Video of Orcas swimming at closed marine park sparks worldwide concern

Awful.

In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas, also known as killer whales, and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain, but the move was blocked by Spanish authorities saying the facilities were adapted for them.

"The situation at Marineland Antibes is an emergency," said Canada-based NGO TideBreakers in a social media post after publishing the video.

"Leaving them in a shut-down facility, confined to a crumbling, decrepit tank, is simply not an option," it said.

Should the two orcas fall ill, they "will likely be euthanized or succumb to the deteriorating environment," the group warned.

The video, shot by drone early this month, shows the two orcas and dolphins in tanks, the edges of which are green with algae, amid installations previously used for other marine animals in brackish water.

Contacted by AFP, the park management said that the orca and dolphin pools remained well-maintained and that about 50 employees were still working for the animals' well-being.

The algae visible in the images were a normal phenomenon, it said, explaining that algae pores present in the filtered seawater that fills the pools develop each spring as the water warms up.

They were not harmful to the animals and were regularly removed by brushing, management said.

It’s in an amazing location. So beautiful that the last thing anyone would want do is skip the beach and go to an aquarium.

Those poor animals look so bored and lonely.

Orcas and dolphins are highly intelligent, and need constant stimulation.

I cannot imagine how sad and depressed they must feel, to be trapped in that filthy prison for 24 hours a day.

I really hope some group can help them.

I’m happy that it’s FINALLY understood that these marine parks are terrible for dolphins and whales.