Ongoing Serious Concerns at Miami Seaquarium
27Oct
Update 11/3/23: In response to the troubling findings documented in the USDA’s most recent inspection report on Miami Seaquarium, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces has given the facility 45 days to fix the violations. In a letter dated 11/1/23, it states: “The County has determined that the Seaquarium is in violation” of its lease agreement with the county, adding that the USDA citing “specific violations…..are violations of the Seaquarium’s contractual obligations to maintain animals in accordance with federal laws and regulations and applicable law.”*
Source: Local10.com — After troubling report, county gives Miami Seaquarium 45 days to fix ‘specific violations’
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The latest USDA Inspection Report on Miami Seaquarium has shed more light on seemingly bleak conditions at the facility. The report, dated July 17, 2023, cites numerous issues regarding animal care, including:
- ignoring a recommendation by the attending veterinarian to relocate a Pacific white-sided dolphin who had ingested a foreign material
- general undermining of the attending veterinarian by a newly-hired corporate trainer
- failing to provide proper equipment or services to ensure adequate veterinary care
- inadequate handling or control of animals during public interactions
- failing to maintain a marine mammal enclosure in good repair to protect the animals from injury
- failing to provide protection from the weather or direct sunlight
- failing to maintain a sufficient number of adequately trained employees
- housing incompatible animals together
A bottlenose dolphin’s birthright is to swim free, not perform tricks for paying audiences. Credit: DolphinProject.com, bottlenose dolphin, Taiji Japan
As unbelievable as this seems, for over two years the USDA has reported serious problems during their inspections of Miami Seaquarium. Yet all the while, the animals remain housed at the facility, allegedly receiving substandard care in substandard conditions.
Visitors to Miami Seaquarium have the right to know what the price of admission is supporting. It’s not unreasonable to expect the mammals’ caregivers be experts in the field, as they are entrusted with their care and well-being. But after three reports allegedly citing critical issues, it’s time the facility put compassion over profits.
For decades, Dolphin Project has vigorously campaigned against Miami Seaquarium. While aquariums and marine parks will have you believe there is much to be learned from captive dolphin shows, the real education doesn’t begin until after the show’s over. Forced to perform and interact with other mammals day after day, held in small, sterile enclosures and lacking the ability to escape from the public eye creates an escalating cycle of stress and exploitation for captive dolphins. Depriving them of the vast open spaces and social bonds that they would normally have in the wild, and confining them to small concrete tanks to perform tricks for dead fish is highly unethical and inherently cruel for these complex marine mammals.
Read the latest USDA Inspection Report on Miami Seaquarium*
*Source: Miami New Times
Featured image: Miami Seaquarium front entrance, by Pietro (own work) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED license
BACKGROUND
July 2022 USDA Inspection Report Highlights:
- diets for nine out of 12 dolphins at Dolphin Harbor were cut by 60%, resulting in the mammals becoming emaciated, with prominent muscle wasting and palpable scapula and ribs
- gastrointestinal abnormalities amongst the dolphins took place, including multiple instances of excessive regurgitation
- a dolphin mouthed a guest on six different occasions during the months of April 2022 – July 2022, yet, during the first incident, trainer records note inappropriate behaviors were “worked through” during the incident instead of terminating the session
- read more: Alleged Dolphin Abuse at Miami Seaquarium
June 2021 USDA Inspection Report Highlights:
- potentially placing incompatible animals together resulting in the injuries and/or deaths of cetaceans and pinnipeds
- poor water flow leading to an increase in bacteria and algae in several tanks and pools
- poor-quality fish fed to marine mammals which could result in illness and/or death
- reduction in food quantity, leading to possible malnutrition and dehydration
- insufficient shelter to protect the mammals from direct sunlight
- inappropriate and potentially dangerous routines demanded of Lolita, the solitary orca held at the facility since 1970*
* Lolita died at Miami Seaquarium on August 18, 2023 - read more: Serious Problems Cited During Miami Seaquarium Inspection
Cancel Miami Seaquarium’s Lease
Target: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and Miami-Dade County Commissioners
Dolphin Project is asking the Mayor of Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners to cancel Miami Seaquarium’s lease.
Please join us by signing and sharing this petition.
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and Miami-Dade County Commissioners
From:
[Your Name]
On March 4, 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) formally approved the licensing requirements and facility improvements at the Miami Seaquarium necessary to facilitate the transfer of the Seaquarium’s lease from Palace Entertainment Holdings to The Dolphin Company.
The understanding was that this transition to The Dolphin Company, which brands itself as the largest park operator in Latin America and the number one dolphin company in the world would represent a critical and long-overdue opportunity for greater accountability, oversight, and scrutiny of the Seaquarium, including an emphasis on the health and welfare of all the Seaquarium’s marine inhabitants, along with a commitment to physical and operational improvements.
However, two inspection reports on the Miami Seaquarium by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- one from June 2021 and the other, from July 2022 cited serious problems at the facility. These allegedly include:
- severely cutting the diets of nine dolphins at Miami Seaquarium’s Dolphin Harbor for the purposes of ensuring the animals performed better for guest interactions,
- visibly emaciated dolphins, with prominent muscle wasting and palpable scapula and ribs,
- gastrointestinal abnormalities amongst the dolphins, including multiple instances of excessive regurgitation,
- multiple aggressive incidents against trainers, and even members of the public,
- potentially placing incompatible animals together resulting in the injuries and/or deaths of cetaceans and pinnipeds,
- poor water flow leading to an increase in bacteria and algae in several tanks and pools,
- poor-quality fish fed to marine mammals which could result in illness and/or death,
- insufficient shelter to protect the mammals from direct sunlight
Despite these concerning events, the Miami Seaquarium allegedly failed to provide direct and frequent communications regarding their animal health and well-being to the attending veterinarian. The facility also apparently failed to handle their animals in a manner that minimized the risk of harm to the public and continued guest interactions even when dolphins were demonstrating aggressive behaviors earlier in training sessions. Mouthing any portion of an individual’s body (hand or foot) can be considered a precursor to more aggressive behaviors that ultimately may lead to serious injuries to the public.
As The Dolphin Company would appear to be in violation of the lease terms, we ask the Mayor of Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners to cancel Miami Seaquarium’s lease. In this day and age, Miami doesn’t need captive dolphins. Resources would be better spent protecting the wild dolphins that reside a mere 50 feet away, along with their habitats.
Sincerely,
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