Latest news with #DolphinCompany
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Protest continues as Gulf World dolphin removal is delayed
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn's office reported that seven bottlenose dolphins were cleared for removal from Gulf World on Friday. They were expected to be removed by Saturday. A video shows that preparations for the dolphin's removal are underway. Protesters camped outside Gulf World all Friday night, and say they haven't seen the dolphins leave yet. Protestors say they just want the dolphins removed, but not to another facility owned by the Dolphin Company. Gulf World Marine Park dolphins potentially being moved within the next 24 hours The park reportedly has 11 dolphins left. According to the latest update from Neal Dunn's office, there are still four living rough-tooth dolphins without permits for removal. 'We are begging, begging, begging. Please. We know that you guys have a permit to get these Southern Bottlenose dolphins out. There are still four rusty dolphins in there. We need all the dolphins. Like, we are concerned for the safety of every single living creature there,' protester Jamie Marghany said. After hearing confirmation that a fifth dolphin died on Wednesday, protestors want state-level action. 'It's inhumane. It's animal abuse on the highest level. And I am so sad that our Governor Ron DeSantis, our attorney general, has not done anything to step up and save these animals,' protester Cheryl Cargile said. The park closed unexpectedly on Wednesday and is said to remain closed until June 3rd. However, tickets were still available for purchase online the day before. Now, ticket-buyers are struggling to get a refund. 'We went online and Tuesday to look for the tickets. We put it up here because I've always wanted to run the Dolphins here, and it shows open not to fortnightly. So we've been coming down through here, and it shows daily, and it shows right here on their little sign, their little advertisement of everything. The people that's beside me from Georgia bought their tickets online they bought their tickets online. But when you go to call my brother Justine, they hang the phone number so they won't even speak,' Gulf World customer Amy Killian said. Gulf World employees were on-site, but did not provide refunds. Protesters believe Gulf World is hiding what conditions the animals are living in. 'We know for a fact that they are Photoshopping pictures because we had someone go in the same day that they posted a photo. Theirs is perfectly blue, clear water, and the actual photo is green. So the dolphins all have abnormalities and issues. They're shocking with granular chemicals because the numbers are broken. It's just not a good situation,' Marghany said. AFib awareness: Stroke risks & advanced treatment options They believe Gulf World is leaving a negative impact on tourists visiting Panama City Beach. 'I have a two-year-old grandbaby that's still crying, wanting to go in there, baby, we can't go in there, honey. They're not alive. And how do you explain that to a two-year-old?' Killian added. The fight isn't just for the dolphins. Protestors want all of the animals to be removed from Gulf World. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Animal welfare expert retained in Gulf World's bankruptcy case
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Since the April 11 standoff at the Dolphin Company's Cancun headquarters, lawyers for each side have filed contradicting preliminary statements. Former Dolphin Company CEO Eduardo Albor's counsel fired back on Monday with a preliminary statement claiming they are in compliance with the Mexican bankruptcy court of law. They say Albor and his personnel were present at the headquarters with state law enforcement, while the debtors used municipal police. Gulf World bankruptcy trial sidetracked by armed stand off in Cancun This all preceded the Tuesday morning emergency hearing in Delaware. With court filings in both Mexico and Delaware, remaining in compliance with the law of both courts makes the Dolphin Company's case a bit trickier. This creates a trickle down impact on the other entities involved in the case, including Gulf World Marine Park. But despite the recent standoff at the Dolphin Company's headquarters in Cancun, all parties were present and ready to cooperate at Tuesday morning's hearing in Delaware. 'They had an entire boardroom full of all of the executives of the Dolphin Company that were appearing via Zoom. Plus, they had their Mexican counsel all present. So they were taking this matter very seriously. And they made a point to let the court know that Mr. Albor and the other board of directors respect the bankruptcy court's jurisdiction, and wanted to do everything they could to comply with the bankruptcy court order, so long as they didn't directly violate any of the orders they were issued by the Mexican courts,' Bankruptcy Attorney Michael Wynn, who's been following the case closely said. The judge excused herself for a large part of the hearing so the parties could work things out informally. Manhunt ends with arrest of murder suspect in Washington County 'The good news is, what that allowed the parties to be able to do was to negotiate some timelines on exchanging documents, exchanging information, and setting some loose discovery parameters so that they could take necessary depositions to get information out there in order to move this matter forward,' Wynn added. One of the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's hearing is that the debtors' counsel has retained an animal welfare expert. 'They did indicate in court today that the animal welfare expert was already working with agencies to relocate some sea lions. It was unclear as to whether or not those were sea lions which were located here at Gulf World, or perhaps in Miami at the park there. But what they did make very clear is that they are taking the animal welfare seriously and are actively employing professionals to ensure that the animals are cared for,' said Wynn. While Tuesday's hearing consisted heavily of negotiations during recess and outside of the presence of the judge, Wynn feels the May 5 hearing will be more definitive. 'I think it was important today that they disclose the animal welfare expert because that is the debtor's way of reviewing some of the things that they will likely talk about on May the fifth. For example, one of the things that they have to address on May the fifth, related to their financing motions and the requirements of the lender is they have to be able to discuss a risk mitigation and strategy for dealing with these animals in dealing with Gulf World Marine Park and other various parks that are run by the Dolphin Company and its subsidiaries,' Wynn added. Wynn says by announcing the retention of an animal welfare expert, the debtors have displayed they are already in compliance with requirements that will most likely surface at the May 5 hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gulf World bankruptcy trial sidetracked by armed stand off in Cancun
