William Shatner recently reached out to the French president with a heartfelt plea regarding two orcas stranded in Marineland Antibes, a marine park close to Cannes, which is set to close in January 2025.
Despite various attempts to relocate these animals, authorities in France have yet to find a suitable new home for the orcas in Europe and have dismissed a suggestion to transfer them to a marine facility in Japan.
Animal activists have shared footage showing 23-year-old orca Wikie and her 11-year-old son Keijo swimming aimlessly in the now-abandoned park.
Now at the age of 94, the “Star Trek” actor has teamed up with Earthday.org, a nonprofit focused on environmental advocacy, to address President Macron in a recorded video message.
In his message, Shatner emphasized the urgency of relocating the orcas, stating, “Transporting to a safe and healthy place. There’s not much time to save them. While there’s no ideal solution, alternatives could lead to their demise.”
He poignantly noted, “These beautiful animals may not survive that long,” underscoring the pressing nature of the situation.
Due to a national ban, the orcas must be relocated by December 2026, yet efforts to move them have stumbled because of legal and logistical challenges.
Shatner drew a parallel between this mission and his role in “Star Trek IV,” where he famously worked to save whales, now translating that fictional endeavor into a real-life situation.
Kathleen Rogers, president of Earthday.org, revealed that the organization sought Shatner’s assistance after pondering the logistics of relocating the orcas. She mentioned, “I said, ‘The only thing I know about moving orcas is from Star Trek IV.’”
Rogers noted that once Shatner was contacted, he quickly engaged in the effort.
Amid French laws banning the breeding and holding of marine mammals, Marineland is obligated to relocate its orca population by the deadline. The conditions of the facility housing Wikie and Keijo have been described as dire.
Rogers commented, “The facility itself is falling apart,” with reports of algae covering surfaces and parts of the walls deteriorating.
Complicating matters are different perspectives surrounding the best course of action and conflicting interests. At one point, Spain appeared willing to accept the orcas, but negotiations fell apart due to ongoing legal disputes regarding the facility’s size and veterinary care.
Despite these challenges, Rogers remains hopeful that a collaborative effort could yield positive results. “I think we need to sit everyone down together at the same table,” she said, advocating for unified discussions.
She went on to specifically urge President Macron to take a leadership role in solving the issue, believing he could effectively gather the necessary stakeholders to address the problem.
