VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - A former SeaWorld trainer is reacting to new details that emerged about several concerns regarding the care of the animals at the Miami Seaquarium, which has the park on the verge of losing its lease.
Back in December of 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture conducted an investigation at the Seaquarium and cited multiple violations, which involved 25 different animals. They also issued a notice to confiscate the entire facility earlier in January.
The USDA and Plant Health Inspection Services were investigating the Miami Seaquarium before the public outcry and before county leaders notified the owners of their intentions to terminate their land lease.
“In reality, these animals are on county land, and they’re being abused,” said said Amanda Brody, senior campaigner for PETA. “This is a dying park with inexperienced people.”
In a statement to 7News, the USDA released the a statement, which reads in part:
In response to the death of a male bottlenose dolphin at the Miami Seaquarium on December 27, 2023, APHIS conducted an inspection of the facility on January 9, 2024, citing several Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations, including a direct citation for lack of appropriate veterinary care for 25 animals.
USDA
“It’s gut-wrenching to watch this abuse happen right before our eyes and the USDA and the mayor aren’t doing anything,” said Val Greene, former SeaWorld trainer.
The USDA also said in their statement “APHIS returned to the facility on January 17, 2024, to ensure the violations were corrected and found four of the animals were still in need of immediate veterinary care.”
Then the USDA went on to issue the intent to confiscate the facility and that is when the Miami Seaquarium took ” …necessary corrective action to come into compliance with the [Animal Welfare Act].”
It took roughly a few days for the Miami Seaquarium to fix the glaring issues that were talked about for years.
“The fact that the USDA can come into a park like the Miami Seaquarium and document starvation of animals, feeding animals rotten fish, inadequate veterinary care, and still just the Miami Seaquarium is open for business is shocking,” Greene said.
Greene has worked with marine life as a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando from 2005-2016 and knows all about complying with the AWA.
She wonders how the Miami Seaquarium was even able to operate.
“I worked at SeaWorld Orlando with the animals there for 11 years and we took USDA compliance very seriously,” she said. “I still get PTSD when I have dishes in my sink because of USDA and how seriously we took them.”
7News on Tuesday reached out to the Seaquarium via phone and through email but have yet to hear back.
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