Orcas Wikie and Keijo face possible transfer from Antibes to Tenerife

The two remaining orcas at the former Marineland in Antibes – 23‑year‑old Wikie and her 11‑year‑old son Keijo – are still held in a concrete tank after the park’s closure. Animal‑rights groups such as PETA and Fondation Franz Weber warn that moving the pair to Spain’s Loro Parque on Tenerife would repeat the problems of captivity and urge a release into a protected marine area instead. No official transport permit or veterinary decision authorising such a move has been found.

In parallel, eight large bottlenose dolphins have been transferred from the closed Antibes park to Selwo Marina in Benalmádena, near Málaga, Spain. The move was described as “smooth” by park officials, and French and Spanish veterinary teams are overseeing the animals’ welfare. Minister Mathieu Lefèvre said the conditions are “absolutely safe” and called the relocation the first step in a broader plan that originally intended to house the dolphins in a new facility at the Zoo de Beauval in France. Four additional dolphins and the two orcas remain at the Antibes site.

The closure of Marineland marks a significant shift for the local tourism‑dependent département, while the fate of the captive marine mammals continues to attract scrutiny from NGOs and the public.