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – The bankruptcy case for the Dolphin Company- the parent corporation for Gulf World – has already been chaotic. Now, court documents filed last week show the case is getting stranger. The Dolphin company's prior management allegedly denied debtors and restructuring officials access to the company's Mexican headquarters in Cancun. Even stranger is the claim that former CEO Eduardo Albor and other personnel seized the headquarters with an armed party. Albor's counsel released preliminary statements earlier today, telling a very different April 21, counsel for the debtors filed a motion for an order pursuant. Chief Restructuring Officer Robert Wagstaff and his team from 'Riveron Management Services' describe a lack of overall cooperation from former Dolphin Company CEO Eduardo Albor. The document then says that after access was briefly gained to control the headquarters, Albor returned with '20 armed individuals purporting to be state police officers,' who forcibly entered and retook possession. Albor's legal counsel fired back with their own preliminary statements Monday, saying the claims are not factual. The documents recount an entirely different story, leaving local bankruptcy lawyers shocked at the latest turn of events. 'They were like, hey, judge, hey everybody. You have your facts wrong. We didn't forcibly retake the building. You guys forcibly took the building. You guys should have never been there. And you used municipal police. We actually had legitimate state police as opposed to what they argued or what the debtors argued in court, which was that the state police were like fake state police. And so they make this big deal that it's actually legitimate state police pursuant to legitimate court orders. And then one of the things that they said that I was last reading was basically, they said, oh, and the reason why the debtor says they can't get back into the facility has nothing to do with us or armed guards. It has everything to do with the fact they were legally trespassing on the building because the Mexican court said they don't have the authority to be there right now,' Bankruptcy Attorney Michael Wynn said. The issue of jurisdiction is the result of precautionary measures for the company's Mexican entities which were put in place by the Concurso Mercantil court on January 28. This pre-dates the Delaware court filing by nearly two months. The documents from Albor's counsel now claim Albor was the only party acting within the constraints of the law on April 11. So what does this mean for Gulf World and the other entities around the world affected by the parent case? And what about the animals who are now caught in an international legal crossfire that could take a lot of time to mitigate? 'What the state agencies need to remember in these cases is that they have the inherent power to go in and enforce what's known as their police power. Right. The state actors who have the authority to regulate and administer regulations over marine animals, such as FWC or the USDA. They have an exception to the automatic stay that stopped everything. So they have the ability, should they choose to, to get in and get active on these cases, to step in on behalf of the animals. And hopefully, you know, we see some action like that happening, or we see it happen at large. With the secured creditors and lenders taking over because those animals don't deserve what's happening to them right now,' added Wynn. There was an emergency hearing scheduled Tuesday morning, prior to the preliminary statements released by Albor's counsel on Monday morning. Wynn says, given the latest jurisdiction battle, that the hearing will likely play out differently than originally intended. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
22-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ex-Aquatic Park CEO Accused of Seizing HQ in Middle of the Night
The Dolphin Company 's former chief executive officer, aided by armed men, took control of the bankrupt aquatic parks operator's Mexican headquarters in the middle of the night earlier this month, restructuring advisers battling for control of the company alleged in court filings. Former CEO Eduardo Albor and about 20 armed men purporting to be state police officers arrived at Dolphin's Cancun headquarters at approximately 12:45 a.m. on April 12 and 'forcibly entered' the property, Chief Restructuring Officer Robert Wagstaff said in a sworn statement dated Monday.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Company at center of probe into dolphin deaths at Gulf World Marine Park files for bankruptcy
The Dolphin Company, owners of embattled Florida theme park and marine entertainment venue Gulf World Marine Park, has filed for bankruptcy amid protests and a formal investigation into conditions at the park. The Dolphin Company and 15 affiliated ventures are listed in court documents as being under the ownership of Leisure Investments Holdings LLC. The Cancun, Mexico-based operator filed for Chapter 11 protection on March 31 in Delaware Bankruptcy Court, seeking $8 million in debtor-in-possession funding, or financing that will be used for restructuring in hopes of keeping the company afloat. The Dolphin Company, then called Dolphin Discovery, acquired Gulf World from a private owner and former CEO Ron Hardy for $15 million in 2015, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY. The park is located in Panama City Beach. Activists, members of the public and now politicians and government officials have called for investigations into the company, and specifically, its Gulf World location, after reports of animal mistreatment. USA TODAY contacted The Dolphin Company and Gulf World Marine Park on Tuesday but has not received a response. Concerns over conditions at the park began circling in October when three bottlenose dolphins died in just one week. