ZooParc de Beauval abandons €45m dolphin sanctuary after cost increases and legal opposition

Project cancellation and financial obstacles

ZooParc de Beauval director general Rodolphe Delord announced on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, that the zoo has abandoned its plans to construct a dolphin reception centre in the Loir-et-Cher department. The decision follows a substantial escalation in projected construction costs, which rose from an initial estimate of 25 to 30 million euros to 45 million euros. Delord explained that the French government refused to provide a state loan guarantee for a portion of the funding. The park management also faced multiple legal challenges initiated by animal protection groups against the construction permit and facility operational framework. Delord stated to Agence France-Presse that the combination of legal disputes and funding barriers made continuing the investment impossible.

The legal and financial uncertainties that currently weigh on the project do not allow us to carry it out under acceptable conditions.

Original scope of the planned sanctuary

The abandoned project had been initiated a year earlier following requests from the French government and certain welfare associations. It was intended to provide a long-term solution for marine mammals displaced by the closure of Marineland d'Antibes in January 2025. The planned complex was scheduled to open in 2027, covering a surface area of two and a half hectares. Plans included approximately ten pools, three large lagoons, and dedicated facilities for scientific study and dolphin conservation. The site was engineered to house around 25 dolphins, incorporating cetaceans from both Antibes and Planète Sauvage.

Diverging reactions across animal protection groups

Animal welfare organisations responded swiftly to the announcement, reflecting a divided campaign landscape regarding captive marine mammals. Approximately ten non-governmental organisations, including One Voice and C'est Assez!, had actively opposed the development through demonstrations and administrative court filings. These groups maintained that breeding dolphins in captivity and facilitating internal transfers violated the provisions of the 2021 animal welfare law. In contrast, organisations such as Sea Shepherd had supported the Beauval initiative as a practical measure given the absence of alternative facilities in France. Delord had defended the concept by arguing that dolphin breeding would remain strictly limited and controlled. Christine Grandjean, president of C'est Assez!, welcomed the cancellation while emphasising that the broader issue remains unresolved.

For us, it is a first victory, but it does not stop there.

Unsettled futures for French captive dolphins

The cancellation leaves the long-term placement of 15 captive dolphins in France uncertain. Following the January 2025 closure of Marineland d'Antibes, eight of its twelve resident dolphins were relocated to facilities in Spain in July 2026. Four female dolphins remain in the Antibes pools along the Côte d'Azur, while eleven others stay at the Planète Sauvage animal park near Nantes. Grandjean warned against potential transfers to facilities in Asia, describing such an outcome as unacceptable under French welfare regulations. Instead, C'est Assez! is urging authorities to negotiate transfers to the Taranto marine sanctuary in Italy, Europe's dedicated refuge for former captive dolphins.

It would suffice to approach the Italian ministry. To say that there is no solution is a lie.