vanished

Gold coins confirm ‘world's richest shipwreck' is 18th century Spanish galleon
Gold coins confirm ‘world's richest shipwreck' is 18th century Spanish galleon

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Gold coins confirm ‘world's richest shipwreck' is 18th century Spanish galleon

The yearslong international fight to lay claim to the suspected 'world's richest shipwreck' likely won't end anytime soon, especially after a research team's most recent conclusions. Experts have confirmed that dozens of gold coins scattered across the ocean floor off the coast of Colombia belonged to the San José, an ill-fated Spanish treasure galleon that sank over 300 years ago during a battle with British warships. The findings were published on June 10 in the journal Antiquity. In June 1708, the San José and a fleet of 17 other vessels departed the capital of Colombia for Europe laden with gold, silver, and uncut gems. The 64-gun, three-masted Spanish flagship alone carried as much as 200 tons of treasure with a modern value estimated as high as $17 billion by today's standards. On June 8, however, the galleon had the misfortune of running across a squadron of five British warships during the War of Spanish Succession. The San José and two of its fellow ships subsequently engaged in a cannon battle with their enemies while most of the fleet retreated to Cartagena. In the end, neither side made off with the flagship's riches—the San José's stores of gunpowder eventually ignited, causing the vessel to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. It would take almost 310 years before salvagers located the legendary ship's remains. In 2015, Colombia's government announced the potential rediscovery of the San José in the Caribbean near Cartagena, but it would take another few years to mount expeditions to confirm the theory. Since 2021, the Colombian navy and archeological experts have overseen four noninvasive field examinations using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The results of their analysis published in Antiquity make it clear: the wreck (and all its treasure) are from the San José. The key pieces of evidence were dozens of rough gold coins sitting on the ocean floor. The treasure had an average diameter of 1.3 inches and each weighed around one ounce. Using high-definition photography, the team initially analyzed the bounty. Further imaging showcased the designs on either side of the coinage. One side featured a variation on the Jerusalem cross (one large cross framed by four smaller crosses) and a shield detailed with lions and castles. On the other side, the coin illustrated the 'Crowned Pillars of Hercules above the waves of the sea.' According to the study's authors, those waves were a trademark sign of the Lima Mint. The images were so detailed that experts even noted the distinct engravings made by an assayer, the person responsible for testing the gold coins' purity. Taken altogether, the coins must have been aboard the San José. 'Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins—known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish—served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries,' Daniela Vargas Ariza, a maritime archeologist and the study's lead author said in a statement. Along with the tons of additional currencies, gems, and historical artifacts, the San José represents one of the most lucrative shipwreck finds in modern history. But who gets to claim it? That question is at the center of a debate that continues to rage between the governments of Colombia and Spain. For its part, Colombia hopes to recover and sell some of the treasure to finance a larger effort to salvage the ship—although Colombian law might prohibit such an act. Meanwhile, Spain asserts it is still the rightful owner of the San José and everything on it based on the Law of the Sea. This international convention maintains that all navy wrecks belong to their original country. Unfortunately for Spain, Colombia never signed that agreement and some experts argue the accord is intended for modern warships, not historical wrecks. For now, the fate of the San José remains unclear. But thanks to forensic archeological research and expert analysis, one thing is certain: it is worth quite a bit of bullion.

My home was destroyed by an everyday appliance — don't let the same tragedy happen to you
My home was destroyed by an everyday appliance — don't let the same tragedy happen to you

New York Post

time6 hours ago

  • New York Post

My home was destroyed by an everyday appliance — don't let the same tragedy happen to you

Tanya Bennett's life was literally left in ruins after she received a shocking call on June 9. 'I was at work and the neighbour called to say my house was on fire and she'd called the fire brigade,' Bennett told NeedToKnow. The 36-year-old had cleaned her home in Telford, England, the night prior to the fire, and unknowingly left a vacuum cleaner plugged in overnight. 4 Experts estimate the damage will cost thousands. Jam Press 4 Every room in the home except the kitchen was impacted by the fire. Jam Press 'I couldn't believe it when the firefighters said it was caused by the vacuum cleaner.' After receiving the call from her eagle-eyed neighbor, Bennett raced home, concerned about her three dogs — French bulldogs Lewi, Monkey, and Cockapoo Luna. When she arrived, she found her house completely engulfed in flame and was distressed to learn that only one dog, who had been shut in the kitchen, had been recovered at that point. 4 The three dogs were rescued by firefighters. Jam Press Bennett explained that the door to the kitchen had been shut, blocking the spread of the fire, and leaving it the only room in the house that wasn't damaged by flame, smoke, or soot. 'The other two dogs were trapped upstairs by the smoke,' Bennett recalled. 'It was heartbreaking. I was screaming and crying, and they brought the dogs out one by one.' 'I'm absolutely devastated, helpless and in shock,' she said. After the fire was put out, Bennett entered the house to assess the damage. 4 Bennett said the destruction may take weeks to repair. Jam Press 'All the furniture is covered in soot, the TV cabinet is melted, and all of my drawers of clothes are covered in soot. Basically, every single item in my house is covered by smoke. There's not one single item that is not. I need to replace everything, and it will cost thousands,' she said. 'The whole house needs specialist cleaning, and I can't go in without PPE.' While the Telford home is being repaired, cleaned, and inspected for safety, Bennett has been left homeless and is currently residing in a temporary accommodation. The three dogs, all alive and safe after the incident, have been left in the care of a friend in the meantime. 'I didn't think that a vacuum cleaner could even catch fire. How much damage it's caused is crazy. Apparently, the dust particles inside are very combustible,' Bennett reflected. 'Just turn everything off at the wall or unplug appliances,' she advised. 'Even though the electrics tripped and cut off, it didn't matter as the fire still continued once it had sparked.' While experts at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) advise unplugging motor-reliant appliances to avoid overheating and electrical fires, the agency also warns that battery-powered vacuums, which are becoming increasingly more common in American households, and appliances are often at risk of sudden ignition.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store