France closes Europe's largest aquarium

Located near Antibes on the French Riviera, Marineland is Europe's largest aquarium with around 4,000 marine animals from 150 different species.

Marineland Aquarium was built after World War II. (Source: Liberation)

Marineland, France's famous oceanarium, officially closed its doors on January 5 with a final performance by its only two remaining killer whales. The closure comes after a law banning marine mammal performances was enacted in 2021.

Many Marineland fans attended the final performance and greeted the whale performers with a long, enthusiastic applause. Visitors and hundreds of employees expressed regret at the closure of the park, which was built after World War II.

Located near Antibes on the French Riviera, Marineland is Europe’s largest aquarium. With around 4,000 marine animals from 150 different species, it was once the top attraction on the French Mediterranean coast, drawing 1.2 million visitors a year, but that number has nearly tripled over the past decade.

The 2021 ban on marine mammal shows continues to hit the park hard, as 90% of visitors come to see whale shows. This has forced the park’s owner, the Spanish group Parques Reunidos, to declare it closed and only offer entertainment during the summer. This affects the park’s approximately 100 permanent staff and around 500 seasonal workers.

Along with that, the future of 4,000 animals here such as dolphins, sea lions, turtles and especially 2 killer whales becomes uncertain. The park said it will relocate all animals to the best available facilities, in which it is expected that by December 2026, the last two killer whales, Keijo and Wikie, will be brought to Japan. However, this plan is facing opposition from officials as well as many experts.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/phap-dong-cua-cong-vien-hai-duong-hoc-lon-nhat-chau-au-299925.html