The Marineland water park in Antibes announced on Wednesday “its plan to permanently close from January 5, 2025”, invoking the 2021 law which prohibits cetacean shows. The fate of employees will be negotiated soon
Published on 04/12/2024 19:55
Reading time: 1min
Pascal Picot, the director of Marineland, shared his sadness on France Bleu Azur on Wednesday December 4. The famous marine park located in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) will close its doors on January 5. “I am very sad because for 50 years, our priority has been the welfare of animalshe regrets. Marineland has always been responsible for caring for these animals, and today our only goal is to comply with the law.”.
Pascal Picot also announced a plan to relocate the park's animals which will take several months. “We have more than 150 animals, not counting the aquariums. If we count all the fish and corals, we have more than 4,000 animals. So, it’s a colossal plan that awaits us”. These animals will be taken to “better structures”.
This decision comes in a context of a sharp decline in attendance at the emblematic marine park of the Côte d'Azur, created in 1970. In almost ten years, Marineland has gone from 1.2 million visitors to less than 500,000. The fate of 103 employees will be negotiated in the coming weeks with the social partners. To date, no other park projects to replace Marineland are planned.
