Nearly 55 years after its opening in Antibes, Marineland, the “largest marine park in Europe” is closing its doors for good this Sunday evening. Last month, the management of this establishment, known for its representations of orcas and dolphins, explained that this closure was linked to a significant drop in attendance and the law of November 30, 2021, prohibiting cetacean shows by 2026.
In this same press release, the park's leaders assured that the “priority objective” was to “relocate all of its animals to the best existing structures”, recalls France Info. But then, what will become of the 4,000 animals, of 152 different species, in this water park?
The fate of the last two orcas in captivity
Among these animals, two particularly attract attention: the last orcas in captivity, Wikie, 23 years old, and her son Keijo, 11 years old. The option of reintroduction into the natural environment was directly ruled out; they would surely not survive after years in ponds.
Anticipating the 2021 law, the park had considered sending the orcas to Japan, but this request was refused at the end of November by the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, as regulations on animal welfare were less strict. than that in force in the European Union. The Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal also obliged Marineland at the beginning of December to keep its last two orcas “until the end of an assessment on their living conditions”.
But then, what to do? Questioned by the Parisiana Marineland spokesperson assured that “several tracks within water parks which respect European standards in terms of animal welfare” are being studied, in particular a park located in the Canaries, on the island of Tenerife.
The One Voice association, opposed to this Spanish option, citing poor conditions of captivity, instead favors a transfer to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, in Canada, but the place “is not yet operational”, again according to a spokesperson, quoted by The Parisian. To be continued, therefore…
What about dolphins, otters, sharks and sea lions?
In addition to its two orcas, Marineland must also manage the future of its twelve dolphins, sharks, otters but also pink flamingos, sea lions, turtles, fish and corals which today live within the aquatic zoo. Most of these 4,000 animals will be “sent to zoological parks or reserves”, according to the management of Marineland, which refers to “a colossal relocation plan”. This “enormous logistics” will “probably take months,” she told the national daily.
Our file on Marineland
But associations like It's Enough!, fear that the closure of the park will instead result in “euthanasia”, highlighting the lack of places in Europe's water parks to accommodate all these living beings.
