French government inspectorate says Whale Sanctuary Project is best sanctuary solution for captive orcas at Marineland Antibes.
The French government’s General Inspectorate of the Environment & Sustainable Development has just released its formal recommendations regarding whales and dolphins who are in captivity at theme parks and aquariums in France.
There are two orcas – Wikie and Keijo – at Marineland Antibes, and 23 bottlenose dolphins at Marineland and another marine park. The Whale Sanctuary Project has proposed to the French government that Wikie and Keijo be brought to the sanctuary we are establishing in Nova Scotia.
In its 52-page report to the Department of Ecological Biodiversity, the Inspectorate states with respect to the Whale Sanctuary Project:
“The solidity of the team and the dossier [they filed], the fact that the project was initiated several years ago, well before the sole question of the future of the orcas at Marineland in Antibes, the medium and long-term projection, make it the most credible innovative solution among the sanctuary projects.”
Here’s some background:
France decrees no more whale and dolphin shows
In November 2021, the French government issued a law that will bring an end to keeping whales and dolphins in captivity except at refuges and sanctuaries or for scientific research purposes.
Accordingly, entertainment parks and aquariums must make suitable arrangements for their whales and dolphins by the end of 2026.
Wikie and Keijo – the two surviving orcas at Marineland Antibes
A year ago, in September 2023, there was a family of four orcas living at Marineland Antibes. They were Wikie, her brother Inouk, and her two sons Moana and Keijo.
In October 2023, 12-year-old Moana died of acute bacterial septicemia. And in March 2024, 25-year-old Inouk died of peritonitis, leaving only Wikie and her second son Keijo. (In the ocean, male orcas can live into their sixties or longer.)
Early this year, we learned that to comply with the law, Marineland was planning to send Wikie and Keijo to the Kobe Suma Sea World park in Japan. However, at Kobe Suma, they would be in an even smaller concrete tank than they have at Marineland. And even though all that this mother and son have now is each other, they could well be separated and used for breeding.
When this plan became known, animal protection groups in France were outraged. They protested to the government, saying that such a move would violate the entire purpose and spirit of the law.
The Whale Sanctuary in Nova Scotia as an option
Meanwhile, we at the Whale Sanctuary Project had begun discussions with the General Inspectorate about the possibility of Wikie and Keijo being retired to the sanctuary we’re establishing in Nova Scotia.
Other organizations then also proposed creating sanctuaries for the whales. And so, in April 2024, to review all possible options, the Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity issued a public “Call for Expressions of Interest for a sanctuary project that could accommodate the two orca specimens currently housed at the Marineland of Antibes.”
The Expression of Interest we submitted was a 92-page plan detailing every aspect of what would be involved in retiring Wikie and Keijo to a sanctuary and caring for them for the rest of their lives.
Having now reviewed all the plans that were submitted, the Inspectorate has published a comprehensive report to the Department of Ecological Biodiversity. Their report concludes:
“Concerning orcas, [the Inspectorate] considers that only the Nova Scotia sanctuary project, supported by the Whale Sanctuary Project, meets the criteria of the [government’s Call for Expressions of Interest] in terms of technical quality, feasibility on time and financial sustainability, even if the project is experimental in nature and carries an inherent share of risk.”
While this is the Inspectorate’s recommendation, the final decision will be made by the Department of Ecological Biodiversity, under the responsibility of the new Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who has just been appointed by the new prime minister of France, Michel Barnier, following the recent national elections.
The “share of risk” that is noted in the Inspectorate’s recommendation relates in part to the fact that we have yet to raise the remaining capital funds to complete construction. With the decision in the hands of the French ministry, we cannot guarantee that Wikie and Keijo will be retired to the sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
But we can, and must, continue to forge ahead on all fronts. As the only sanctuary option available to these individuals, we can demonstrate to the French government that the sanctuary will be able to receive Wikie and Keijo. With the necessary funding, we will be able to complete sanctuary construction in time.
The bay pen and other sanctuary facilities
A central feature of the sanctuary facilities will be the bay pen, where every whale who comes to the sanctuary will live for a period of acclimatization to their new, natural environment.
The bay pen is considerably larger than any concrete tank at any entertainment park in the world. It will also be engineered and fully equipped to handle all aspects of veterinary and routine care for the whales.
We’ll be exploring the bay pen more in future posts.
Raising the funds to complete the sanctuary is now a primary objective
Inclusive of major donor commitments, we are about halfway to having all the funds needed to complete the first phase of the sanctuary and welcome the first whales – be they Wikie and Keijo or other whales in urgent need of retirement.
Your donation, large or small, monthly or one-time, works with others as we press ahead toward completing the sanctuary and welcoming the first whales.
And if you’re in a position to join with others who are making an “angel donation” toward the capital costs of construction, please contact us directly.
The full report in French by the General Inspectorate of the Environment & Sustainable Development Department can be viewed here. An English translation by Deepl can be viewed here.
