The artist Toolate, who made headlines this summer in Nice by installing “tourist traps,” has struck again! But this time, his provocative work targets a highly controversial topic, the Marineland park.
Opened in 1970, Marineland, the largest marine zoo park in Europe, is now at the center of a new controversy. Regularly accused by animal rights organizations, such as One Voice, the park has been involved in various scandals over the years.
While Marineland has bad press, this media weather cannot overshadow the number of visitors it receives each year. In fact, approximately 800,000 visitors come annually to observe the animals in the park. Furthermore, Marineland consistently highlights its commitment and values regarding the preservation of the marine environment. By being in direct contact with the animals, Marineland supports the idea that it helps raise visitor awareness of the environmental challenges these animals face. It also aims to promote an awareness of ecological behaviors to adopt.
However, this enthusiasm initiated by the park to restore its image in recent years was abruptly jeopardized with the repeal of the law of November 30, 2021. Indeed, this law aims to combat animal abuse and includes, among other things, the ban on wild animals in dolphinariums within 5 years. Is the park’s future threatened? For some, it’s a certainty. For others, a permanent closure of the park would not be the fatal outcome…
When street artist Toolate gets involved
The artist is known… for being unknown. In fact, Toolate maintains his image as a “faceless vigilante.” He uses artificial intelligence to create a voice for his videos. In his latest one, he denounces the supposed sale, which he considers finalized, of Marineland’s orcas to Japan. The artist Toolate invites his audience to sign the petition by “Onevoiceanimal to free the Marineland orcas and prevent their sale to Japan.” The anti-captivity association One Voice is indeed calling for the creation of a sanctuary for cetaceans to accommodate animals living in parks.
Alongside this video, the artist conducted a real artistic performance in the streets of Antibes. By hijacking existing advertisements or directly creating “new” advertisements, the artist made a strong statement! One of them read: “Super deal! Buy an orca, get a dolphin free.” Moreover, next to his works, a QR code directly linked to the petition.
Quickly removed by the city of Antibes, it’s worth noting that the initiative still had a profound impact. As of August 29, four days after the video was released, the petition had already gathered 12,536 signatures.
But then, what is really going on?
For now, the Azurean park Marineland has neither confirmed nor denied the sale of the orcas to Japan. This controversy arises at a time when Marineland park is experiencing a certain impasse. By 2026, organizing shows involving the participation of cetaceans will be banned. Shows involving direct contact between cetaceans and the public will also be prohibited. This legislation seems somewhat aporetic when considering the imposed timeline, as the Marineland team considers it far too short. Furthermore, the law clearly undermines the long-established business model of Europe’s largest marine zoo, Marineland.
So, what can be done? The park responds that it lacks time, while the government remains silent. Playing on ambiguity and acknowledging the impossibility of enforcing the law, Marineland park is buying itself a moratorium period. The sale of the orcas to Japan is nothing more than a hypothesis.
