Killer whales abandoned at 'frozen in time' decaying marine zoo face certain death

The last two captive orcas in France, Wikie and Keijo, swimming mindlessly around their crumbling tank in the abandoned theme park Marineland (Image: Tidebreakers)

Wikie, aged 23, and her 11 year old son Keijo spend their days aimlessly swimming in the same dilapidated enclosure as their future remains uncertain.

The orcas, both born in captivity and therefore unable to survive in the wild, were left in their decaying tanks when Marineland Antibes in southern France permanently shut its doors in January 2025.

Now devoid of any mental stimulation, the orcas are compelled to seek enrichment within their enclosure as green algae gradually engulfs the deserted park.

Aerial footage captured by activists from Tidebreakers reveals the grim conditions in which the animals now exist. Green slime accumulates around the perimeter of their pool, while an adjacent tank is half-filled with murky brown water, reports the Mirror.

In a nearby smaller tank, 12 stranded bottlenose dolphins are the only other occupants of the park - and their fate is also unknown.

Drone pictures of the now-closed Marineland in Antibes, France, where two captive orcas and 12 bottlenose dolphins have been abandoned (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

A minimal staff visit to feed the animals in order to fulfil the management company's legal care obligations, but they provide little in terms of mental stimulation - crucial for bonded pod orcas.

Wikie and Keijo, the final pair of captive orcas in France, previously performed for cheering crowds but now are protected under the legal guardianship of Marineland until they find a new home. However, their owners have expressed an urgent need for them to be relocated for their own welfare.

"Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination," the park has stated.

The rotting theme park lies empty - apart from the animals left with a question mark over their future (Image: Facebook/Tidebreakers)

Tidebreakers co-founder Marketa Schusterova spoke to the Mirror about the duo's loss of half their pod. Wikie's son Moana passed away unexpectedly in 2023 at the age of 12, while her other son Inouk suffered a fatal accident after swallowing a small piece of metal that had gotten into his enclosure the following year.

"We know from reviewing footage [of Marineland] that the tank is causing a hazard," Marketa disclosed. "We know that it's not being cleaned, it's falling apart. It's a hazard for these orca every day."

Marketa shared her deep concerns about the immediate danger facing the orcas: "We are very worried that the situation is so critical, and the water quality is deteriorating to the point that it's going to cause health issues to these whales, and they're going to be euthanised before they get a chance to actually see a sanctuary," she said. "which is tragic because the male, Keijo, is only 11 years old, the mother is 23. Orcas in the wild can live to human age, outside of captivity they can live to 70 or 80 years old."

The orcas are fed by a skeleton staff of former theme park workers (Image: Facebook/Tidebreakers)

A proposed transfer to Loro Parque marine zoo in Tenerife was recently halted, despite the zoo housing four captive orcas of its own, including a calf born this March. The reason given was that their new tank would "not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions", as per the scientific panel responsible for approving such moves.

Another potential relocation to a Japanese marine park was also dismissed. Meanwhile, French Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher expressed her desire in February to find a European sanctuary for the mother and son duo, but admitted that a suitable location had not yet been identified.

Some activists are advocating for the pair to be relocated to a site in Nova Scotia, Canada, where they would have access to a 1,00-acre bay, secured with 1,600m of escape-proof nets.

Dolphins also remain at the abandoned theme park (Image: Facebook/Tidebreakers)

The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) claims their site is the "only option left" for Wikie and Keijo, offering them a space larger than a pool to swim freely.

However, Tidebreakers counter that the WSP project is far from ready and express concern that the orcas may die "before WSP has even got a stick in the ground".

Marketa believes the ideal solution would be to construct temporary holding tanks tailored to the orcas' needs until a permanent sanctuary can be established as their forever home.

"Quite simply, if Wikie and Keijo are left in these conditions, they're going to get sick and die," she warned.

Charles Vinick, CEO of WSP, has previous experience with marine sanctuaries, having been involved in the creation of a refuge for Keiko, the orca star of the 1993 film Free Willy. Born in the wild, Keiko was captured at just two years old in 1979.

One of the orcas performing for crowds in Marineland Antibes, where they have lived since birth (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Keiko's life took a dramatic turn when he was caught off the coast of Iceland and sold to various theme parks where he performed tricks for audiences. His role in the Warner Brothers' film led to an increased dependency on human interaction.

Filming began in 1992, but Keiko's health deteriorated throughout the process.

He suffered from skin issues, stomach ulcers, and significant weight loss. So much so that upon the release of Free Willy, countless cinema-goers called a hotline pleading for Keiko's release.

In response to public outcry, Warner Brothers decided to retire their star attraction. Keiko was relocated to an Oregon aquarium to start his recovery journey.

Instructors were instructed to avoid eye contact to lessen his reliance on humans, but this abrupt change only bewildered him further.

Despite the challenges, Keiko managed to reacquire some survival skills and was released into the wild in 2002, joining a pod of orcas. Sadly, he succumbed to pneumonia a year later after contracting an infection.