Gulf World Marine Park Gulf World Marine Park News

BlobfishBoy said:
CMA is actually in the Pathway Toward Membership program and not accredited yet. I hope they receive accreditation soon!
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Local_Shark said:
I think they’re gonna get it, but yeah jumped the gun a tad there haha, my bad. I’d still give them recognition as the same tier of animal care as most AZA facilities, they’re vastly better than GW.
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Great Argus said:
I'd be shocked if Clearwater doesn't make it, they seem to do a really good job, further evidenced by the fact they haven't gotten a single USDA citation in a decade now. Gulf World on the other hand has received 13 citations in a year's time, with an increasing number of citations as you move from old to new in their reports. Definitely an indicator things aren't as they should be.
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Not to throw any shade on CMA or take the thread too far off course, but they have some serious financial issues that will make gaining AZA certification a challenge. They have had to furlough from January 20 to at least April 20th 22 full time and 26 part time employees as well as salary reductions for remaining leadership staff. The financial issues are largely due to the two storms last year, allegedly. Financial stability is a very important aspect of AZA accreditation. They have also recently been having animal interaction temporary exhibits to pet and feed capybara, kangaroos, and various herps in their lecture room....no outside light or normal enclosures.
 
BlobfishBoy said:
I wonder where the dolphins will be distributed to. I assume the rough toothed dolphins will end up at CMA and the bottlenose dolphins will be spread out among a few other holders.
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It's confirmed the rough toothed dolphins are going to CMA, and the bottlenose dolphins are going to Marineland Florida, which is not ideal, given it's another Dolphin Company facility.

This is from a FWC email.
 
Update: All 4 rough toothed dolphins have arrived in Clearwater Marine Aquarium!

Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Instagram: "Today, Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) welcomed four female rough-toothed dolphins into its care. CMA has served as the first responders for marine mammals and animals for decades. Recognizing the vital role CMA plays in marine mammal rescue and its expertise with rough-toothed dolphins, CMA and Gulf World, an aquarium located in Panama City Beach, FL., worked collaboratively in relocating these marine mammals. CMA’s animal care team first ensured the marine animals were stable for transport and prepared for their transfer to Clearwater. The four dolphins -- Doris, Kitana, Dagny and Wren -- are estimated to be 28, 18, 10 and 5 years of age. These four rough-toothed dolphins have been deemed non-releasable by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after stranding and are not able to be released back into the wild. CMA is committed to its mission to rescue marine life. Rescue comes in many forms, and we remain steadfast in our mission to provide exceptional care for all marine animals at CMA. The dolphins will be under observation and evaluation as they adjust to their new environment. As a facility dedicated to animal health and welfare, CMA’s veterinary and animal care teams will monitor the health and behavior of the four rough-toothed dolphins to ensure their well-being and successful acclimation. Once the dolphins have successfully acclimated, CMA will announce next steps, including an introduction to the other resident dolphins. CMA is currently the only aquarium in the United States that cares for rough-toothed dolphins. The addition of these dolphins will bring CMA’s total cetacean population to nine dolphins, which guests will see when they visit the Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex. Stay tuned for more updates on the rough-toothed dolphins! You can help support their care by visiting Clearwater Marine Aquarium or donating at cmaquarium.org/donate org today!"
 
ZooApollo said:
the bottlenose dolphins are going to Marineland Florida, which is not ideal, given it's another Dolphin Company facility.
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Kaleb said:
Also not ideal because they'll have 20 dolphins. They don't have space for that
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The Bottlenoses are probably owned by The Dolphin Company, and so got moved there despite it not being at all ideal. The Rough-tooths were assumably placed at Gulf World and are not owned by them, and so were moved somewhere better. That would be my suspicion.
 
Gulf World's entire pinniped collection, totalling 3.1 California sea lions (Easton, Raleigh, Cooper, and Salsa) and 1.1 harbor seals (Baby and Flounder), were transferred from Gulf World Marine Park to Miami Seaquarium on April 29th, 2025. Gulf World currently retains ownership of all six individuals.
 
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