France to move orcas from marine park to Spanish theme park - Marineland Antibes Closes, Leaving Orcas and Dolphins in Limbo

Marineland Antibes, the long-standing marine park in southern France, closed its doors for good on 5 January 2025. The shutdown followed decades of operation but left the future of its remaining dolphins uncertain. Two orcas and a dozen dolphins are still housed there, with plans for their relocation now under discussion.

The park's closure came after a 2021 French law banned whale shows on animal welfare grounds. Since then, most of Marineland's dolphins have been moved to other facilities, but the two orcas and 12 bottlenose dolphins remain. Their tanks, now in severe disrepair, have forced authorities to explore urgent solutions.

One option under review is transferring the orcas to Loro Parque on Tenerife. Initially, the French government rejected this due to concerns over tank size, but officials are now reconsidering. Environmental groups, however, are pushing for a semi-wild sanctuary instead.

For the dolphins, a move to ZooParc de Beauval in western France is planned by spring 2027. Other locations, such as Málaga or Valencia in Spain, have been mentioned but not confirmed. Until then, the dolphins may stay in Antibes.

A final decision on the orcas' relocation is expected by the end of March. The park's closure has already led to a sharp decline in visitor numbers, adding pressure to resolve the dolphins' future quickly.

The fate of the orcas and dolphins will be decided in the coming weeks. If approved, the transfer to Loro Parque or another facility would mark the end of their time in Antibes. Meanwhile, the 2027 deadline for the dolphins' move to Beauval remains in place.