A non-profit organization in Nova Scotia has faced a setback in its efforts to relocate two orcas from France to a sanctuary being constructed for retired marine theme park whales. The Whale Sanctuary Project announced that the French government has decided to transfer the killer whales, named Wikie and Keijo, to Loro Parque zoo in Tenerife, Spain.
The decision comes as a disappointment to the group, which had been working on building a 40-hectare enclosure near Wine Harbour, N.S., for over six years. The sanctuary, equivalent to 50 football fields in size, would feature floating nets extending from the shore. Experts emphasize that captive whales and dolphins lack the essential survival skills to be released back into the wild.
Marineland Antibes, where the orcas were previously held, closed in January 2025 to comply with a 2021 French law prohibiting the captivity of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes. Similarly, Canada implemented a comparable ban in 2019.
Despite earlier indications favoring the relocation of the whales to the Nova Scotia sanctuary, the French government agreed to transfer them to Loro Parque at the Canary Islands, following a request from the whales’ owners. The Minister for Ecological Transition, Mathieu Lefevre, clarified that Marineland Antibes still owned the orcas and expressed that Marineland was not interested in transferring them to Canada.
Charles Vinick, CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project, expressed disappointment over the decision, stating that it contradicts the intent of the 2021 French law aimed at ending the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment. Vinick raised concerns about Loro Parque’s continued reliance on performance-based activities and breeding, which could perpetuate the practices the law seeks to eliminate.
Construction plans for the sanctuary in Nova Scotia are progressing, although the required 20-year Crown lease and federal permits for whale transfer are pending. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to securing funding for the sanctuary’s completion and providing long-term care for whales transitioning from captivity.
The Whale Sanctuary Project aims to create a sanctuary that can offer support to whales worldwide in need of care, aligning with the growing trend of governments and institutions moving away from keeping cetaceans in captivity.