Star Trek icon, William Shatner, and EARTHDAY‍.ORG unite in calling on President Macron to save captive orcas, Wikie and her son Keijo

Actor, activist, and lifelong champion for animal welfare, William Shatner, best known for his role as the legendary Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, has issued a passionate plea to President Macron: help save Wikie and her son Keijo, the last two captive orca whales in France.

“In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, two humpback whales helped save planet Earth. It was gripping fiction—but what’s happening today in the south of France is heartbreakingly real,” said Shatner. “Wikie and Keijo aren’t characters in a script. They are highly intelligent, social creatures trapped in a crumbling marine park with nowhere to go. We have the power to write them a better ending—if we act now. I urge President Macron to act decisively to find a better location for these animals now.”

Shatner’s call follows the release of disturbing new drone footage of the facility, showing the two orcas circling in algae-choked tanks at the now-shuttered Marineland Antibes, just 22 kilometers from where the United Nations Ocean Conference convened just over a week ago in Nice.

Wikie, 23, and her son Keijo, 11, were once the stars of live performances. But France passed a ban on keeping cetaceans in 2021, and Marineland closed its doors in January 2025, leaving Wikie, Keijo, and 12 bottlenose dolphins stranded.

“President Macron we know is a champion of marine life and our oceans, and we are asking him to take action now to save them. It is time for us to join together to find a solution to save Wikie and Keijo,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG.

French Minister of Ecology Agnès Pannier-Runache said in February, 2025, that a suitable site for a European whale sanctuary has not yet been secured but this situation demands urgent action - now. 

The orcas’ physical and mental health are likely already deteriorating and two other whales in their family—Wikie’s brother, Inouk and her first born son—Moana, have already died at Marineland within the last 18 months.

We need a relocation plan for Wikie and Keijo that gives them the best chance of surviving long enough to one day be rehomed in a whale sanctuary. 

“Captain T Kirk called on two whales to save planet Earth in a movie,” Shatner said. “Let’s save two real ones now. President Macron, please act decisively.”

Want to speak out? Write a letter to President Macron urging him to act.