The French bureaucrats who may have doomed abandoned aquarium orcas to die... and why red tape leaves them trapped in a hellish existence
Swimming aimlessly around an abandoned marine park, these majestic orcas appear to be at the centre of a bureaucratic row between French officials and a major theme park company.
France 's last two captive killer whales are stranded in the algae-infested Marineland, near Cannes, neglected with the exception of a skeleton staff that comes in intermittently to feed them.
In a nearby smaller tank, 12 stranded bottlenose dolphins are the only other occupants of the park.
But their fate is uncertain - with the French government telling MailOnline that it could be a year before they are relocated at the earliest.
The marine park closed on January 5, citing legislation banning shows featuring cetaceans such as dolphins and whales, which the French government passed in 2021.
The law set a deadline of December 2026 for Marineland to part ways with the killer whales.
Since then, the management for Marineland have been shuffling through various options for where to rehome the animals, especially the orcas.
Though Marineland has closed as a marine zoo business, they are still legally responsible for the welfare of the animals until they are rehomed. The orcas were both born in captivity so could never survive in the wild.
A skeleton staff come in to feed the animals to meet the management company's legal requirements for care, but are not providing much in the way of mental enrichment, which is vital for bonded pod orcas.
At the time of closing, the park had 4,000 animals from 150 different species, most of which have been relocated.
The French government have blocked two rehoming deals, one which would have seen the orcas go to a marine zoo in Japan and another for a whale sanctuary in Canada.
The former proposal was rejected primarily over animal welfare concerns, while the Canadian Whale Sanctuary Project's offer was shelved while officials look for a European sanctuary for the creatures.
The government said the travel would be too strenuous for the animals but after a relocation deal with Loro Parque in Tenerife was rejected by Spanish authorities, the remaining options are limited.
The Loro Parque houses four captive orcas of its own, including a calf born this March, but officials said their new proposed tank would 'not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions'.
Earlier today a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Ecology told MailOnline: 'To date, with the exception of orcas and dolphins, all the animals have found a new habitat suited to their needs.
'With regard to the orcas and dolphins, an assessment by the Spanish Scientific Authority led the latter to oppose the transfer of the orcas and dolphins to Loro Parque (Tenerife) and the transfer of ten dolphins to the Madrid aquarium: the Authority concluded that the facilities did not meet the requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth to house the specimens in optimum conditions.
'This unfavourable opinion means that authorisation cannot be granted to transfer these animals to Spain.
'Pending their transfer, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Sea and Fisheries is asking Parques Reunidos, Marineland's owner, to ensure that the animals continue to be cared for pending a future solution.
'At the same time, discussions have been held with the Italian, Greek and Spanish ministers to find a satisfactory solution that will ensure the animals' welfare.
'Although no solution has yet been found, discussions with the Italian minister have shown that the Taranto sanctuary project has the support of the authorities and could be ready within a year.'
The delay has sparked fury among animal activist groups, who have urged the French government and the owner of Marineland to treat the situation with more urgency.
Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of TideBreakers, said: 'The situation in Marineland Antibes is an emergency and needs worldwide attention.
'These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly.
'The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety.
'We are disappointed in the lack of planning and complete mismanagement of this situation by the park's owner, Parque Reunidos, as well as authorities who went silent.
'They were both born in captivity so the option of rehabilitation and release to the wild is simply not possible.
'After entertaining the public for years, we should still provide them with a clean and safe environment to live out their remaining years.'
She accused the park owners of not cleaning the tank properly, which provides another everyday 'hazard' for the orcas.
A spokesperson for Parques Reunidos said: 'Marineland continues to work with the French authorities to find a solution for the cetaceans.
'Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination.
'All other solutions involving sanctuaries are hypothetical and would take years without any guarantee. For the welfare of the animals, they must leave now.'
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