I did a quick search and came up with a bit of info on Marineland France. Interestingly enough it was started by a Brit....... and 1/2 their dolphins born at the facility. It said on his site the article could be reproduced - very interesting - read on...., I've never been there and would reserve judgement until I had observed all the data for myself but this is interesting:
Link:
http://www.jeremyjosephs.com/marineland.htm
Quote, by Jeremy Josephs:
A NICE TIME? A WHALE OF TIME?
WHATEVER THE CASE - MARINELAND AWAITS !
No degree in history is required to know that there is a long and distinguished history of Brits on the Côte d'Azur. The elegant Boulevard des Anglais in the bustling city of Nice is ample testimony of English influence that goes right back to Victorian times. It is perhaps only fitting, therefore, that the city's premier tourist attraction should be run by an ex-pat - in this instance Mike Riddell who oversees Nice's premier tourist attraction, Marineland, which he has successfully turned round into the number 4 theme park in France with some 1.5 million visitors per year.
Aware that he was competing against such formidable Paris-based adversaries as Mickey Mouse and Astérix, he embarked upon a strategy which would enable him to play his trump card: to build a series of pools permitting the visitor to get so close to half a dozen killer whales and over two dozen man-eating sharks that you can practically reach out and touch them. And with a cast-iron guarantee that you won't have to sacrifice your life in the process. Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so to speak, and I have to say both my 15 year old son and I had (and do forgive me for this) .a whale of a time. We really did. There are no rides to go on, no queues to stand in, it was simply an opportunity to observe and enjoy these beautiful animals at incredibly close quarters.
It was Roland de la Poype's fascination for the sea and its inhabitants that led him to found Marineland in 1970. It is now the largest Marine Park in Europe with seven dolphins, a host of seals, penguins and sea lions. It also boasts a remarkable Maritime Museum and new aquaria with tropical fish and jellyfish. Do not be misled by the name Marineland, however, for the site is in fact composed of five different parks; the Marine Park, the Little Farm, Butterfly Jungle, Adventure Gold and Aqua-Splash, so cliché though it be - there really is something for all the family.
It was Riddell's construction of the killer whale pool, though, which continues to be the biggest draw. With a stretch of water as large as a football field and a volume of nearly 10 million gallons, it is the most spectacular killer whale pool in the world and made all the more special by its transparent wall which allows for unparalleled viewing of these magnificent mammals weighing up to two tons.
And for those of you about to cry out "Free Willy" take note: the park's activities are not restricted to performing dolphins and spectacular shows. For it also embraces scientific research and the protection of the Mediterranean marine environment. In fact its marine mammal reproduction programme has resulted in half of its inhabitants being born in situ and numerous veterinary discoveries in marine mammal husbandry. Riddell has also been particularly active in RIMMOS (International Maritime Reserve for Marine Mammals in the Western Mediterranean) campaigns that led to the official creation of a whale and dolphin sanctuary by France, Italy and Monaco back in the winter of 1999.
If its impressive facts and figures that you are after then you are also heading off to the right place. For Marineland's sea water filter station processes 9000 cubic metres of water per hour as powerful as the one belonging to the city of Nice. The main pool's architect, Alain Semmel, saw to it that the pool's walls were 210 feet long, 15 feet high and 17cm thick he then added a roofing structure similar to the elegant Stade de France resulting in a massive stadium capable of seating almost 4,000 guests.
Situated on 50 acres of the French Riviera and just a stone's throw from the sea, Riddell likes to consider that his Park rebalances the area back towards tourism and helps to redress the high-tech image of the département often dominated by computing companies at nearby Sophia-Antipolis. But Riddell'ss most heartfelt boast is that of the 9 killer whale births to have taken place in the artificial environment of the theme park world, no less than a third took place at Marineland. He is equally proud of his links with Operation Delphis, which calls upon yachtsmen to collect samples and vital information for scientific research on the Mediterranean and the protection of its whales and dolphins.
Of course there's no getting away from the fact that the killer whales steal the show. They are the show. And for those anxious to cool off from the heat of the summer sun a killer whale induced drenching is all part and parcel of the proceedings. But my son and I couldn't pull ourselves away from the tunnelled aquarium (Europe's largest) where the sharks rule the roost. They come so close, literally within a few inches that it provides a rare treat not to be missed.
You've got to pay attention to the three Es, you know, Mike Riddell concludes.
Your 3 Es?
That's right. Entertainment, education and the environment. They all go hand in hand. Of course people go away with lingering images of the killer whales, sharks and dolphins. And that's the way it should be. But behind the scenes we have over 150 staff working full time throughout the year to ensure that we never lose sight of these three Es.
Es right you know, that Riddell. But would one expect otherwise from an enterprising Englishman on the Cote d'Azur?
Ends:
Marineland
Le Parc de la Mer
RN 7 �€“ Antibes
Tel: + 33 (0)4 93 33 49 49
www.marineland.fr
Open 365 days a year
Entrance: Marineland 149 francs (adults), 99 francs (children 3 to 12)
Additional fees for each of the separate parks.
Passport for two days for the 5 parks: 285 francs (adults), 215 francs (children)
All rights belong to Jeremy Josephs.
So promoting their business.
