![]() Following last week's flooding that damaged 90% of its site, Marineland Antibes has today released the tragic news that one of its captive male orca known as Valentin has died. The post announced (translated using Google Translate) that: All Marineland teams are extremely sad to announce today, Monday, October 12 at 12pm, the death of Valentin, a killer whale born in the park. We experienced an extremely difficult and unprecedented situation last week and have made every effort to secure the infrastructure devastated by the weather. Trainers, experts and emergency services did everything to save the animals and secure facilities. We have at this time no explanation on the cause of death, we will do everything to understand. Analyses will be conducted by a team of veterinary experts. Valentin, who was born at Marineland Antibes on February 13th 1996, is the second orca to have died at the French entertainment facility this year. His mother Freya, a wild-caught Icelandic orca, died in June from a long, unidentified illness. She was in her early thirties. His wild-caught Icelandic father, Kim 2, died at Marineland Antibes in November 2005 at 23-24 years of age. Valentin was only 19 years-old. In the wild, male orca have an average life-expectancy of 29.2 years and can live as long as 50-60 years, (females have an average life-expectancy of 50.2 years and can live for more than 90 years). Male orca survival has also been linked with the survival of their mothers in some free-ranging populations. Valentin's dorsal fin was partially collapsed and would have likely fully collapsed in time. He was intermittently put on medication for safety during orca water work sessions (he was aggressive towards his trainers on several occasions), as well as to curb excessive sexual behaviours with his half sister and brother, Wikie and Inouk, as well as his own mother, Freya. Semen samples were also collected from Valentin as part of the facility's Artificial Insemination programme. Valentin displayed several stereotypic behaviours (abnormal, repetitive behaviours indicative of stress), including burping, chewing concrete and bumping his head against tank walls and gates. He also had a pronounced skin condition on his chin. Valentin leaves behind four captive-born Icelandic orca at Marineland Antibes. Inouk, Wikie and Wikie's two calves, Moana and Keijo, are still at risk of infection and other health problems as a result of the dirty water in their tanks caused by the flooding and the facility's notoriously ineffective water filtration system. Click on the image to enlarge - all photos © Orca Aware Former SeaWorld & Marineland Antibes trainer John Hargrove talks about his time working in France
16 Comments
I. van der Meiden
12/10/2015 05:13:51 pm
Orca's are wild and dangerous animals, when will they understand that they are not entertainment. In captivity bred or wild- caught, orca's have signs of agression, abnormal sexual behaviour, depressions and many other disorders. They don't belong in small pools with antibiotics and chloride. Just set them free for once and for all ...
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diane
12/10/2015 05:33:28 pm
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Judith
12/10/2015 07:07:38 pm
It sickens me reading about that. Orca after orca is dying in these facilities and nothing has changed. It is time to stop this exploitation of these intelligent and highly social animals.
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asia
12/10/2015 07:45:19 pm
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Judy Merrick
12/10/2015 08:35:15 pm
If Vanentine had been in the wild, he would be alive today. Contaminated water from the flooding probably caused his death but will Marineland tell us the truth? I doubt it.
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Judy Merrick
12/10/2015 08:42:06 pm
Just read the following: "According to Bernard Gianpaolo, director of Marineland Antibes, 90 percent of the facility's technical amenities have been compromised, which is fundamental to the care and maintenance of the facility's animals. Many of the animals' tanks are also now filled with mud. "
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Solange
13/10/2015 01:20:51 am
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Ellaine
13/10/2015 04:06:03 am
Stop captivity, and save those 4 orcas that are still there this is madness and breaks my heart!!
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13/10/2015 09:42:41 am
its about time you and all those other marine parks were letting these beautiful creatures go he would have survived in the wild
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M Nobblett
13/10/2015 06:46:35 pm
The way this park has treated these creatures is beyond abysmal, cruel, inhumane,...for over a week they have lingered in a cess pool of green slime. No efforts to move them to clean water , no efforts to get them out of there. Its all very well when these so called parks, are selling them to the highest bidder, and then the cranes and slings are there in a moments notice for transfer to the highest bidders. But when the animals need help there is none there. This is totally savage, these people can not be called Human, where is the empathy, and love..they are only interested in the dollar , so furious that all we can do to help is to write emails, text governments, whilst the rest of the pod suffers in silence not eating and becoming more and more psychotic...they would be better off dead than left to rot in there !!!!
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Seymore Wales
14/10/2015 01:15:21 am
Soooo.. You've seen personally the lack of effort to save these majestic creatures? You are an idiot. Dead is better? Free is better. But be intelligent.. If any of these whales wetre released to the wild the would die.
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Mel
11/9/2016 09:42:03 pm
jeannie
13/10/2015 08:00:49 pm
It's never ending the abuse and deaths of helpless animals caused by human 'desires' 😪
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Joy Gardner
13/10/2015 11:39:30 pm
This horrific senerio will continue until the abuse and horrific acts against these beautiful Orcas and many other exotic creatures is allowed to continue.All God's
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14/10/2015 09:18:15 am
ARRETEZ de MASSACRER tous les ANIMAUX pour ganer du FRIC ;vous etes des VOYOUS;des ASSASSINS ! Vous mettez meme des " REQUINS-BALEINE" en PRISON tas d' ORDURES: c'est VOUS qu'on doit EMPRISONNER ! DIEU s'en CHARGERA !
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Mel
11/9/2016 09:46:54 pm
Better to die free than where they all are ... You never know they have minds they might actually survive who knows unless you take the chance .... But it's that free word no body likes that's you don't
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