The Miami Seaquarium is speaking out following a scathing USDA inspection report suggesting the facility is ill-equipped to care for its animals.
The executive director for the company that owns the facility says it has filed an appeal with the USDA and Miami-Dade County.
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In November, the county gave the Dolphin Company 45 days to address the concerns or risk having the Seaquarium’s lease terminated. But the facility remains in operation as the county waits for the USDA to respond to the Miami Seaquarium’s appeal.
The July inspection report highlighted issues of inadequate staffing, disrepair of pools and care of the animals at the 68-year-old facility.
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An unreleased November inspection report is also raising new concerns, according to Miami-Dade County. Officials told NBC6 it will result in a new notice of default being issued, but a spokesperson didn’t specify when.
“The park was not taken care of for many years by the previous organization. We came in, started working on filtrations and the water system,” said Edwin Gonzalez, the Dolphin Company’s Executive Director for USA parks. “We know there are some areas we need to continue working and improving. We know we’ve done a great job working with our animals and continue to improve day to day.”
Gonzalez noted that the Miami Seaquarium only came under the Dolphin Company’s ownership in March 2022. He says many of the issues began well before that.
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The July USDA inspection report also claims only one veterinarian was on staff to care for more than 40 animals at the facility.
“We continue recruiting people, especially in the vet area. When we need more help, we go to our different parks for assistance,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez added that the facility repaired a pool where the inspection report says a dolphin ingested a chunk of concrete. According to the company’s appeal letter to the USDA, the pool is “no longer being used for an animal.”
The letter also pushes back on an incident involving a dolphin grabbing a guest’s hand in March, saying “the USDA did not identify a particular breach in protocol that led to this non-compliance.”
A spokesperson with Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces told NBC 6 it is “currently pending notification of the USDA’s opinion regarding the seaquarium’s response to the inspection report in order to effectively determine next steps."
On Monday, animal rights groups like PETA pressed the county to take action, regardless of the USDA’s response.
“This all happened under the ownership of the Dolphin Company,” said Melanie Johnson, Sr. Manager of Animals and Entertainment Campaigns for PETA. “The only solution is to shut down and send the animals to sanctuaries.”
