Beauval Questions Intake Project for Marineland Dolphins

Saint-Aignan – 01.08.2026: Rodolphe Delord, director of ZooParc de Beauval, is questioning the planned intake center for dolphins from Marineland. According to Franceinfo, he intends to decide before the end of summer 2026 whether Beauval will continue pursuing the project. Delord cites a lack of financial and political backing from the state as the reason for his doubts. The ZooParc now estimates construction and equipment costs at 45 million euros.

The project in Saint-Aignan, in the Loir-et-Cher department, is intended to serve as a scientifically focused center for research, care and the protection of dolphins. It was planned as a permanent solution for animals that cannot be released into the wild following the closure of Marineland in Antibes. Dolphins from the Planète Sauvage animal park were also to be housed there. Shows and direct contact between visitors and animals are not planned.

The Loir-et-Cher prefecture approved the facility in early June 2026. This means the construction project has obtained a key regional authorization. However, a scientific program that meets the legal requirements for keeping whales and dolphins is required for its subsequent operation. The state decides on this framework; for Beauval, it is an essential prerequisite for further planning.

On 15 May 2026, the Ministry for Ecological Transition announced that Beauval was to take in eight dolphins from Marineland, as well as animals from Planète Sauvage, within just over a year. Under the government’s plan at the time, four additional dolphins were to be transferred to the Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain. The announcement presented Beauval as a permanent French solution after other facilities in Europe were unable to offer places at short notice.

Political approval for the project, however, does not yet answer the question of who will bear the costs. The ZooParc developed its plans following a request from state authorities. Delord is now demanding, according to Franceinfo, a specific contribution from the state. The investment goes far beyond the original plans, and the park does not want to assume financial responsibility on its own.

The law against animal abuse of 30 November 2021 is creating additional time pressure. From 1 December 2026, it bans performances involving whales and dolphins as well as direct contact between the public and the animals. After that, their keeping will only be permitted in approved protection facilities or within the framework of scientific programs established by the state. However, the law does not prescribe a specific sanctuary center.

A withdrawal by Beauval would reopen the search for accommodation. The government had described Saint-Aignan as a medium-term option because, according to its information, marine sanctuaries in Italy, Greece and Canada were unable to guarantee intake at short notice. The building permit has been granted, but according to Delord, there is still no binding state commitment to funding.