Latest news with #marinepark
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gulf World Marine Park: Florida opens criminal investigation into dolphin deaths
Several dolphins have reportedly died over the span of five months at a Florida marine park and aquarium, prompting several investigations, including a statewide criminal investigation, according to officials and media reports. Attorney General James Uthmeier said Friday that his office had opened criminal investigations into Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida, and its apparent parent company, Mexico-based The Dolphin Company. Concerns have been raised in recent weeks and months following the reported deaths of five dolphins and concerning inspections noting algae-filled swimming pools and tanks, and low staffing to maintain the facility. The FWC and the USDA, which oversees marine care, animal movements, and facility inspections, are also investigating. What we know Five dolphins under the care of Gulf World Marine Park in Florida's Panhandle have died since October, according to several media reports, citing Florida state Sen. Jay Trumbull. Sen. Trumbull posted an update on March 28 that a second dolphin had died, marking two dolphin deaths in a month. Additional reports indicate that three dolphins died over the span of a week in October 2024. "Another dolphin has died at Gulf World. This marks the second in just over a month—and it's part of a disturbing and unacceptable pattern. These are not isolated incidents—they are signs of failure, and they demand immediate action," Sen. Trumbull said in a Facebook post. "From the moment we were first made aware of the situation, we demanded action. We engaged with all relevant state agencies immediately to intercede in any way possible and have continued to press for swift intervention ever since." The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has conducted 19 inspections at Gulf World Marine Park since 2014. The most recent inspections were conducted on Jan. 8 and March 4, 2025. Those inspection reports detail a facility seemingly in disrepair: "All the dolphin pools still have an excessive amount of at least 6 inches of algae bloom along all the walls and bottom of pools and clumps of algae floating in pools" - March 4 inspection "When the APHIS inspector was standing above the main pool, looking down into the water, it was difficult to see the dolphins if they are approximately three feet below the water" - March 4 inspection "At the time of the inspection, there is no working filter for dolphin east pool which went down on November 13, 2024. According to staff, the filtration for dolphin west is only functioning at 50 percent" - Jan. 8 inspection "There is an abundance of algae growth in multiple dolphin pools with the inspector scraping algae off a step that was almost 6 inches in length" - Jan. 8 inspection "The facility has lost six maintenance employees in the past three months leaving them with two maintenance employees. Additionally the facility has lost seven animal care employees in the past three months" - Jan. 8 inspection "At the time of the inspection, the penguins had been moved to an indoor room due to colder temperatures. The room where the animals are housed appears to be an storage space with carpet, old sound equipment with cords hanging down the cabinets, paint for crafts in the area, dust and debris throughout the room" - Jan. 8 inspection "The perimeter around the dolphin stadium pool is in the early stages of disrepair with paint flaking off right at the edge of the pool" - Jan. 8 inspection "The facility still has not provided shade over the far side of dolphin east pool where dry guest interactions are done, or the over the main show stage where the dolphins station for food during training sessions with the trainers or during public guest interactions after shows" - Jan. 8 inspection "Along the far wall of the sea lion stadium pool where a seal was swimming, rust is still coming through the wall and running down the wall and into the water" - Jan. 8 inspection FOX 35 Orlando reached out to The Dolphin Company and Gulf World Marine Park on Friday for comment, but did not hear back. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Click to open this PDF in a new window. On March 1, a dolphin named "Jett" died after performing a trick during a public show. He was found on the bottom of the pool with blunt force trauma to his rostrum and skull, according to the March 4, 2025, inspection report. "When he came down into the water he went to the bottom of the pool and did not resurface. Due to excessive algae growth, the trainers could not visualize what occurred and according to conversations with the staff, they believed he was hanging out on the bottom of the pool because he did not receive a bridge reinforcer," the report states. "The trainers did not suspect anything was wrong, until he did not resurface in a timely manner. The trainers then separated the remaining dolphins, cleared the stadium and entered the pool to find him on the bottom. When he was pulled to the surface there was evidence of trauma to his rostrum, and it was clarified by the veterinarian that he was deceased. Preliminary necropsy results confirmed that cause of death was blunt force trauma to his rostrum and skull." A vet theorized that when the dolphin re-entered the water during the show, he hit a shallow shelf, damaging his rostrum and skull. "Due to the lack of clarity in the water and the inability for the trainers to see what happened, all reaction time was significantly delayed," the inspection stated. USA Today, citing Marine Mammal Inventory Reports, noted that the three dolphins who died in October 2024 were euthanized due to "an unspecified life-threatening condition, a bacterial lung disease and a systemic infection." Staff reportedly blamed construction near a pool