Miami Seaquarium Miami Seaquarium

NAIB Volunteer said:
Typically in a lease termination, it would stipulate they could no longer open and operate for the public - not that they'd have to vacate the property immediately. The City would pull their operation license. It wouldn't necessarily prevent the staff from accessing grounds to care for the animals either. I'd imagine there'd be a grace period as well in which the facility can operate to care for the animals until they can find suitable homes or correct the deficiencies. Like @MidwestFan stated, the City wouldn't have legal authority over the animals at all. Nor would they want to have city workers attempt to feed a dolphin with no training.
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While I know it is a MUCH smaller example, when the city of Jackson MS pulled the permit at the Jackson Zoo they took over the complete management, the employees are now city employees and they took the animals. Granted there are only like 5 people working there, but still. However the ownership was a different issue as the operating company did not actually own the animals, the city did.
 
It would be unimaginable to consider the possibility of a full closure a decade ago, but this 1955 facility is suddenly leaning in that direction. All the websites that I look at state that the aquarium still receives around 500,000 annual visitors, but it's difficult to see that number trending anywhere but down in the future. Also, it's hard to imagine what could be done to entice large crowds to return with several marquee species now gone.
 
snowleopard said:
It would be unimaginable to consider the possibility of a full closure a decade ago, but this 1955 facility is suddenly leaning in that direction. All the websites that I look at state that the aquarium still receives around 500,000 annual visitors, but it's difficult to see that number trending anywhere but down in the future. Also, it's hard to imagine what could be done to entice large crowds to return with several marquee species now gone.
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I do feel in some respect that the general shift to orcas in captivity was what made the SeaQuarium fall into the first stages of disrepair... and it doesn't help that the animal facilities to my knowledge have not seen much improvement in years. It was built in the 1950s for the 1950s - a time when what it was was a huge spectacle. It was, if not almost America's most prestigious oceanarium at time of opening. But with the opening since of many new aquariums, Miami's is barely something worth of sniffing at for many people.
Though I will say in regards to orcas... I feel there has been a bit of 'settling down' over the last few years. In the immediate years after Blackfish, SeaWorld suffered massively in attendance. But recently... people have gone back to SeaWorld. People pay to see their orcas. People... enjoy watching dolphin shows again. Orca shows, no less. But of course it helps that SeaWorld has more than the one orca...
 
snowleopard said:
It would be unimaginable to consider the possibility of a full closure a decade ago, but this 1955 facility is suddenly leaning in that direction. All the websites that I look at state that the aquarium still receives around 500,000 annual visitors, but it's difficult to see that number trending anywhere but down in the future. Also, it's hard to imagine what could be done to entice large crowds to return with several marquee species now gone.
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Several posts in this thread and others from several years ago describe the 1950s architecture of the Miami Seaquarium as "charming". It seems maybe that the facility has passed through its charming anachronistic phase and on into decrepitude.
 
Honestly, I really hope they can pull it through. With the right management and a lot of investment the place can be worthwhile. While they will not get back into orca, getting manatees back would not be out of the realm of reality, and they could still have dolphins and seals and sealions.
 
I've never been to Miami so I don't know what the place looks like as a whole, but I really hope they're able to make something work. From a historical perspective it's an extremely important aquarium and one of the last remaining of the original US oceanariums. SeaWorld San Diego is the only other one still open and running as intended; Marineland of Florida is a shell of its former self, and Marineland of the Pacific was morphed into Six Flags Discovery Kingdom decades ago. The rest are gone.
 
TinoPup said:
I've never been to Miami so I don't know what the place looks like as a whole, but I really hope they're able to make something work. From a historical perspective it's an extremely important aquarium and one of the last remaining of the original US oceanariums. SeaWorld San Diego is the only other one still open and running as intended; Marineland of Florida is a shell of its former self, and Marineland of the Pacific was morphed into Six Flags Discovery Kingdom decades ago. The rest are gone.
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Certainly agree re. their historical significance but unfortunately it doesn't look too good.

My hope is they can switch things up and tread in a better direction. Obviously they will be turning a whole new leaf without Lolita, so this is unquestionably the right time to make these long desired changes.
 
