A non-profit organization in Nova Scotia has faced a setback in its attempt to relocate two orcas from France to a seaside sanctuary being constructed for retired marine theme park whales. The Whale Sanctuary Project announced that the French government has chosen to transfer the killer whales, Wikie and her son Keijo, to Loro Parque zoo in Spain’s Tenerife Island.
This decision comes as a disappointment to the privately funded group, which had revealed its plans over six years ago to establish a 40-hectare enclosure near Wine Harbour, N.S., equivalent in size to 50 football fields, complete with floating nets surrounding the area. Experts emphasize that captive whales and dolphins lack the essential survival skills needed for release back into the wild.
The animal welfare organization confirmed that the French government approved a request from the whales’ former owners at the now-shuttered Marineland Antibes in southern France to transfer the orcas to the zoo in the Canary Islands following the closure of Marineland Antibes in January 2025 to comply with a French law prohibiting whales and dolphins from being held in captivity for entertainment purposes.
Similarly, Canada implemented a comparable ban in 2019. Although the French government initially expressed support for relocating the whales to the planned facility in Nova Scotia, recent developments have revealed a change in stance, citing the orcas as the private property of Marineland Antibes.
Charles Vinick, CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project, expressed disappointment over the decision, stating that transferring the orcas to Loro Parque would contradict the intentions of the 2021 French law aimed at ending the entertainment and captive breeding of whales and dolphins. Despite the setback, construction preparations continue at the Nova Scotia coastal site.
The Whale Sanctuary Project remains optimistic about securing the necessary funding and permits to finalize the sanctuary, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the long-term care of captive whales and offering a sanctuary for whales in need worldwide as more entities move away from captivity practices.