PETA Statement: Beleaguered Miami Seaquarium Nets More Animal Welfare Citations as Dolphins Left in Drained Pool

For Immediate Release:
April 2, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

As news hits that the parent company of the Miami Seaquarium, The Dolphin Company, has filed for bankruptcy, a just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture report reveals that the notorious marine park was cited during a January inspection for yet another critical violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act after four dolphins were found lying on the bottom of their tank in “seriously diminished water levels.” According to the report, an employee had started a routine backwash procedure the night before but “became distracted” and failed to stop the process, causing the water to drain overnight—and leading to the distressed dolphins sustaining abrasions.

Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:

Leaving dolphins trapped at the bottom of a nearly empty tank is only the latest evidence that animals will continue to suffer for as long as the doors stay open at the decrepit Miami Seaquarium. This slimy operation couldn’t be trusted to provide marine mammals with bare minimum care when it wasn’t bankrupt, and every day that the animals are stuck in this hellhole is a day closer to death. PETA is calling for these animals to be immediately released to reputable facilities that know how to provide them with adequate care.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.