Save Elderly Dolphins And Sea Lions Left Behind By The Miami Seaquarium
Final signature count: 8,279
8,279 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: Free The Ocean
Miami can protect dolphins sea lions and seals by publishing a real welfare plan and evaluating a sanctuary model so older animals stay safe in familiar care instead of risking fatal moves.
Miami Seaquarium is closed, and the lease is slated to transfer for a redevelopment that replaces shows with a marina, retail, and an aquarium without marine mammals. That shift means every remaining dolphin, sea lion, and seal must be moved from the only home many have known1.
A federal inspection this summer counted roughly 90 animals on site, including at least 17 dolphins, 10 sea lions, nine penguins, and eight seals. The company says relocations will take place “over the next few months,” but it has not publicly named destinations or described independent oversight for those moves2.
Why A Pause Protects Lives
Older marine mammals face high risks during transport. After Tokitae’s death, two Pacific white-sided dolphins moved from Miami—Elelo and Loki—died within a year. Juliet, an estimated 65-year-old manatee relocated to ZooTampa, died soon after her move. These are not outliers; they are cautionary examples of what happens when geriatric animals lose stable care and familiar routines3.
This transition follows years of welfare problems and public pressure. Any new chapter at the site should reject dolphin displays and center animal well-being through transparent planning, independent veterinary input, and real accountability. Ending a painful history must include concrete protections for the animals who remain today4.
A Practical Path Forward
Most captive-born or long-term captive animals cannot survive a release to the open ocean. A realistic alternative is sanctuary care—on land or in ocean net-pen environments—paired with thorough health evaluations and clear reporting. Recent closures abroad show how delays and weak planning strand animals in deteriorating conditions; proactive, public plans prevent that fate and put health first5.
What You Can Help Make Happen Now
Ask Miami-Dade County and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to pause the lease transfer and redevelopment until a detailed animal welfare plan is made public. That plan should name receiving facilities, publish individual health assessments, spell out transport and contingency protocols, and include independent veterinary oversight. Urge the County to evaluate a nonprofit sanctuary model on Virginia Key that ends shows and focuses on rescue, rehabilitation, and meaningful education, allowing geriatric animals to remain in familiar, stable care. Call for coordination with USDA, NOAA, and FWC so every decision puts long-term health, safety, and stability ahead of construction timelines.
Lives depend on careful choices made now. Add your name to support a pause, a sanctuary-first plan, and transparent oversight—so every animal gets a humane future.
