The fate of two killer whales is uncertain following the closure of a marine zoo in France on Sunday.
Campaigners and the zoo’s managers have been locked in disagreement about what should happen to the orca whales with the French government already blocking one proposal to rehome them.
Last month Marineland Antibes, located near Cannes in the French Riviera, said it would permanently shut on 5 January following new animal welfare laws.
The legislation, which bans the use of dolphins and whales in marine zoo shows, was passed in 2021 but comes into effect next year.
Marineland, which describes itself as the largest of its kind in Europe, currently keeps two killer whales – Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo.
Campaigners want Wikie and Keijo to be sent to a sanctuary instead of zoos in Japan and Tenerife
Managers say shows featuring killer whales and dolphins attract 90% of Marineland’s visitors – and that without it the business isn’t viable.
Several destinations for the whales have been proposed but there is disagreement on where they should go and what should happen to them.
Most experts agree that releasing the two whales, which are Icelandic orcas specifically, into the wild would not be suitable as both were born in captivity and would not have the skills to survive.
“It’s a bit like taking your dog out of the house and sending him into the woods to live freely as a wolf,” says Hanne Strager.
In 2023 the marine biologist published The Killer Whale Journals, which details her decades long interest in the ocean predator and how they behave.
“Those whales, that have spent their entire lives in captivity, their closest relationship is with humans. They are the ones who have provided them with food, care, activities and social relations.
“Killer whales are highly social animals, as social as we [humans] are, and they depend on social bonds. They have established those bonds with their trainers … They depend on humans and that is the only thing they know.”
Full story: BBC