Moana, a 12-year-old male, died in October at Marineland in Antibes, France. The orca was born by artificial insemination and was the first in Europe.
Animal protection group One Voice wants the orcas to be placed in a marine sanctuary. Marineland argues that France has not created such a sanctuary for orcas, which are in captivity at the zoo. The park says it welcomes an average of 750,000 visitors per year, with an extra 100,000 on weekends.