Tragic footage of orcas explained.
Two killer whales have been found languishing in a defunct French marine park, months after the gates slammed shut for good.
The shocking backstory highlighted.
Wikie and Keijo aren’t just any orcas—they’re the last remnants of a crumbling marine empire.
Marineland Antibes once drew millions to the French Riviera, flaunting dolphin shows, sea lions, and its prized orcas.
Wikie made headlines in 2014 for being the first orca to mimic human speech, shocking scientists worldwide.
Born in captivity, she’s never felt open water; her son Keijo was born in the same park in 2013.
But public sentiment began shifting fast. Documentaries like Blackfish and rising protests turned the tide.
Attendance fell. Sponsorships vanished. And in January 2024, the park finally went dark—with animals still inside.
Employees left. The lights went out. But the orcas remained—ghosts in a forgotten arena.
A dozen dolphins also remain in holding pools at the now-abandoned facility.
Sources say staff visits for basic feeding and maintenance, but it’s a far cry from active care.
Activists allege that the facility’s remote location has helped keep the animals’ plight largely hidden—until now.
Bombshell footage exposed.
The orcas—Wikie and her son Keijo—are still circling concrete tanks at Marineland Antibes, which closed its doors back in January.
Footage surfacing this week paints a bleak portrait: empty grandstands, peeling signage, and two apex predators trapped in silence.
The eerie stillness is broken only by the sight of the whales swimming in slow, robotic loops.
Observers say the pair exhibit signs of listlessness and stress—symptoms common among captive marine mammals.
France’s ecological authorities are scrambling to find a new home, but months have passed and no solution has stuck.
Tragedy of whale footage highlighted.
One proposal, championed by Canada’s Whale Sanctuary Project, was shot down earlier this year by the French government.
Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, isn’t mincing words: “Our site is the only option left.”
She’s referring to a proposed sanctuary in Nova Scotia, a cold-water cove offering a sea-pen alternative to sterile tanks.
Her group has done the groundwork—water surveys, environmental studies, and even secured a government lease.
“If you don’t even have a site, you’re years away from a viable sanctuary,” she warned, per the BBC.
But French Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher isn’t convinced, saying she wants a European solution instead.
Animal welfare organizations are not impressed—they insist the whales need real ocean, not another glorified pool.
Enter David Phillips of Earth Island Institute, who’s been vocal about getting the whales into a true seaside sanctuary.
“Concrete tanks are not homes,” he stated bluntly. “Orcas belong in the ocean.”
Viral footage sparks global outrage over orca trapping.
Now, the heartbreaking video has gone viral—forcing officials to reckon with months of inaction.
Global outrage has reignited calls for immediate relocation, with animal rights groups putting pressure on the French government.
Zoos have offered to take the pair, but marine activists warn this would only repeat past mistakes.
Earlier this year, a plan to transfer them to Tenerife’s Loro Parque Zoo was shot down thanks to intervention from Spain.
“The Spanish government deserves credit for blocking a dangerous move,” Phillips noted.
As of today, Wikie and Keijo are still waiting in limbo—caught between politics, budgets, and ideology.
But with mounting public fury and international scrutiny, their release may finally be on the horizon.