The 140th edition of the Nice Carnival opens with a great fanfare on the Place Massena in front of 25,000 spectators. A giant whale, a net full of plastic waste and Sea Shepherd activist Paul Watson: the corso fully embraces its theme, "The King of the Oceans", dedicated to preserving the marine environment. One of the three biggest carnivals in the world alongside Rio and Venice, Nice Carnival attracts some 200,000 visitors to the Côte d'Azur every year. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES