PETA Statement: Miami Seaquarium Must Close as Even More Violations Are Found!

For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2024

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

A just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture report reveals that the Miami Seaquarium was cited following an October inspection for yet another slew of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including such serious failures as not having the basic equipment needed to provide animals with necessary veterinary care and neglecting to schedule cataract surgery for a sea lion until her eye pain was so severe that she began refusing food. Other violations include dolphins found with dangerous foreign objects in their mouths and throats, including a 2-inch nail, a broken bolt, and small pieces of shell; a dolphin being kicked in the mouth during a customer interaction; a dolphin jumping the barrier between pools and joining another social group; and numerous dilapidated enclosures once again found to contain rust, mold, and bubbling paint.

Below, please find a statement from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk:

The Miami Seaquarium is a fiasco, a failure, a fraud, and a filthy dump for marine life to die in and must be closed down NOW. PETA is calling on officials to stop procrastinating and shut down this wretched hellhole immediately so that the animals imprisoned there can be sent to reputable facilities where they can finally get some relief.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.