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The Cherished and Controversial Miami Seaquarium Closes Its Doors
The Miami Seaquarium files bankruptcy after controversies and welfare concerns, with a $22.5 million redevelopment plan excluding marine mammals, officials said.
- On Sunday, the Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, Florida, will close after filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, ending 70 years since its 1955 opening and Sept. 23 anniversary.
- A year-long eviction by Miami-Dade County targeted the Mexican-owned Dolphin Company after federal inspections and USDA warnings found unsafe, structurally deficient buildings.
- The site is being sold in a $22.5 million deal that will transform it, with Miami's Terra Group and CEO David Martin leading redevelopment including an aquarium without marine mammals, restaurants, retail and a marina.
- Bankruptcy trustees and county officials will oversee animal relocations, ensuring dolphins and sea lions move safely to other parks owned by the company amid ongoing welfare concerns.
- Animal advocates celebrated the closure after decades of lobbying, with groups like PETA and SoFlo Animal Rights supporting the eviction, while David Martin said, `Miami Seaquarium has meant so much for this community for so many years`.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Associated Press News
The cherished and controversial Miami Seaquarium closes its doors
The Miami Seaquarium has finally closed its doors. The tourist attraction gained international attention as the filming location for the 1960s television series “Flipper,” and thrilled generations of tourists with trained dolphin and orca shows.
After 70 years in business, the Miami Seaquarium will officially close its doors on Sunday, after the company declared bankruptcy earlier this year. The park is selling its lease to a real estate developer, and the $22.5 million agreement will turn the park into an aquarium without marine mammals. The Seaquarium turned 70 on September 23, but for its next birthday it will look different due to the plan of what is proposed as the Miami Seaquarium…
Miami Seaquarium closes its door after being in business for 70 years
After 70 years in business, the Miami Seaquarium is officially closing its doors on Sunday after the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The park is selling its lease to a developer, and the $22.5 million deal will turn the park into an aquarium without sea mammals. The Seaquarium turned 70 on Sept. 23, but for its next birthday, it will look different under a developer’s plan to turn it into the Miami Seaquarium 2.0. “Miami Seaquari…
Animal advocates outside Miami Seaquarium voice concerns about relocations after park closes - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
Animal advocates gathered outside the Miami Seaquarium to commemorate the marine park’s closure and call for the safety of its surviving animals. After 70 years of being a landmark in the Magic City, the seaquarium is coming to an end. 7News on Saturday captured demonstrators outside the theme park. “We have been fighting for these animals for decades, and it’s about time,” said a protester using a bullhorn. But concerns remain about the relocat…
On Sunday, October 12, it marked the definitive closure of the Miami Seaquarium, after seven decades of activity. Founded in 1955, the park was for years a tourist symbol of the city, but its recent history was marked by reports of animal abuse, legal proceedings and a financial bankruptcy that precipitated its end. The Mexican company Dolphin Company, the park operator, declared bankruptcy in early 2025. Miami-Dade County had started a process …
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