The final chapter of the Miami Seaquarium is officially underway — and new bankruptcy filings reveal where the last animals on site will be relocated once a judge signs off.
According to documents filed by The Dolphin Company, which owned the now-closed park, the remaining animals are set to be moved to facilities across Florida and the U.S. Among the plans: two dolphins, three seals, and two sea lions will head to the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys, while a bearded dragon and other reptiles will be transferred to Zoo Miami. Twenty-seven flamingos are slated for a zoo in Virginia, and 11 penguins will be relocated to a wildlife park in Kansas.
A bankruptcy judge must approve the full relocation plan before any moves happen.
The Seaquarium closed on October 13 after The Dolphin Company declared bankruptcy and Miami-Dade County terminated its lease, citing what officials described as a “long and troubling history of animal welfare violations.”
Developer David Martin has since purchased the lease for more than $20 million, with plans to transform the iconic Virginia Key property into a new marina with shops, restaurants — and eventually a brand-new aquarium.