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France's last performing orcas face uncertain future

Katrin Kleemann | Dirk Schraeder
March 24, 2026

Two orcas, both born in captivity, live in a shuttered aquarium in France's Cote d'Azur. They urgently need a new home, but no one can agree on where that should be.

https://p.dw.com/p/5ANIB

Wikie and Keijo, two captive orcas in a closed Cote d'Azur park, await a new home as officials delay a decision.

Activists warn the whales are lethargic and neglected, while Tenerife's Loro Parque has offered to take them in. Yet concerns over transport risks and welfare have stalled the move.

With France's captivity ban nearing, the orcas' future remains uncertain.