'They don't belong in the Med': Future of homeless orcas still uncertain

The future of two orcas remains uncertain, even though the marine park they reside in closed two months ago. Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son, Keijo, are currently still housed at Marineland Antibes in southern France, which closed in January due to an impending law prohibiting the use of orcas in performances. This leaves the orcas in a state of limbo, awaiting a decision on their long-term care.

For months, Marineland's management has been trying to send the orcas to other marine parks, a move that has angered animal rights advocates. They want the orcas to be placed in a sanctuary where they would not have to perform or be used for breeding purposes. Several weeks ago, the French government vetoed a proposal to transfer the orcas to a planned sanctuary in Canada, at which point they were expected to be sent to another marine park in Spain.

However, French Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated that she would discuss with her counterparts in Spain, Italy, and Greece about jointly establishing a different sanctuary. But her proposal lacked further details and has been met with criticism. When the BBC inquired with the Ecology Ministry, the department did not provide further information on where the sanctuary might be located, and who would fund its construction and operating costs.

Loro Parque in Spain, a marine park that hopes to receive the Marineland orcas, told the BBC this week that the current proposals are "completely unsuitable" and that they are best equipped to care for the orcas. The institution, located in Tenerife, stated through its vice president, Christoph Kiessling, that whale sanctuaries "cannot currently meet the complex physiological, social and environmental needs of orcas." Most designs involve cordoning off a bay and employing staff to ensure that Wikie and Keijo, born in captivity and unable to be released into the wild, are properly fed and cared for.

Kiessling said that such a solution might be feasible if more extensive research and planning were carried out, but "this process could take years, leaving the two Marineland orcas in a facility that is closing down." Animal advocates point out that Loro Parque has seen several orca deaths in recent years, including three between March 2021 and September 2022. The marine park's management said that scientific examinations of the orcas by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria indicated that the deaths were unavoidable. They also have concerns that Wikie might be used for breeding, as Loro Parque announced in January that Morgan, the only female orca among the three currently kept there, is pregnant.

World Animal Protection's Kathrine Wise said that Loro Parque is ultimately an entertainment business that uses orcas to make money. She added: "Morgan's pregnancy highlights that Loro Parque could never be a suitable option for Wikie and Keijo and should be ruled out." Marineland is still paying for the care of the orcas, and they say that a transfer to Loro Parque as soon as possible is in the best interests of the animals' welfare. They have requested that the Ecology Ministry approve the transfer.

A Canadian whale sanctuary applied to the French government last year to receive the orcas, but their application was rejected in January. They were told that their chosen location in Nova Scotia was too far away and that the water there was too cold for Wikie and Keijo, who have lived their entire lives in southern France. Following Pannier-Runacher's announcement of the European sanctuary proposal in a video posted on Instagram, the heads of the rejected Canadian project criticized the idea of establishing a sanctuary in the Mediterranean.

They wrote to her, quoting Dr. David Pépinière, a diplomat of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine: "Wikie and Keijo are of Icelandic origin. These two orcas do not belong to the ecotype seen in the Mediterranean." He added: "The possibility of building a sanctuary for them in the Mediterranean is possibly the worst choice." The directors also stated that, unlike the European proposal, their sanctuary was ready to begin construction, as the designs had already been finalized.

Other animal rights groups have welcomed Pannier-Runacher's statement, saying that a European sanctuary would still be better for the orcas' welfare than life in another marine park. The marine conservation society Sea Shepherd replied to the minister on Instagram, saying that this was an opportunity to achieve what the zoo industry calls "impossible" – building a marine sanctuary where captive orcas can enjoy the rest of their lives. Pannier-Runacher said in her video that she was acutely aware of the strong feelings people have about where Wikie and Keijo should be relocated.

She did not rule out sending them to Loro Parque or another marine park, saying only that she would "oppose any transfer to a location that is not suitable for housing" orcas. Last November, she blocked Marineland's application to send the orcas to a marine park in Japan, citing the country's lower animal welfare regulations. "Ocean Year" is currently underway in France, a government initiative to raise awareness of the importance of the oceans, and Pannier-Runacher believes that establishing a European whale sanctuary would be a fitting testament to it. "I'm not telling you it will succeed," she told users on Instagram. "But nothing ventured, nothing gained."