Controversy over plans to bring two French orcas to Loro Parque
A huge billboard featuring four orcas is one of the first sights that greets passengers as they leave Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport. From there, signs along the road guide visitors towards Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz, one of Europe’s largest zoos. While France and other countries have introduced laws to end shows involving dolphins and whales, Loro Parque continues to promote its orca displays as one of its star attractions.
Now, the park is seeking to bring two additional orcas, Wikie (24) and her son Keijo (11), from Marineland in Antibes, France, which permanently closed its doors in January 2025 following a national ban on cetacean shows. They would join the four orcas already housed at the Tenerife facility.
This plan has triggered a legal dispute. The Spanish branch of CITES issued an unfavourable report on the proposed transfer, leading Loro Parque’s management to launch legal action to challenge the decision. The park argues that it meets all European and national welfare standards and has the capacity to care for the animals.
In response, the Government of the Canary Islands has backed the zoo, issuing technical reports that highlight its history of compliance and animal care. Loro Parque insists that transferring the orcas would be a better option than euthanasia, which has reportedly been considered in France.
Meanwhile, other possibilities are on the table, including moving the animals to a marine park in Japan or a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada. French environmental experts have described the situation as “a sign of future challenges,” as more countries phase out cetacean captivity and shows.
Animal rights organisations argue that a sanctuary, and not another performance park, is the best option. A report from the French environmental agency suggests Canada should be the first option, pointing out that many dolphinariums in the Western world are closing and there are fewer places that meet modern animal welfare standards.
The debate comes as Loro Parque faces ongoing scrutiny. Four orcas have died at the park since 2021, with causes ranging from intestinal torsion to heart problems. These deaths have raised questions among environmental groups about the conditions in which the animals are kept. The park maintains that each case was unrelated and caused by acute, unpredictable illnesses.
Loro Parque’s facilities include four interconnected tanks, with the main pool reaching a depth of 12 metres. The zoo says its enclosures exceed minimum requirements set by the US and UK, but Spain currently has no specific legislation on the minimum space required for cetaceans.
The transfer has drawn criticism from French NGO One Voice, which stated: “They want us to believe Loro Parque is a decent solution, a place where four orcas have died in just a few years. What kind of animal welfare is that?”
The case remains under review, and the final decision on whether Wikie and Keijo will be transferred to Tenerife has yet to be made.
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