December 12th, 2025: The French government has now affirmed that it is working to bring the three parties together – the Whale Sanctuary Project, Marineland Antibes, and the government – to agree on the strategy to bring the orcas Wikie and Keijo to the sanctuary we are establishing in Nova Scotia.
This follows in the wake of the Ministry of Ecological Transition reaching out to us, last week, to begin discussions about this possibility.
Over the past year, we have been working to help cetaceans in France, Canada and South Korea, where marine parks are being required by law to bring an end to having captive whales on display for the purposes of entertainment. Likewise, nonprofit organizations like One Voice in France and World Animal Protection and Animal Justice in Canada are advocating for cetacean sanctuaries. And we will continue to do everything we can to help the whales in all these situations and any others that arise.
To welcome any whales in 2026, we will need to have completed the necessary construction work by the end of summer. This is because the whales will need a few months to adapt to their new home before the onset of winter.
To accomplish this, we will need to adhere to a precise timetable that requires having the necessary funding at each stage. Right now, we have the funds to begin construction of the sanctuary, but we do not yet have the funds to complete it.
Accomplishing the goal of welcoming whales before the end of next summer will depend on a collaborative effort on the part of all parties: government agencies, owners, sanctuary, and benefactors and donors.
Together, we can make this happen!