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) marine mammal inventory report later listed the causes of death, as reported by Gulf World, as euthanasia due to an unspecified life-threatening condition, a bacterial lung disease, and a systemic infection. These deaths are believed by veterinarians to have been related to construction happening near the pools where the animals were housed. Jett, a 14-year-old bottlenose dolphin, died from acute head trauma during the first weekend of March, as reported by the News Herald. Jett suffered the injury after performing a jump in the air for a trick and landing in the shallow part of his pool. This, paired with drone footage shared by TideBreakers, an anti-captivity advocacy group, sparked public concern. The videos, taken on March 16 and 17, show dolphins swimming in cloudy and bright green water within a decaying enclosure. This is the same enclosure in which the first three dolphins who died, Nate (20), Gus (14) and Turk (15), lived. The filtering system for one pool has been down since November 2024 and another only operates at about 50%, according to a USDA inspection report from January. Other violations included crumbling infrastructure, a lack of shade and two structures in such bad condition that they were closed by a building inspector in January 2023, according to documents reviewed by USA TODAY and the News Herald. Several inspection records found issues at the park between January 2023 and March 2024. The January report found that conditions had not significantly improved despite Gulf World representatives' claims that the cited issues were being, or had been, resolved. Other findings from inspection reports revealed that multiple pools — including the main sea lion stadium pool — were in a state of disrepair with dripping rust, chipping paint, algae buildup and broken concrete. In one instance mentioned in an October 2023 report, a piece of concrete from a crumbling pool ended up in a bottlenose dolphin's mouth, trainers told inspectors. "The animals at Gulf World need to be moved to safety immediately before more die," Valerie Greene, a former trainer of 11 years at SeaWorld Orlando and former chair of the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association, told USA TODAY. "They need to go to safe and clean facilities that are not owned or operated by The Dolphin Company ... Simply put, Gulf World needs to be closed. The park is so dilapidated that it's past the point of salvaging." Greene said sanctuaries are not an option for these animals, as none exist in North America and it would take months to get permits to move them elsewhere. That is time the animals don't have, according to Greene. On March 25, the city of Panama City Beach sent out a press release saying it is working with local, state and federal officials to address issues at the park. Representatives for the park were invited but chose not to attend, the News Herald reported. The conditions caught the attention of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said he directed his office to work with law enforcement and conduct an investigation in a March 25 post on X. "We will not tolerate any animal cruelty," he said. The park has reportedly denied access to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers and local health department authorities attempting to conduct inspections in the recent past. Law enforcement agencies were spotted outside the park on March 27, where FWC vehicles and Panama City Beach Police Chief Eusebio Talamantez were seen entering and exiting the facility as drones flew overhead. Employees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were also on the scene. "The (FWC) takes the health and welfare of all wildlife, including Florida's marine mammals, very seriously," FWC public affairs officer Christopher Boley said in a statement to the News Herald. "Due to growing concern about the sanitation and condition of the aquatic enclosures, as well as the well-being of captive bottlenose dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park, FWC has joined partner agencies to conduct a thorough investigation of the facility." A protest was staged outside the facility on March 29, during which citizens expressed concern for the 12 remaining dolphins inside. "My apartment pool in my complex is bigger than the pool the 12 dolphins are kept in every night," one protester told the News Herald. "I would love to see someone go in and rehab use it to actually rehabilitate." The Dolphin Company runs 31 parks and marine habitats in eight countries, with four marine parks located in Florida. Besides Gulf World, Dolphin Connection in Duck Key, Marineland in St Augustine and the Miami Seaquarium are all under the company's ownership and management, something that raises alarm bells for Greene. "The biggest issue moving forward with similar situations at other facilities is the ones we've faced with Gulf World and its sister park, the Miami Seaquarium," said Greene, who has also expressed serious concerns about conditions at the Miami Seaquarium for some time. Despite frequent complaints to agencies like the USDA, NOAA and FWC, who all have varying degrees of jurisdiction, the wheels of bureaucracy turn excruciatingly slowly, if at all, said Greene, and animals continue to suffer in the meantime. "The federal agencies do nothing more than document the violations of the law when they should be fining and revoking facility licenses," she said. At least one lawsuit surrounding the Seaquarium is currently underway. Former marine animal trainer and vocal critic of the facility, Phil Demers, was sued by Seaquarium's parent company in 2023 for allegedly flying an unauthorized drone over the facility, sharing unauthorized pictures and defamation. Demers' legal counsel has denied wrongdoing. The lawsuit is still ongoing. "We will be glad if this hellhole closes, but fear for the safety of the animals under The Dolphin Company's negligence and wanton disregard for their health," Chris Carraway, staff attorney at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, who is defending Demers, said in a statement. "Bankruptcy is the natural result of focusing on frivolous lawsuits to shut down criticism rather than providing care to animals." USA TODAY has asked the Florida FWC, USDA and NOAA if investigations will expand to other Dolphin Company-run facilities. Gulf World Marine Park is a separate entity from Gulf World Marine Institute, a nonprofit that rescues, rehabilitates and releases marine mammals and sea turtles in the Florida Panhandle. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Dolphin Company files for bankruptcy amid probe in Panama City Beach, Florida
