Victory! Europe’s Largest Marine Prison, Marineland d’Antibes, Will Finally Close In January 2025

After years of relentless campaigning by PETA, animal protection groups, and tens of thousands of activists, Marineland d’Antibes (Marineland France) is finally closing its doors in January 2025. This monumental victory highlights the power of advocacy and the growing public rejection of keeping marine mammals in captivity.

PETA’s honorary director Pamela Anderson, along with dedicated supporters, played a key role in this triumph, participating in protests, signing petitions, writing letters, and exposing the suffering of marine mammals held in captivity. Their efforts, combined with those of other organizations, have brought attention to the cruel reality behind marine parks.

For decades, orcas and dolphins at Marineland, and similar facilities, have been trapped in chemically treated tanks, forced to perform repetitive tricks for entertainment. In the wild, these intelligent animals swim vast distances, maintain complex social structures, and communicate in ways that foster deep familial bonds. In captivity, they are stripped of their natural behaviors and confined to barren tanks, leading to stress, aggression, and untimely deaths.

Tragically, Marineland’s orcas have not escaped this fate. In March 2024, Inouk, a 25-year-old orca, became the second to die at the park in less than six months. Such deaths are far too common in marine parks worldwide. Between 2021 and 2022, three orcas died at Loro Parque, another notorious facility, including Keto, who died just weeks ago at only 29 years old—decades younger than the life expectancy of orcas in the wild.

PETA and other advocates are urging Marineland to transfer all its remaining animals to sanctuaries, where they can experience a semblance of the natural lives they were denied. Sea sanctuaries offer a more ethical solution, providing spacious, enriched environments and the freedom to live away from public exploitation.

In 2020, France enacted legislation aimed at prohibiting the breeding and acquisition of cetaceans by marine parks, with the goal of relocating captive animals to seaside sanctuaries. While the closure of Marineland marks progress, alarming rumors suggest that the park’s remaining orcas, Wikie and Keijo, might be relocated to Loro Parque instead of a sanctuary. Such a move would undermine the legislation’s intent and prolong the suffering of these highly intelligent creatures.

The closure of Marineland d’Antibes signifies a significant milestone in the battle against marine mammal captivity. This decision aligns with a larger shift away from supporting such facilities, exemplified by companies like Jet2 and regions like Miami-Dade taking decisive actions to combat animal mistreatment in marine parks.

This victory sends a clear message: the era of marine “abusement” parks is coming to an end. To build on this momentum, PETA is calling on travel companies like TUI to stop selling tickets to these establishments and urges the public to demand sea sanctuaries for all captive marine animals. Sign Petition HERE! 

Together, we can ensure that orcas and dolphins remain in the wild, where they belong, instead of enduring a lifetime of suffering behind glass walls.