Miami Seaquarium Miami Seaquarium

I would guess the top candidates would be SeaWorld, CMA, and Tampa. With CMA’s new exhibit coming it seems like sending them the two manatees would be the most logical. Give CMA exhibit animals to help prepare to become a full fledged manatee rescue center and keep space open at other facilities.
 
Westcoastperson said:
I would guess the top candidates would be SeaWorld, CMA, and Tampa. With CMA’s new exhibit coming it seems like sending them the two manatees would be the most logical. Give CMA exhibit animals to help prepare to become a full fledged manatee rescue center and keep space open at other facilities.
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What is CMA?
 
Pandamich said:
Plus weren't some of the Seaquarium's manatees captive-bred?
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Yes, they did breed manatees at one time, whether this animal is one or not I am not sure.

*edit*
Romeo was not born at the Seaquarium, but he sired calves.

Westcoastperson said:
I would guess the top candidates would be SeaWorld, CMA, and Tampa. With CMA’s new exhibit coming it seems like sending them the two manatees would be the most logical. Give CMA exhibit animals to help prepare to become a full fledged manatee rescue center and keep space open at other facilities.
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CMA will likely focus on rehab and rescue, which is really their mission. I don't think they want a longer term commitment like this, but I really don't know for sure. Also their facility is still a ways off if this is a more urgent need. They do have the off site facility they could place them in temporarily, but that would take space for rescues, which is mainly what the off site is for.

Doesn't Bishop Museum have space currently? They have a history with captive bred manatees, IIRC.

SeaWorld seems to have space, they only had a single manatee in the main viewing tank last week, but I don't know that animal's temperament.
 
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Pandamich said:
Yeesh, how has this place not shut down yet?

On the topic of manatees though, I personally feel relocating them to Columbus and Cincinnati would be a good idea, considering how far they are from Florida. Plus weren't some of the Seaquarium's manatees captive-bred?

But seriously, looking at this thread, it's shocking they're still open with all the welfare violations and poor exhibit quality.
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Part of me thinks that the manatees may well be the last straw…
I have not been to the SeaQuarium personally so I can’t really comment on the overall quality … but I do feel that Florida is a state unique in regards to manatees… so I’d imagine that they would be a good draw to any Florida aquarium. And so the SeaQuarium would be all the lesser in their absence.
And then I suppose it would leave a rather standard aquarium in its wake… dolphins, flamingos, sea lions… nothing nobody couldn’t find anyplace else.
I do not condone the conditions in which Lolita was housed in for 50+ years… but I think even so she was still a major draw. For as many people knew about Lolita in detail, I’d reckon about as many did not. People paid to see her - one of only a few places in North America with such a display. And I do think people pay to see manatees as well… and it’s harder to excite the public [or at least, a good fraction of it] about rather standard aquarium animals.
I have said before and I will say again - the SeaQuarium I believe was a byproduct of an era when rich zoontrepeneurs believed in ‘a gorilla and a giraffe for every city’. Now that we know quite a bit more about animals… this ideology struggles to survive.
 
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For clarity, it seems they have (3) manatees now, so if they get out of manatees they would all have to be re-housed. The USDA gave them until October 25 to implement an action plan to rectify the isolation of Romeo.
 
They seem to be losing animals fast. Within the same year they had to remove both their white sided dolphins and manatees. How long until the rest of their marine mammals have to leave? Hopefully sooner rather than later.
 
BlobfishBoy said:
They seem to be losing animals fast. Within the same year they had to remove both their white sided dolphins and manatees. How long until the rest of their marine mammals have to leave? Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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I guess then the question would be; assume they got rid of the sea lions dolphins etc... could Miami SeaQuarium survive with just flamingos and aquaria?
From what I see, the Seaquarium seems to have comparable prices to other aquariums... but if public reviews are to be believed, which I will admit they are not always, then it's a bit less for the same price. An general ticket to the Seaquarium costs, at time of writing, $35 at gate [$33 online]. It costs slightly more for the Clearwater Aquarium, though for the Gulf World Marine Park [which does not appear to segregate based on prices] it costs $25.
Though I will say this also... I do think with Lolita they had something of a 'little monopoly' - in that, aside from Canada, the only other orcas kept in American aquaria would be those at SeaWorld, which of course costs quite a bit more [minimum $67.99] to go to as it operates as a brand, a theme park. So in lieu of getting a ticket to Canada and paying standard theme park fare, Lolita was the 'cheapest' orca in America to visit; which I suppose for some justified the price. Now without Lolita I feel there is somewhat less justification as the price remains the same. And certainly if the dolphins and maybe sealions left there would not be very much justification for the price at all.
 
