For more than a year, two orcas have remained trapped inside an abandoned marine park in France — and animal experts feared they might not survive much longer.
Now, there may finally be a lifeline.
Mother-and-son orcas Wikie and Keijo have been living inside the increasingly deteriorating Marineland Antibes ever since the park shut down back in January 2025.
Since then, growing concern over their condition has sparked outrage online, with wildlife activists repeatedly warning that the whales were effectively being “left for dead.”
Orcas are highly intelligent, social animals that require stimulation, interaction, and clean marine environments to survive in captivity.
Experts warned that keeping the pair isolated for such a long period inside a closed facility could have devastating consequences.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously promised action would be taken, but months passed without a permanent solution being found.
Releasing the whales into the wild was also considered risky because both animals have spent their entire lives in captivity and may not be able to survive on their own.
Now, however, there has finally been a major breakthrough.
Loro Parque, a zoo and marine park in Tenerife, has officially confirmed it is willing to take in the two orcas and provide them with a permanent home.
The park’s president, Wolfgang Kiessling, said the organization was prepared to use all available resources to prevent the whales from dying at the abandoned site.
“We do not earn a single euro more by having six orcas instead of four,” he explained in a statement.
“We are doing this out of moral, technical, and professional responsibility.”
Kiessling stressed that the rescue effort is now entirely dependent on approval from the Spanish government, which must formally authorize the transfer before it can move forward.
French officials have reportedly already approved the possible relocation, meaning the final decision could now determine whether Wikie and Keijo are saved in time.
The story has triggered huge emotional reactions online, with many people describing the whales’ situation as heartbreaking.
Others have continued debating whether marine parks should exist at all, arguing that the case highlights the dangers of keeping highly intelligent animals in captivity.
For now, wildlife groups say the focus remains on securing immediate safety for the two orcas before conditions deteriorate any further.
