Outrage as devastating video of abandoned orcas shows them performing in empty tank

Footage of two orcas stuck in an abandoned marine park in France has sparked outrage on social media.

The two orcas, mother Wikie and her 11-year-old son, Keijo, have been stuck at the Marineland of Antibes since its closure in January.

The now-defunct marine park closed its doors following a 2021 law that prohibits the use of orcas in live shows and captive breeding programmes, as well as a decline in attendance and ticket sales.

Although the vast majority of Marineland's other animals have been relocated elsewhere, the fate of Wikie and Keijo has remained uncertain, with animal rights activists warning that time is 'running out' for the two orcas.

Attempts to relocate them haven't gone according to plan, like Tenerife's Loro Parque Zoo's proposal to take them was rejected by their government, while a plan to send them to Japan was opposed by the French Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, last year.

Wikie and Keijo have been stuck in Marineland since it closed earlier this year (Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Environmental campaigners at EarthDay have also expressed concern over the whales' physical and mental health as they have been 'circling endlessly in green, algae-filled water' in a 'silent' marine park.

"Their world is concrete, empty, and visibly decaying," they continued. "As highly intelligent animals, orcas and dolphins need a lot of mental stimulation."

Similarly, managers at Marineland have said the two whales 'must leave now' as they told the BBC: "Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination."

A video of Wikie and Keijo shot by creator Seph Lawless (@sephlawless) on 26 October, shows a heartbreaking scene of the mother and son as they appear to lie still in the water before starting to perform for an invisible audience.

"Leaping, twirling, performing the only language they were ever taught… but this time, there was no crowd. Just me …and their longing to be free," Lawless wrote in the caption.

The two orcas could be seen drifting in the water (Seph Lawless)

"Their bodies cut through the still water like memories coming back to life — spinning, rising, falling — as if the ghosts of applause still echoed somewhere in their minds."

Many Instagram commenters were devastated by the video, with some calling it 'heartbreaking' to watch.

One person said: "Oh my God, I’m in tears. What has happened to humanity???? How can this be happening??"

A second wrote: "People in France should go PROTEST in the streets because of that," while a third commented: "This is quite literally gut-wrenching."

In the caption, Lawless said that since his videos 'went viral', the French government have 'publicly said they’re now fully engaged'.

They then began to perform for an invisible crowd (Seph Lawless)

In January, the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) said that the Ministry of Ecological Diversity had rejected their proposal to transport the whales to their facility in Nova Scotia, Canada, which the group's president, Lori Marino, described as 'the only option left'.

WSP said that they were informed in an email that their project ''could not meet the scheduling requirements of Marineland', making it 'impossible to align with the necessary conditions for the project to proceed'.

The group said that in May, the French government had 're-engaged' with them, as they continued: "We replied that we remain committed to working with the government, with Marineland Antibes, and with other animal protection organizations to help provide the best possible future for the two whales."