Marineland Antibes dolphins moved to a Spanish park

On the night of 22 July 2026, eight of the twelve dolphins kept at the closed Marineland park in Antibes, France, were transferred to the Selwo Marina facility near Malaga, Spain. The animals were lifted onto flexible stretchers, loaded onto trucks, driven to Nice‑Côte d’Azur Airport and flown on a charter aircraft in containers of seawater. The French ministry of ecological transition and the prefecture of Alpes‑Maritimes said the move was necessary for the animals’ survival because several pools at the defunct park were unstable. Both French and Spanish veterinary teams confirmed that the transport was completed safely and are monitoring the dolphins’ acclimatisation. Animal‑rights groups, including Sea Shepherd France, TideBreakers and One Voice, condemned the operation as a “state scandal” and “high‑risk”. The remaining four dolphins are scheduled to be moved to an aquarium in Valencia, while the two orcas are slated for a park on Tenerife. The French government has indicated that the eight dolphins could eventually be re‑homed at the Beauval zoo in central France.