In a French marine park that had long since closed, a mother and calf of killer whales were trapped in a foul-smelling pool for nearly a year. When an American photographer flew overhead with a drone, the whales, which had been almost motionless and seemingly lifeless, suddenly seemed to awaken, leaping and spinning as if regaining the memory of being watched. This heartbreaking footage quickly went viral globally, attracting over 55 million views, with netizens calling for an immediate rescue of the desperate mother and calf.
France passed a new law in 2021 to completely ban the keeping of whales and dolphins in aquariums by 2026. Marineland Antibes, near Cannes, closed in January of this year, but relocation efforts have been slow. Animal rights organization TideBreakers captured footage with a drone showing the killer whale mother and calf, Wikie and Keijo, along with 12 dolphins, still trapped in a murky, algae-covered pool after nearly 10 months of abandonment. In the footage, two killer whales floated motionless on the surface of the water.
Even more heartbreaking, when they sensed the drone, they instinctively "performed" for the camera—first slowly, then jumping and spinning. The photojournalist described it: "There was no audience, only me, and their yearning for freedom."
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