dillotest0 said:
I guess then the question would be; assume they got rid of the sea lions dolphins etc... could Miami SeaQuarium survive with just flamingos and aquaria?
From what I see, the Seaquarium seems to have comparable prices to other aquariums... but if public reviews are to be believed, which I will admit they are not always, then it's a bit less for the same price. An general ticket to the Seaquarium costs, at time of writing, $35 at gate [$33 online]. It costs slightly more for the Clearwater Aquarium, though for the Gulf World Marine Park [which does not appear to segregate based on prices] it costs $25.
Though I will say this also... I do think with Lolita they had something of a 'little monopoly' - in that, aside from Canada, the only other orcas kept in American aquaria would be those at SeaWorld, which of course costs quite a bit more [minimum $67.99] to go to as it operates as a brand, a theme park. So in lieu of getting a ticket to Canada and paying standard theme park fare, Lolita was the 'cheapest' orca in America to visit; which I suppose for some justified the price. Now without Lolita I feel there is somewhat less justification as the price remains the same. And certainly if the dolphins and maybe sealions left there would not be very much justification for the price at all.
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I agree with this. Just to note, the last orca in captivity in Canada (Kiska at Canada's Marineland) died in March this year. So that gave them even more a monopoly I suppose. Now it is just the wild or SeaWorld for the USA and Canada.
 
SwampDonkey said:
I agree with this. Just to note, the last orca in captivity in Canada (Kiska at Canada's Marineland) died in March this year. So that gave them even more a monopoly I suppose. Now it is just the wild or SeaWorld for the USA and Canada.
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I was aware about Kiska's death... I think I was talking in a retroactive perspective.
Though there's not all too much monopoly in an orca you can't see... as Lolita hadn't been on display since early 2022 I believe
 
dillotest0 said:
I was aware about Kiska's death... I think I was talking in a retroactive perspective.
Though there's not all too much monopoly in an orca you can't see... as Lolita hadn't been on display since early 2022 I believe
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AH, cool, thanks for clearing that up
 
Great Argus said:
The USDA has not, but the city/county gave the Seaquarium til Dec 15 to fix and comply with all USDA citations and standards, otherwise the city will be considering options. This includes revoking the Seaquarium's lease.
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If the lease is revoked, what will happen to the animals? Would the city take over their care until they could be transferred to other facilities?
 
Wisp O' Mist said:
If the lease is revoked, what will happen to the animals? Would the city take over their care until they could be transferred to other facilities?
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Most likely the city would take over the care until they can find another operator or transfer, but I would believe the city would prefer to find another operator rather than close it down completely.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Most likely the city would take over the care until they can find another operator or transfer, but I would believe the city would prefer to find another operator rather than close it down completely.
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From what I recall when The Dolphin Company purchased the SeaQuarium many were hoping it would be an accent from the days of stagnation under Gray, and later Palace.
And I do believe that Dolphin had some ideas of what to do with the park - for one the idea to ‘release’ Lolita was a driving factor to what they did.
But.. a year later… Lolita has died, the SeaQuarium by all accounts has not seen much improvement in regards to facilities. Dolphin I feel is merely keeping it on life support… unless someone else has really, really big plans on what to do with the place.
 
The Dolphin Company has ownership of the majority of the remaining dolphins, seals, and sea lions. I am not sure the City of Miami would legally be able to take over care of the animals. I would suspect they will transfer the dolphins to their other facilities in the US (Gulf World, Marineland, Dolphin Connection) and the pinnipeds would find new homes as well if the city terminates the lease. I am pro-cetacean in zoological facilities, but this facility does not meet the animal welfare standards and needs to close.
 
MidwestFan said:
The Dolphin Company has ownership of the majority of the remaining dolphins, seals, and sea lions. I am not sure the City of Miami would legally be able to take over care of the animals. I would suspect they will transfer the dolphins to their other facilities in the US (Gulf World, Marineland, Dolphin Connection) and the pinnipeds would find new homes as well if the city terminates the lease. I am pro-cetacean in zoological facilities, but this facility does not meet the animal welfare standards and needs to close.
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But there are other animals other than marine mammals, they have sea turtles, sharks, rays, birds, and a standard aquarium area. In your opinion would the city operate that still? There is precedent in other places where the city takes over management until a new vendor can be found, but I am not sure about Florida.
 
SwampDonkey said:
But there are other animals other than marine mammals, they have sea turtles, sharks, rays, birds, and a standard aquarium area. In your opinion would the city operate that still? There is precedent in other places where the city takes over management until a new vendor can be found, but I am not sure about Florida.
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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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