VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - A new report from the United States Department of Agriculture is calling into question the care of animals at the Miami Seaquarium, suggesting some may have received troubling treatment.
The scathing five-page report, released on Wednesday, shows a concerning trend at the seaquarium, indicating that, more than showing its age, it is a potential danger to animals and guests.
The seaquarium, which was the home of the killer whale known as Lolita for more than 50 years until the her death last August at 57, has recently been under fire by Miami-Dade County.
The USDA performed a routine check in October and found multiple violations, from inadequate housing for its marine mammals to a veterinary clinic overrun by ants.
Page 1 of the report states a sea lion waited weeks for cataract surgery. It reads:
“On 9/26/23, the medical record for ‘Sushi,’ an adult female California sea lion, stated that she had been holding her right eye closed and rubbing both eyes… By 10/15/23 and throughout the 3-day USDA inspection, she was completely refusing food, due to eye pain, per the medical records.”
USDA report
The housing for several animals was reported to be dangerous, but especially for a pair of dolphins: 30-year-old Ripley and 24-year-old Bimini.
The report states:
“On the morning of 9/22/23. one dolphin, ‘Ridley,’ housed at Flipper Stadium, presented to trainers with a two-inch nail, mangrove pods, and small pieces of shell in his throat. On the morning of 10/14/23, one dolphin, ‘Bimini,’ in Dolphin Harbor presented to trainers with a broken bolt in her mouth.”
USDA report
Back in January, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava pushed for a termination of the county’s lease with the seaquarium. At that time, seaquarium officials said they uphold “high standards of animal care.”
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