The lease of the Miami Seaquarium, which offered several activities with marine animals, was terminated Thursday by the mayor of the county where it is located due to several inspections which revealed that the safety of the animals was threatened.
• Read also: Orca Lolita who was to be released after 50 years in captivity dies in Miami
The Miami-Dade County mayor’s office sent a letter terminating the lease to Eduardo Albor, president and CEO of the Dolphin Company, which operates the aquarium.
The owner of the aquarium must have left the site by April 21, it is possible to read in the document.
He is notably accused of failing to maintain the premises in good condition, of having staffing problems and of placing the animals in danger, according to reports published by investigators from the US Department of Agriculture.
Between July 6, 2022 and January 9, the owner was allegedly accused seven times of failing to maintain the facilities, seven times of inadequate veterinary care and twice of improper handling of animals.
Added to this are three counts of lack of adequate staff and three others of inadequate water quality.
“These continued, repeated and ongoing violations represent not only a breach of the terms of the lease that requires termination, but a complete disregard for the safety of the animals housed on the premises,” argued Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s office.
This aquarium is also the one where the orca Lolita, who was to be released after having been in captivity since 1970, died last August.
