Eight dolphins from the Marineland amusement park in Antibes, France, were transferred to a marine zoo in Malaga, Spain, this week [1].
The move occurs as Marineland prepares to close its French site, sparking a confrontation between the park's management and animal-rights organizations. Activists said that moving the animals to another captive facility contradicts commitments to end the captivity of cetaceans.
The transfer took place during the night of Wednesday, July 22, to Thursday, July 23 [3]. A spokesperson for Marineland said the transport was organized using a combination of boats and aircraft [6]. This operation moved eight of the 12 dolphins previously held at the Antibes facility [1, 2].
Animal-rights groups have reacted with sharp criticism to the secret nature of the operation. The association L214 said the situation was "a state scandal" [5]. Other activists opposed to cetacean captivity said the transfer was "a huge betrayal" [4].
Reports on the park's operational status vary. Some sources indicate the facility closed in January 2025 [2], while others state the park remains open until the end of 2026 [1]. Regardless of the specific closing date, the evacuation of the cetaceans has now begun.
The dolphins were transported by land and air to ensure they reached the Malaga destination [4, 6]. The move represents a significant logistical effort to relocate the animals across national borders during a single overnight window.
“« une énorme trahison »”
The relocation of these dolphins highlights the ongoing tension between commercial marine parks and the growing global movement to ban cetacean captivity. By moving the animals to another zoo in Spain rather than a sanctuary, Marineland is maintaining the status quo of captivity, which animal-rights groups argue undermines legal and ethical efforts to transition these species into semi-wild environments.
