Miami Seaquarium Miami Seaquarium

zoologicus said:
Miami Seaquarium recieved the entirety of Gulf World Marine Park's pinniped collection, totalling 3.1 California sea lions (Easton, Raleigh, Cooper, and Salsa) and 1.1 harbor seals (Baby and Flounder), on April 29th, 2025. Gulf World currently retains ownership of all six individuals.
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Just no relief for these animals. From one problematic facility to another. Sigh.
 
Great Argus said:
Miami-Dade county is pushing for the closure of the Seaquarium, citing no plan from the current operators to improve the park amid continued unpaid rent, building code issues, and animal welfare concerns.

Miami-Dade County tells Seaquarium bankruptcy judge: cancel lease or remove dolphins, marine life - Key Biscayne Independent Miami-Dade County tells Seaquarium bankruptcy judge: cancel lease or remove dolphins, marine life - Key Biscayne Independent
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This is why zoos/aquariums should push for collective ownership of certain high-value animals like dolphins and elephants. They're being sold and transferred as commodities rather than genuine "ambassadors" for their species.
 
I’m so glad to hear this. MSQ has been trudging along in its current state for way too long. It’s great to hear the facility will be reworked instead of completely demolished. I hope all the marine mammals end up in good homes.

edit: The article states they’re looking to be an “accredited facility”. This looks like they’re aiming for AZA accreditation.
 
This is excellent news. I really hope that it results in a world-class freestanding aquarium joining the Frost Science Center in Miami, and that the ignominious history of the Seaquarium can be put behind it and transformed into something better. It’s certainly a much better result than the complete destruction of an antiquated but historic facility like Marineland of the Pacific here in CA.
 
Local_Shark said:
This is excellent news. I really hope that it results in a world-class freestanding aquarium joining the Frost Science Center in Miami, and that the ignominious history of the Seaquarium can be put behind it and transformed into something better. It’s certainly a much better result than the complete destruction of an antiquated but historic facility like Marineland of the Pacific here in CA.
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Cautiously optimistic for the best for them and their animals.
And while some may say to ignore the history, they should honour Toki and even the Seaquarium’s history (it being the site of Flipper for example) with some historical pieces & a memorial plaque at the transformed site.
 
Aelita said:
Cautiously optimistic for the best for them and their animals.
And while some may say to ignore the history, they should honour Toki and even the Seaquarium’s history (it being the site of Flipper for example) with some historical pieces & a memorial plaque at the transformed site.
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Totally agreed. It's tragic that Marineland has basically no remnants of its presence. What's worse is that it was the largest aquarium or oceanarium in LA County and really hasn't been replaced in terms of its sheer size. Now a golf course and resort sits on its site and there's almost nothing indicating it was ever there. Sad stuff.
 
I'm honestly pretty stunned the county is so committed to this. That property is likely worth more than the aquariaum will bring in for the next 50 years. To have a simple fish and invertebrate aquarium on such a valuable piece of property does seem like a waste. With so many other options in Florida, how many people do they really expect to make the Seaquarium a destination in their vacations if it is just another run-of-the-mill aquarium?
 
Mary said:
I'm honestly pretty stunned the county is so committed to this. That property is likely worth more than the aquariaum will bring in for the next 50 years. To have a simple fish and invertebrate aquarium on such a valuable piece of property does seem like a waste. With so many other options in Florida, how many people do they really expect to make the Seaquarium a destination in their vacations if it is just another run-of-the-mill aquarium?
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I mean, I think that underestimates a little bit how much such an aquarium can draw visitors. Monterey Bay Aquarium for example draws millions despite having no mammals larger than a sea otter, which are far from their most significant attraction. I imagine depending on how it was planned out, it could be a massive draw for tourism, but it all depends on their level of ambition.
 
Mary said:
That's the issue - I'm not confident in their ambitions. Monterey is a world class aquarium that cost millions and millions to build and has large, continuous donors. I'm not sure we can expect something similar here.
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Totally understandable. I will say though, Miami already has one of my absolute favorite fish and invertebrate only aquariums in the United States in the form of the Frost Science Center’s aquarium. So we at least know that there is an appetite for it, and some wealthy patrons willing to make a major initial contribution as Phillip and Patricia Frost did. I suppose it remains to be seen what anyone else will do.

I also would be somewhat surprised if they ultimately do go with zero marine mammals, as most large facilities at least have pinnipeds. It may be the plan now, but certainly plans can change quickly especially as the new owners familiarize themselves more with the landscape of the area and in the aquarium industry. The infrastructure already exists on the property for pinnipeds of course, and to perhaps create a rescue center for cetaceans in the vein of Clearwater Marine Aquarium to the north - it’s what I’d do if I were in charge. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out!
 
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Judging by the press release, I think what's being planned is going to be much smaller in scale than what it seems people here are hoping.

I'd bet we're going to see a marina/outdoor shopping center that features a small "mall-type" interactive aquarium. I would also be surprised if any of the pools, tanks, or current infrastructure besides the dome remain.
 
CMTM said:
Judging by the press release, I think what's being planned is going to be much smaller in scale than what it seems people here are hoping.

I'd bet we're going to see a marina/outdoor shopping center that features a small "mall-type" interactive aquarium. I would also be surprised if any of the pools, tanks, or current infrastructure besides the dome remain.
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The press release doesn’t strike me that way. The inclusion of an “education and conservation center” as part of the plans would not line up with any mall-type aquarium facility I’ve ever been to. They also place a lot of emphasis on acquiring accreditation and also on “substantial investment in, and renovation of, the Seaquarium” in the first sentence of the brief that addresses it. There are only a handful of those smaller facilities in shopping centers and malls that are actually accredited by the AZA, and I’m fairly sure all of them are SeaLife facilities operated by Merlin Entertainment. We’ll have to see but I feel as though it’s unlikely that the facility isn’t at least midsize.
 
Great Argus said:
If I'm understanding this correctly, the Dolphin Company is out and a new owner will be instated. Plans apparently are for no marine mammals at all, excluding pinnipeds even potentially. Kind of nice to see the historic facility will continue to be around for awhile yet in hopefully better hands.

Developer selected for Miami Seaquarium; park slated to ‘temporarily’ close in ‘late 2025′
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Unless they find a visionary director from the zoo world with a transformative vision, I think they might as well go to Merlin Entertainment. I'm kind of skeptical they find someone who can build something better than a Sea Life by those standards unless they find the right person, especially with a 'no marine mammals of any kind' rule. (No reason to exclude otters and pinnipeds, imo, but it's their rule...)
 
JVM said:
Unless they find a visionary director from the zoo world with a transformative vision, I think they might as well go to Merlin Entertainment. I'm kind of skeptical they find someone who can build something better than a Sea Life by those standards unless they find the right person, especially with a 'no marine mammals of any kind' rule. (No reason to exclude otters and pinnipeds, imo, but it's their rule...)
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This is exactly my thoughts. It's just going to be another Sealife type aquarium. Doesn't mean it can't be good or nice, but for the value of the property it sits on and the wide array of attractions in the area/state of Florida, it seems so pointless.
 
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