Images Show Orcas Abandoned in Closed Marine Park in France: ‘They Look Dead’; Video
Drones captured moving footage of Wikie and Keijo, a mother and son who have remained isolated in dirty tanks since the closure of Marineland Antibes; activists call for urgent rescue.
Aerial footage circulating on social media over the past week has revealed the critical situation of two orcas abandoned in a decommissioned marine park in southern France. The images, taken by photographer and activist Seph Lawless, show Wikie, 23, and her calf Keijo, 11, lying motionless in the murky tank of the former Marineland Antibes, which was permanently closed in January.
In the footage, both orcas float on the water’s surface, showing no apparent movement.
“The mother orca appears to be dead — her body floating lifeless in cloudy water beside her calf,” Lawless wrote on Instagram when posting the video.
A few seconds later, however, the animals reacted to the sound of the drone.
“It was as if they recognized me — as if hope itself had come back to visit,” he added.
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Neglect and Deterioration
The footage, which went viral online, once again drew attention to the conditions at the marine park, shut down following the enforcement of a French law banning killer whale performances. Since then, the two whales and twelve bottlenose dolphins have remained confined in unmaintained enclosures.
According to Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of the activist group Tidebreakers, the tanks “are deteriorating rapidly” and pose a “daily risk” to the animals.
“We know, from analyzing the footage, that the tanks are not being cleaned and have become dangerous,” she told the European press.
Drone photos reveal the accumulation of green algae and sludge, with parts of the pools covered in brownish water. The scene, Schusterova said, is one of “total abandonment.” She also appealed for urgent action from the French authorities.
“If they are not transferred soon, Wikie and Keijo will fall ill and die,” she warned.
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Relocation Deadlock
Despite mobilization from animal protection groups, no final destination has been determined for the orcas. Loro Parque, in Tenerife, declined to take them due to lack of capacity, and the French government blocked two transfer attempts — one to a sanctuary in Canada and another to a park in Japan.
Releasing them into the ocean was also ruled out, since both were born in captivity and would not survive in the wild.
Marineland Antibes, once one of Europe’s most visited marine parks, ended its operations after years of declining attendance and growing social pressure against animal shows.
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