where the dolphins were living on the deaths. According to its website, The Dolphin Company operates 21 dolphin experiences and marine aquariums in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Italy. There are four in Florida: Gulf World, Panama City Marineland, St. Augustine Miami Seaquarium, Miami Dolphin Connection, Duck Key It's unclear if the state's investigation includes the other Florida facilites. According to USA Today, The Dolphin Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 31 in Delware. The report said the company wants $8 million in debtor-in-possession funding or financing to restructure the business. USA Today reported that Gulf World Marine Park was sold to The Dolphin Company in 2015 for $15 million, citing court documents. According to its website, Gulf World was founded on Memorial Day in 1970. What they're saying "Thank you, @AGJamesUthmeier for your leadership on this matter. The FWC is fully committed to coordinating with the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution to ensure justice is served and Florida's marine life is protected from abuse" - FWC in a X post on May 30. "Today, my office opened a statewide criminal investigation into Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach and its Mexico-based parent company, The Dolphin Company" - Attorney General James Uthmeier in a X post on May 30 "Gulf World Marine Park is a Class C Exhibitor, license number 58-C-0992. APHIS has been in regular contact with the facility and has been conducting frequent inspections. The most recent inspection posted to the Public Search Tool is from a March 4 inspection" - USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service "This remains an active ongoing criminal investigation in conjunction with local, state, and federal officials, including the State Attorney's Office. FWC recognizes and shares the rightful concerns of the community and will provide updates as soon as they become available" - FWC in a X post on May 28. "The reported dangers to worker, visitor, and animal safety at Gulf World must be addressed without delay. City, county, state, and federal representatives are urgently working together to demand Gulf World comply with all investigations and applicable regulations. We continue to invite Gulf World to collaborate with us" - Panama City Beach Mayor Stuart Tettemer, March 24 Requests for comment were sent to Gulf World Marine Park and The Dolphin Company via their websites. The Source The information in this article comes from statements and/or social media posts from Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, public USDA inspection reports, local and national media reports, and a March 24 news release from the City of Panama Beach.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Greece's eco divers battle litter in Europe's largest marine park
ALONISSOS (Greece), May 28 — Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered off Alonissos — a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters, and Europe's largest protected marine park — represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for over 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made both locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, one of the divers who joined the two-day initiative. 'We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas,' Francis said. 'In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did.' She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. A volunteer of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath sorts through waste gathered from the bottom of the seabed of the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 25, 2025. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth €780 million (RM3.7 billion). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30 per cent of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. 'People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this,' said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. 'If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands.' — Reuters
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Greek island clean up begins as plastic bottles and garbage litter seabed
Off the Greek island of Alonissos, volunteer divers are working to clean up the seabed in Europe's largest protected marine park. Decaying plastic bottles, a discarded tyre, and rusted anchor chains are just some of the items they have pulled from the turquoise waters. This cleanup effort, funded by the EU, aims to protect the diverse marine life that calls this sanctuary home. The waters around Alonissos, a popular tourist destination in the eastern Aegean Sea, are part of a marine park established in the early 1990s. This park provides a crucial habitat for a variety of species, including one of the world's last remaining colonies of the endangered Monk seal, more than 300 fish species, dolphins, and sea turtles. However, the park, like much of the Mediterranean Sea, faces a significant threat from pollution, with tens of thousands of tons of waste entering its waters annually. Theodora Francis, 31, a volunteer diver participating in the two-day cleanup, noted that the park's existence has raised awareness among both locals and tourists about the dangers of marine pollution. The recovered items represent just a small fraction of the debris impacting the delicate ecosystem. "We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas," Francis, 31, said. "In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did." She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth 780 million euros ($887.5 million). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. "People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this," said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. "If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands."
