Marineland closed its doors earlier this year due to the law that came into effect in 2021, which banned entertainment shows featuring whales, dolphins, and porpoises in France and also set a strict deadline of December 2026 for Marineland to move its animals to a safe location.
Following the closure of the Marineland water park, the animals that lived in the various pools have gradually been relocated, although some are still waiting for new homes. Among them are two orcas, Wikie, 23, and his son Keijo, 12, who spend their long days in a pond while the water quality deteriorates.
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Now, the closure of Marineland has taken another controversial turn after footage, now gone viral, surfaced showing trainers manually stimulating a 12-year-old male orca, Keijo. The video, published by the cetacean protection group TideBreakers, shows one trainer holding the animal while another performs the act.
According to the park's management, the procedure was intended to reduce Keijo's sexual tension and prevent aggression or possible inbreeding with his mother, Wikie. TideBreakers, however, suspects it is part of an artificial insemination program, claiming the semen may be sold abroad for breeding purposes.
The scandal has fueled public outrage in France, as the two orcas remain in deteriorating water conditions months after the park's closure. Although French law bans marine mammal shows and set a 2026 deadline for relocation, government efforts to transfer the orcas to Tenerife and dolphins to Madrid have so far stalled.
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