France faces a deadline to decide the fate of two captive orcas stranded at Marineland in Antibes, the coastal park that shut down in January 2025 after 55 years of operation. Wikie, 25, and her son Keijo, 13, were born in captivity and have never survived in the wild. Their tanks are now suffering progressive structural deterioration, raising the specter of euthanasia if no solution is found.

Two options remain on the table: transferring the orcas to another marine park such as Loro Parque in Tenerife, or relocating them to an open-water sanctuary like the planned 100-acre Whale Sanctuary Project in Canada. Both paths face significant obstacles. Spanish authorities have blocked the orcas' transfer, while the Canadian site remains unprepared and experts question whether it's suitable for whales raised in a Mediterranean climate.

Animal welfare advocates accuse the French government of foot-dragging. President Emmanuel Macron promised Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson last June that he would help find a solution, but no action has followed. The orcas cost several million euros annually to maintain, and a senator who worked on the 2021 animal welfare law admitted no impact assessment was conducted for the parks' former stars.