Aquarium home to ‘world’s loneliest orca’ ordered to shut down after death
Controversial tourist attraction, the Miami Seaquarium has been told they must shut down following the death of the "world's loneliest orca" Lolita in a tiny tank.
Florida's largest aquatic theme parks has received an eviction notice following its latest high-profile animal death following years of outrage over their practices. The company has been told to leave the waterfront property it leases from Miami-Dade County by April 21.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava cited a “long and troubling history of violations” in the lease termination notice sent to the CEO of The Dolphin Company, who own the Seaquarium. In a press conference on Thursday, Levine Cava said: “They have been the subject of continuous violations, including decaying animal habitats, lack of veterinary staff and a lack of other experienced staff.
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The tourist site held the orca in a small tank (Corbis via Getty Images)“Our number one priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of the animals." Earlier this year the county had previously told the park they were looking to terminate their lease following a review from the US Department of Agriculture, who regulate the treatment and care of captive animals like Lolita.
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Levine Cava was invited to visit the park so she could witness the animals' wellbeing for herself. Just a few weeks later the eviction notice was delivered.
CEO of The Dolphin Company Eduardo Albor, was present at the news conference and told reporters the mayor "has never come to the Miami Seaquarium in two years."
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Lolita died in captivity after being taken from the wild in the 1970s (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)He claims that he doesn't understand why the mayor has refused invitations to the Seaquarium despite many offers being extended. Cava claims representatives of the county's parks department had made regular visits to check on the park over the past year and a half and had come to an alarming conclusion.
“The current state of the Miami Seaquarium is unsustainable and unsafe," she said. Levine Cava said they had created "dangerous conditions" for the animals, which in many cases had "resulted in injury".
A key concern and source of public outrage was Lolita's cramped tank that held the orca in captivity for the majority of her life, having been captured in 1970. It measured 80ft by 35ft and was 20ft deep. With orcas capable of swimming up to 100 miles a day and diving to depths of 850ft in the wild, the restrictions forcefully imposed upon Lolita were terrible, and left her depressed and lonely.
Albor is planning a legal response to the eviction notice. “I will just let my lawyers defend our rights," he said. "I will just let our lawyers defend our rights because it is offensive to speak about my people."
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