Beauval Zoo could abandon plan to house Marineland dolphins without government support
Beauval Zoo says it could abandon plans to build a new home for 23 dolphins from Marineland and Planète Sauvage unless it receives greater financial and political support from the French government.
The director of Beauval Zoo has warned that plans to build a new facility for the dolphins from Marineland Antibes and Planète Sauvage could be abandoned unless the French government provides greater support.
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Speaking to ICI Touraine, following an earlier report by Le Parisien, Beauval director Rodolphe Delord said he hopes to make a final decision before the start of the new school year.
The proposed project would create a new dolphin centre capable of housing 23 dolphins from Marineland and Planète Sauvage.
It would include a research centre, three lagoons and ten interconnected pools using natural seawater, with Delord insisting there would be no commercial dolphin shows.
According to Delord, the project was initially expected to cost around €25 million, but the estimated budget has now risen to between €40 million and €45 million.
He says Beauval has already invested around €2 million in feasibility studies and has put other projects on hold while awaiting a response from the government.
Delord argues that the project was developed at the request of the French authorities and already has the necessary approvals, but says Beauval cannot continue to shoulder the financial burden alone.
He is calling for financial support, or at least stronger backing from the French government.
The debate comes just days after eight dolphins remaining at Marineland were transferred to a marine park near Málaga, Spain, as a temporary solution following the closure of Marineland in January 2025.
The proposed Beauval facility has also drawn criticism from several animal welfare organisations, which argue it would continue keeping dolphins in captivity.
Around 20 protesters gathered outside Beauval Zoo on Saturday, according to La Nouvelle République, to oppose the project.
Despite the opposition, Delord maintains that the new centre represents the most realistic long-term solution for the dolphins and says he will decide after the summer whether the project can move forward.