15-05-2025
Time running out for abandoned orcas left to rot in 'zombie' marine park
Time running out for abandoned orcas left to rot in 'zombie' marine park
The two killer whales, Wikie and her son Keijo, have been left abandoned in a rotting marine zoo after it closed permanently in January and now face an uncertain future
An aerial view of the now-closed Hotel Marineland in Antibes, France
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images )
Time is ticking for two captive killer whales abandoned in a deteriorating marine zoo. Wikie, aged 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo are confined to a decaying enclosure, aimlessly swimming around as they await an uncertain future.
Born in captivity, these orcas could never survive in the wild. They were left behind in their dilapidated tanks when Marineland Antibes in southern France permanently shut its doors in January 2025. Now devoid of any mental stimulation, the orcas are compelled to seek enrichment within their enclosure as green algae gradually engulfs the deserted park.
Orcas now swim aimlessly in their small enclosures at the now shut down facility
Aerial footage captured by activist group Tidebreakers reveals the grim conditions in which the animals now exist. Green slime accumulates around the perimeter of their pool, while an adjacent tank is half-filled with murky brown water, reports the Mirror.
In a nearby smaller tank, 12 stranded bottlenose dolphins are the only other occupants of the park. Their fate also remains unknown. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
A minimal staff team visits to feed the animals, fulfilling the management company's legal care requirements, but they provide little in terms of mental enrichment - a crucial aspect for the well-being of bonded pod orcas.
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Wikie and Keijo, the final pair of captive orcas in France, have spent years entertaining audiences with performances at Marineland. They are currently under the park's legal guardianship until a new home is found for them, although their owners have declared that the orcas must "leave now" for their own well-being.
"Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination," the park stated.
Speaking to the Mirror, Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of Tidebreakers, shared the distressing news that half of the orcas' pod has already perished. Wikie's son Moana passed away unexpectedly in 2023 at just 12 years old, followed by her other son Inouk, who died after swallowing a small piece of metal that had fallen into his enclosure.
Dolphins also remain at the theme park
"We know from reviewing footage [of Marineland] that the tank is causing a hazard," Marketa remarked. "We know that it's not being cleaned, it's falling apart. It's a hazard for these orca every day."
"We are very worried that the situation is so critical, and the water quality is deteriorating to the point that it's going to cause health issues to these whales, and they're going to be euthanised before they get a chance to actually see a sanctuary," she said, "which is tragic because the male, Keijo, is only 11 years old, the mother is 23. Orcas in the wild can live to human age, outside of captivity they can live to 70 or 80 years old."
A proposed transfer to Loro Parque marine zoo in Tenerife was recently thwarted, despite the zoo housing four of its own captive orcas including a calf born this March. The scientific panel that must sanction any relocations stated that the new enclosure would "not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions".
An alternative relocation to a marine park in Japan was similarly dismissed while French ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher expressed her desire in February to locate a European sanctuary for the duo, yet has not identified an appropriate venue.
Campaigners are advocating for the mother and son orcas to be transferred to a facility in Nova Scotia, Canada where they would enjoy a 1,00-acre bay enclosed by 1,600m of secure nets.
The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) insists their site is the "only option left" for Wikie and Keijo, offering them a space far greater than any pool.
Aerial footage shot by Tidebreakers activists brought out the grim condition at the now shut down theme park
However, Tidebreakers dispute the readiness of the WSP initiative, voicing concerns that the orcas may perish "before WSP has even got a stick in the ground".
Marketa envisions the ideal solution as the construction of temporary holding tanks tailored to the orcas' needs until a lasting sanctuary can be established for their permanent residence.
"Quite simply, if Wikie and Keijo are left in these conditions, they're going to get sick and die," she warned.
WSP's CEO Charles Vinick had previously been involved in the sanctuary created for Keiko, the black-and-white star of the 1993 film Free Willy. Keiko was born in the wild and taken into captivity in 1979 when he was only two years old.
Keiko was captured off the coast of Iceland and sold to various theme parks where he was made to perform tricks. He became reliant on human interaction and was 'hired' by Warner Brothers to be the star of their film.
Keiko began filming in 1992 but his health deteriorated throughout production.
He developed skin issues, stomach ulcers and lost a significant amount of weight - so much so that when Free Willy was released in cinemas, hundreds of thousands of viewers called a phone line pleading for Keiko to be freed.
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In response to the public outcry, Warner Brothers agreed to retire their star performer and Keiko was moved to an aquarium in Oregon to begin his recovery. His trainers were instructed not to make eye contact with him to lessen his dependency on humans - but their sudden change in behaviour only confused him.
He eventually managed to relearn some survival skills and was released into the wild in 2002 with a pod of orcas he joined. Tragically, he died just a year later from pneumonia after contracting an infection.