TinoPup said:
I've never been to Miami so I don't know what the place looks like as a whole, but I really hope they're able to make something work. From a historical perspective it's an extremely important aquarium and one of the last remaining of the original US oceanariums. SeaWorld San Diego is the only other one still open and running as intended; Marineland of Florida is a shell of its former self, and Marineland of the Pacific was morphed into Six Flags Discovery Kingdom decades ago. The rest are gone.
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Marineland of the Pacific was in Los Angeles and was closed down in the 1980s after SeaWorld bought it. It is quite a sordid story of malfeasance by SeaWorld: Marineland of the Pacific - Wikipedia

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom evolved from a park called Marine World Africa USA that was originally in Redwood City in the Bay Area and then moved to a new site in Vallejo in the 1980s.
 
DavidBrown said:
Marineland of the Pacific was in Los Angeles and was closed down in the 1980s after SeaWorld bought it. It is quite a sordid story of malfeasance by SeaWorld: Marineland of the Pacific - Wikipedia

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom evolved from a park called Marine World Africa USA that was originally in Redwood City in the Bay Area and then moved to a new site in Vallejo in the 1980s.
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Ugh I got them backwards; in my head I knew which one I meant, lol. Thanks!
 
DavidBrown said:
Several posts in this thread and others from several years ago describe the 1950s architecture of the Miami Seaquarium as "charming". It seems maybe that the facility has passed through its charming anachronistic phase and on into decrepitude.
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I don’t know I remember my visit to the the Seaquarium in 2010 the charm wasn’t very apparent. The place has been crumbling for a long time now. From what I remember the only nice part was the dolphin area and it sounds like even that is deteriorating.
I will say if you’re looking for a classic 50s oceanarium that’s still well kept (to an extent) Sea Life Park Hawaii does it the best. It’s definitely not world class but it’s good. The facilities are well kept and the tanks/exhibits all have adequate space.
 
SwampDonkey said:
It's behind a paywall, but the manatees have been moved to Zoo Tampa
Freed from a Miami aquarium, Florida manatees Romeo and Juliet arrive at ZooTampa for care
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The third manatee went to SeaWorld Orlando, per the article. That's got to be severely embarrassing for the Seaquarium to lose the manatees like this. (I note the article mentions the Seaquarium is suing the guy who took the drone footage that sparked the public outrage, but it sounds like the USFWS has been in talks to move the manatees since the July inspection.)
 
I feel Miami's public image might be doomed at this point. The removal of so many popular animals based on welfare concerns has a chilling effect even on those who may not feel strongly about the individual situations.
 
JVM said:
I feel Miami's public image might be doomed at this point. The removal of so many popular animals based on welfare concerns has a chilling effect even on those who may not feel strongly about the individual situations.
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It's definitely not in a good place, at best. I can't imagine they're on great terms with most of the neighboring facilities either after this. They're going to need some serious effort to swing things back in their favor - provided they meet the Dec 15 deadline by the city and pass approval...
 
JVM said:
I feel Miami's public image might be doomed at this point. The removal of so many popular animals based on welfare concerns has a chilling effect even on those who may not feel strongly about the individual situations.
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I feel a bit it's a lose-lose situation...
the truth is just as much that there are people vehmently against cetacean captivity; there too are people who still pay to watch cetacean performances.
If you have an orca, there will be people who complain. But if you don't anymore, people will notice... and some will complain.
I do think that places like the Dolphin Research Centre provide an interesting way cetacean captivity could be reapproached. Perhaps there could even be 'dolphin lagoons' in some places like the Netherlands with underwater tunnels/viewing perhaps... how cool would it be to have dolphins surrounding you underwater!
Cetacean study I feel remains a necessity, and captivity could provide interesting ways of going about it. I do feel overly theatrical shows could be relegated to the past... but we need not yet throw the proverbial dolphin out with the bathwater. People still want to see dolphins, even if not orcas, and such facilities I feel would get good funding.
 
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I definitely think there’s a future for dolphins in captivity if institutions are brave enough and smart enough to make it work. It’s clear the future are lagoons in the style of harderwijk, but institutions need to transition quickly.
 
Cat-Man said:
I definitely think there’s a future for dolphins in captivity if institutions are brave enough and smart enough to make it work. It’s clear the future are lagoons in the style of harderwijk, but institutions need to transition quickly.
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I hasten to add that although this could spell the end of Miami seaquarium, it’s also a massive opportunity, if they’re willing and able to take it. I guess we have to wait and see.
 
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