Tragic moment two orcas appear dead in abandoned marine park

THIS is the heartbreaking moment two orcas are seen lifelessly floating in their abandoned enclosures before they suddenly start to perform.

A mother and son left behind at a now defunct marine park in France were caught on a drone floating in the murky water.

The orcas, believed to be 23-year-old Wikie and 11-year-old Keijo, appear to be close to death, according to co-founder of activist group Tidebreakers, Marketa Schusterova.

Schusterova says the orcas in Marineland of Antibes are struggling ever since the park closed down in January because of a new law banning orcas from performing for the public in France.

Activists have pleaded with officials and the owners of Marineland to take drastic action to save Wikie and Keijo.

Schusterova believes they must be sent to a new location as soon as possible or they will “get sick and die”.

But the pair are still trapped in their enclosures.

The most recent drone footage of inside Marineland, taken by Seph Lawless, shows Wikie floating beside her son in what looks like a dirty tank.

Both laid still on top of the water with Wikie motionless on her front as Keijo was sprawled upside down.

Lawless recalled thinking both had tragically died when he saw the video.

He wrote on Instagram: “The mother orca appears dead — her body floating motionless in murky water beside her son.

“But this wasn’t the ocean. These whales were left behind inside a closed, defunct marine park in France.

“This was all that remained when the crowds disappeared and the park closed forever.”

After a few seconds, Lawless was amazed when he saw them both spring into life.

The gentle hum of the drone overhead caught their attention as both looked up in a “curious, gentle” manner.

“It was as if they recognized me – as if hope itself had come back to visit,” Lawless said.

The touching footage then showed the pair moving around the water elegantly as if they were back performing for a crowd.

LEFT TO ROT

The once-bustling French marine park, Marineland Antibes, shut its doors for the final time in January and has since been left to rot.

Two orcas and 12 bottlenose dolphins remain trapped inside their enclosures.

Drone footage shows how grim green algae and sludge is now surrounding the whale enclosure, while some of the other pools are filled with murky brown water.

Schusterova said: “We know from reviewing footage [of Marineland] that the tank is causing a hazard.

“We know that it’s not being cleaned, it’s falling apart. It’s a hazard for these orcas every day.”

But despite ongoing efforts to relocate the animals, French authorities haven’t been able to find a suitable site for them.

This comes after the Loro Parque marine park in Tenerife, Spain, rejected a request to re home the poor animals due to a lack of capacity.

The French government has also blocked two rehoming deals – one for a marine zoo in Japan and another for a whale sanctuary in Canada.

Releasing the animals into the wild simply is not an option as they were both born in captivity and would not survive.

Marineland Antibes closed in January after dwindling numbers.

This came after the French government passed new legislation banning certain types of marine shows in 2021.