For many, his name is forever associated with Marineland. Mike Riddell, a great specialist in cetaceans, was there as a keeper when it was created in 1970. He was then its director for 26 years, from 1980 until 2006, the year the park was bought by the Spanish group Parques Reunidos.
Today he says he is “afflicted” by the situation and “this total impasse that we find ourselves facing. And in which only the orcas, mother and daughter, will be the big losers. It's sad.”
What is your connection with the park, created in 1970 by Roland de la Poype?
It's a big part of my life. I contributed to its creation in 1970 and I was its very first employee. I returned there as an animal trainer on April 22, 1970, a few months before the park opened to the public on June 22. We were then twelve employees, including three caregivers, who were part of this great adventure.
What was Marineland like then?
The park covered 2 hectares. There were dolphins, sea lions, seals, elephant seals and two orcas at the start. We were three very passionate keepers and in complete symbiosis with these incredible marine mammals.
Had the orcas been captured in Iceland?
Yes, we had permission to do it because this country wanted to kill them, because the orcas represented a real scourge for fishing there. We didn't want to see them massacred and were so happy to bring them back here. It was a different time… But believe me, it was also the beginning of a very beautiful story.
What was the ambition of the park then?
Count Roland de la Poype, who was a visionary industrialist, fighter pilot, hero of the Second World War and passionate about the marine world, had given himself a very specific mission. He wanted to transmit this passion for the marine world that animated us all. He wanted to introduce the public to this fascinating universe. And he did it. Thanks to him, entire generations have been able to see these marine mammals in real life. Very close. Today the associations which criticize Marineland forget that they had their first encounter here, point for point, with the orcas.
Today, do you have any fears for the state of health of Wikie and Keijo?
The park's current keepers are all extremely passionate and dedicated people for these animals. There are competent veterinarians on site and the orcas at Marineland have always been in good health, even today. We cannot say that they are mistreated. The keepers have a certificate of competence which is given by the Ministry of the Environment. And if necessary, thanks to this, they could even override the orders of the park management if they felt that they were not going in the direction of the orcas. So I don't worry about Wikie and Keijo. They are pampered. And then they also have a market value, what interest would the park have in not taking care of them?
However, there have been orcas who have died…
Yes, there have been orca deaths. But each time, autopsies are carried out and made public. Nothing is done on the sly. But it is sometimes complicated to really identify the causes. The orca is not an animal that man has known by heart for centuries, as is the case with the horse, for example. The study of its physiology is only around fifty years old. And we still have a lot to learn about this animal.
Marineland says its closure is linked to the application of the 2022 law. Nothing obliges it to separate from the orcas…
Facing growing economic difficulties, partly linked to the 2022 law, Marineland is closing and thinking about other things. The park does not want to keep the orcas. Should we force him? It's counterproductive. The Spanish group that now owns the dolphinarium makes amusement parks and that is what the site will become. They are not enthusiasts like we were, and if we force them to keep two poor orcas, they will no longer be the center of their attention and will become accessories. This is absolutely not healthy.
What is the best solution for these orcas then? A marine sanctuary like Pelagos, which you helped create?
Ideally yes. But the fact is that today no structure exists. And then who would finance this type of installation in the long term? ? Who will feed these orcas born in captivity if we place them in a sanctuary at sea? We also need to think about what comes next. Believing in this solution is a real utopia. And the associations which defend this idea know this very well.
Transfer to another marine park then?
This is the only solution. And in Europe it's much better than in Asia, because firstly the trip is shorter and above all we don't have the same culture as them. In the Tenerife park, which is planned, Wikie and Keijo will be able to succeed, thanks to competent caretakers, in integrating a new group of orcas. And that, more than anything, is essential for the well-being of orcas, which are social animals. Is the pool smaller? Maybe. But what other solution? What counts before the wallpaper is the commitment of the caretakers to the orcas.
How do you feel today?
I am 75 years old, and the situation we are experiencing is twisting my guts. We are at an impasse because of the political buzz of the Animal Abuse Act of 2022. A stroke without ever having thought before about the solutions concerning the animals in the park. The associations are agitated and the park is thinking logically about what to do next. We must keep a cool head. Because in the end they are the ones who will toast in this standoff.
