Miami Seaquarium given roughly 6 weeks to move out amid animal neglect concerns
MIAMI — Miami-Dade County is terminating its lease agreement with the owners of the Miami Seaquarium.
In its notice of termination with MS Leisure Company, Inc., and The Dolphin Company — the company currently managing the Seaquarium — the county cited numerous and significant violations of the leasing agreement.
"[Leasee's] long and troubling history of violations constitute repeated, continuous and longstanding violations of Lessee's contractual obligations to keep the Property in a good state of repair, maintain animals in accordance with applicable law and comply with all laws as set forth in Section 11 (as amended) and Section 29 of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement," Miami-Dade County stated.
According to the letter, the notice serves to "notify" the leasees of the county's decision to terminate the lease, noting that MS Leisure Company, Inc., and The Dolphin Company must vacate and surrender the property by April 21.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado held a press conference regarding the lease agreement at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Miami Seaquarium has been the ire of criticism of both local lawmakers and animal rights activists, especially over the last several months in the wake of the deaths of two of its beloved animals: Lolita the orca and Sundance the dolphin. Despite the calls for permanent closure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in January that the facility's operators have taken the "necessary corrective action to into compliance" following a threat to remove the housed animals.
The Seaquarium has also been under the microscope by the federal government. In separate USDA inspection reports, the agency has cited the South Florida facility with multiple violations, including inadequate veterinary care and facility conditions, along with poor animal handling, sheltering and sanitation.
In November 2023, the USDA cited the Seaquarium for insufficient animal care and staffing problems; and in February, the agency found even more concerning violations, including a sea lion refusing to eat because of untreated cataracts and a dolphin with a two-inch nail inside of its throat.
In 2022, federal regulators also inspected the operations at the Seaquarium and found that the mammals at the attraction were underfed and underweight, according to the findings in a 10-page report they issued at the time. After the USDA issued its report, Levine Cava said she was disturbed by the findings.