Latest news with #GulfWorld
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
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Activist gather for ‘Empty the Tanks' protest at Gulf World Marine Park
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – It's been nearly two months since we first told you about the backlash Gulf World Marine Park is facing due to growing concerns over their treatment of the animals. On Saturday, a second protest was held in partnership with Empty the Tanks. Empty the Tanks is a worldwide nonprofit dedicated to the protection of marine animals in captivity. Members of the organization held protests across the globe last Saturday, but Panama City Beach's event was rescheduled for today due to weather. FDEP conducts search warrant on Gulf World Marine Park and Marine Institute In the past year, Gulf World has had four dolphins die and has removed all their sea lions and seals from the property. They are under investigation by several state agencies, including Florida Fish and Wildlife and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection but those investigations remain active. A local animal activist says it's important to keep the movement alive for the sake of the animals still in their custody. We have reached out to the dolphin company and Gulf World, but have not received a response. The company is still undergoing bankruptcy hearings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bay County becomes growingly involved with Gulf World Marine Park situation
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County officials are getting more involved in the situation at Gulf World Marine Park. The marine attraction declared reorganization bankruptcy earlier this year, among reports of dead dolphins, and other sea creatures living in deplorable conditions. Tuesday, Bay County commissioners confirmed that Gulf World's sea lions were transferred to another facility. Commissioner Clair Pease called it a positive step. She also said she and the county attorney have been in contact with the debtor who owns Gulf World, offering help to clean the animal tanks. They've connected the debtor with resources to repair or improve the water pumps and sand filters, and provided a survey for a pipe that moves water from the Gulf into the facility. Pease said the goal is to help the animals locally while remaining engaged in the international bankruptcy case. 'I had asked the county attorney to stay engaged with the bankruptcy attorneys so that we could really keep up with the animal welfare more than the actual bankruptcy. And I felt like if we engaged an attorney to look over the bankruptcy court, then if something happened with the animals here in Panama City that we felt like needed some additional attention, then we would have an ear with the judge,' County Commissioner Clair Pease said. Pease said they plan to hire a bankruptcy attorney based in Delaware to follow the case. They should sign the agreement in a few days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
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.