Reuters
27-05-2025
- Reuters
Divers cleaning up seabed off Greece's Alonissos raise alarm over marine pollution
ALONISSOS, Greece, May 27 (Reuters) - Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered off Alonissos - a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters, and Europe's largest protected marine park - represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for over 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made both locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, one of the divers who joined the two-day initiative. "We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas," Francis said. "In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did." She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth 780 million euros ($887.5 million). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. "People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this," said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. "If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands." ($1 = 0.8789 euros)
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The French bureaucrats who may have doomed abandoned aquarium orcas to die... and why red tape leaves them trapped in a hellish existence
Swimming aimlessly around an abandoned marine park, these majestic orcas appear to be at the centre of a bureaucratic row between French officials and a major theme park company. France 's last two captive killer whales are stranded in the algae-infested Marineland, near Cannes, neglected with the exception of a skeleton staff that comes in intermittently to feed them. In a nearby smaller tank, 12 stranded bottlenose dolphins are the only other occupants of the park. But their fate is uncertain - with the French government telling MailOnline that it could be a year before they are relocated at the earliest. The marine park closed on January 5, citing legislation banning shows featuring cetaceans such as dolphins and whales, which the French government passed in 2021. The law set a deadline of December 2026 for Marineland to part ways with the killer whales. Since then, the management for Marineland have been shuffling through various options for where to rehome the animals, especially the orcas. Though Marineland has closed as a marine zoo business, they are still legally responsible for the welfare of the animals until they are rehomed. The orcas were both born in captivity so could never survive in the wild. A skeleton staff come in to feed the animals to meet the management company's legal requirements for care, but are not providing much in the way of mental enrichment, which is vital for bonded pod orcas. At the time of closing, the park had 4,000 animals from 150 different species, most of which have been relocated. The French government have blocked two rehoming deals, one which would have seen the orcas go to a marine zoo in Japan and another for a whale sanctuary in Canada. The former proposal was rejected primarily over animal welfare concerns, while the Canadian Whale Sanctuary Project's offer was shelved while officials look for a European sanctuary for the creatures. The government said the travel would be too strenuous for the animals but after a relocation deal with Loro Parque in Tenerife was rejected by Spanish authorities, the remaining options are limited. The Loro Parque houses four captive orcas of its own, including a calf born this March, but officials said their new proposed tank would 'not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions'. Earlier today a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Ecology told MailOnline: 'To date, with the exception of orcas and dolphins, all the animals have found a new habitat suited to their needs. 'With regard to the orcas and dolphins, an assessment by the Spanish Scientific Authority led the latter to oppose the transfer of the orcas and dolphins to Loro Parque (Tenerife) and the transfer of ten dolphins to the Madrid aquarium: the Authority concluded that the facilities did not meet the requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth to house the specimens in optimum conditions. 'This unfavourable opinion means that authorisation cannot be granted to transfer these animals to Spain. 'Pending their transfer, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Sea and Fisheries is asking Parques Reunidos, Marineland's owner, to ensure that the animals continue to be cared for pending a future solution. 'At the same time, discussions have been held with the Italian, Greek and Spanish ministers to find a satisfactory solution that will ensure the animals' welfare. 'Although no solution has yet been found, discussions with the Italian minister have shown that the Taranto sanctuary project has the support of the authorities and could be ready within a year.' The delay has sparked fury among animal activist groups, who have urged the French government and the owner of Marineland to treat the situation with more urgency. Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of TideBreakers, said: 'The situation in Marineland Antibes is an emergency and needs worldwide attention. 'These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly. 'The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety. 'We are disappointed in the lack of planning and complete mismanagement of this situation by the park's owner, Parque Reunidos, as well as authorities who went silent. 'They were both born in captivity so the option of rehabilitation and release to the wild is simply not possible. 'After entertaining the public for years, we should still provide them with a clean and safe environment to live out their remaining years.' She accused the park owners of not cleaning the tank properly, which provides another everyday 'hazard' for the orcas. A spokesperson for Parques Reunidos said: 'Marineland continues to work with the French authorities to find a solution for the cetaceans. 'Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination. 'All other solutions involving sanctuaries are hypothetical and would take years without any guarantee. For the welfare of the animals, they must leave now.'
