VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - The Miami Seaquarium will open its doors for the final time on Sunday, marking the end of an era for the decades-old marine park as a Miami developer prepares to transform the Virginia Key property into a new waterfront destination.
Once a premier attraction famous for its trained orca shows, the Seaquarium is now in bankruptcy and plans to sell its lease on the county-owned property for $22.5 million to developer David Martin and a subsidiary of his firm, Terra.
The Dolphin Company, the park’s current operator, has long faced criticism for the condition of the park and the care of its marine life.
“Over 250 marine animals have died since this park opened, so today’s the funeral,” said a protester.
The most well-known animal to die in the care of the Seaquarium was Lolita, the killer whale who died from old age and multiple chronic illnesses in 2023.
Activists spent several years trying to have her released back into the wild.
The Seaquarium name will remain, but its marine mammals will be relocated to new homes. Officials have not given details on when or where the remaining mammals will be moved.
“These animals have suffered through ownership changes, renovations, promised improvements that never came through,” said Emily Lively, Counsel with The PETA Foundation. “These animals deserve to spend the rest of their days at a seaside sanctuary and not be shuffled to other related Dolphin Company facilities.”
But others have mixed feelings.
“I have very big concerns for these animals and their wellbeing,” said former assistant supervisor at Miami Seaquarium Valerie Warren. “There’s a lot of older animals that live here, and they might not make a transport. It seems so easy to say we’re just going to pick them up and move them to a different facility, but that just takes so much time, so much planning. We do not have a science backed plan yet and we need to make sure we get one.”
The former trainer launched an online petition, hoping to put the relocation of the remaining animals on hold until there’s a solid, safe plan in place to move them.
“It has nothing to do with the company, nothing to do with politics, this is about the animals and we need to make sure we’re putting them first,” said Warren.
In the petition, Warren wrote “for many of them — especially the older animals — relocation could mean death.”
In a statement, the Seaquarium said Martin’s plans to “modernize it in a manner that respects the history of the site and is consistent with applicable laws and regulations.”
Martin’s redevelopment proposal includes a marina, a collection of Fishermen’s Village-style restaurants and shops, and a public baywalk along Biscayne Bay.
Martin’s plan still requires approval from the Miami-Dade County Commission, though both Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado have voiced support.
“This agreement represents a major step forward for Miami-Dade County, opening a new chapter in marine life education and Biscayne Bay preservation,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement Monday.
Officials said that under Levine Cava’s administration, Miami-Dade tightened oversight of the Seaquarium following concerns about animal welfare, leading to a year-long eviction process for The Dolphin Company.
The new lease transfer will undergo review by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court before being presented to county commissioners for final approval.
The final day to visit the Seaquarium will be Oct. 12.
PETA, the animal rights organization, said they would be present on the Seaquarium’s last day to celebrate.
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