Abandoned theme park left ‘frozen in time’ where stranded Orca whales and bottlenose dolphins have been left to rot
AN ABANDONED theme park has been left to rot – with Orca whales and bottlenose dolphins still inside.
The once-bustling French marine park, Marineland Antibes, shut its doors for the final time in January.
Harrowing footage released by TideBreakers shows the abandoned park from above, with its decaying buildings and empty enclosures.
The two Orca whales and 12 bottlenose dolphins can be seen trapped inside their enclosures.
The miserable creatures swim aimlessly from one side of the pool to the other, as they desperately try to entertain themselves.
Grim green algae and sludge surround the whale enclosure, while some of the other pools are filled with murky brown water.
Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo are France’s last two remaining orca whales.
But despite ongoing efforts to relocate the animals, French authorities haven’t been able to find a suitable site for them.
This comes after the Loro Parque marine park in Tenerife, Spain, rejected a request to re home the poor animals due to a lack of capacity.
The French government has also blocked two re homing deals – one for a marine zoo in Japan and another for a whale sanctuary in Canada.
TideBreakers has called for the orcas to be rehomed as soon as possible in a sanctuary – rather than another marine park.
Co-founder of TideBreakers, Marketa Schusterova, said: “These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly.
“The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety.”
Releasing the animals into the wild simply is not an option as they were both born in captivity and would not survive.
Marineland Antibes closed in January after dwindling numbers.
This came after the French government passed new legislation banning certain types of marine shows in 2021.
The now-abandoned theme park was founded in 1970 by French count Roland de La Poype.
The impressive site included a marine park with a whale and dolphin enclosure, as well as a water park for children.
Once the largest Orca pool complex in the Europe the park was best-known for its shows – with visitors flocking from across the continent to watch them.
But the park has also been surrounded by scandal.
Severe flooding hit the park in 2015 killing Valentin – a 19-year old male orca born within the park.
The park was left filled with mud – leaving sharks, sea lions and turtles fighting for their lives.