Wikie and Keijo May be Sent to Loro Parque

Wikie and her son Keijo, the last remaining orcas at Marineland in Antibes, France, may soon be transferred to Spain, according to a French news piece published in Le Figaro on May 15.

The marine park has been closed since January 2025, and the site is now being described as deteriorating and largely abandoned. During a recent visit to the facility, the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Mathieu Lefèvre, said the current situation for the animals could not continue and that maintaining the status quo was not a viable option.

The CEO of Marineland stated that the infrastructure of the facility has significantly deteriorated, describing the orca pools as cracked and in poor condition.

According to the article, the orcas could be moved to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, before the end of June. Loro Parque currently houses four orcas (Tekoa, Adán, Morgan, and Teno) that are used in daily performances.

The 12 bottlenose dolphins remaining at Marineland would be divided between two parks, one in Valencia and the other in Malaga, pending their transfer to ZooParc de Beauval in France, which is planning to build new dolphin tanks.

The future of Wikie and Keijo has been uncertain since Marineland’s closure, with authorities seeking relocation options following the shutdown of the park.

The news piece does not mention any position from Spanish authorities, which blocked the orcas’ transfer to Loro Parque last year. At the time, AFP reported that an official from the French environment ministry said a Spanish scientific agency that evaluates the suitability of facilities had refused the transfer. The agency concluded that the tanks at Loro Parque did not meet minimum standards in terms of area, volume, and depth for the cetaceans.

The transfer would only proceed if approved by the Spanish authorities, and at this stage the final outcome remains unknown.

Dolphin Project will update when more information becomes available.

Featured image: Keijo with his mother Wikie. Born at Marineland d’Antibes in France, both are of Icelandic origin and could soon be transferred to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. Credit: @petite_photographe_animaliere (IG);  Inherentlywild.co.uk