Playful dolphins toss stick in a game of catch
A paddleboarder was surprised to see a pod of dolphins playfully toss a stick back and forth.
- All dolphins have been relocated from Florida’s Gulf World Marine Park following five deaths and public outcry over conditions.
- Four dolphins were moved to Clearwater Marine Aquarium, while seven went to other facilities owned by The Dolphin Company, despite concerns from officials and activists.
All of the dolphins have now been relocated from Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida to other facilities. So what’s happening now?
Five dolphin deaths in less than a year, scathing inspection reports, public outcry, and footage released of green water with algae in the dolphin tanks led political leaders and government officials to work swiftly in getting the dolphins out of the park. A chaotic bankruptcy on behalf of the park’s owners at The Dolphin Company, operated in Cancun, Mexico, led to delays with the relocation.
Animal advocates and government officials partly won, with four of the dolphins being moved to a facility not owned by The Dolphin Company, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. The remaining seven were moved to facilities owned by the company, with four going to Marineland Dolphin Adventure near St. Augustine and three going to Dolphin Connection in Duck Key.
Marineland had three non-critical compliance issues relating to its facility in its April 2025 report, but another report from May doesn’t show any noncompliant items.
U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn previously told WJHG that his office was not happy when it learned that Marineland was owned by the same company, so they tried to pump the brakes, leading to further delays.
Animal advocates were also unhappy with the move. Activist group TideBreakers released footage of Marineland, claiming that the facilities are inadequate and the conditions are poor.
“When the 13 dolphins at Marineland aren’t working, they’re kept in filthy, cramped, concrete tanks with no protection from the Florida sun,” the activists wrote in a Facebook post. “Swimming in circles all day, waiting for their turn to entertain tourists, just a few feet away from the ocean. Some in complete isolation.”
There’s a petition floating around asking Congress to confiscate the company’s dolphins. Organizers also are demanding oversight from regulatory agencies.
The Dolphin Company is under a criminal investigation in the state of Florida amid its drawn-out bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware that reportedly included an armed takeover of its Cancun headquarters. New management acknowledged in a press release that Gulf World had been neglected over the years.
It was revealed in a bankruptcy proceeding recording that the fifth dolphin to die, Samira, was showing signs of distress nearly a month prior to her death. Communication hurdles that could be tied to the bankruptcy were said to have led to her not getting care that could’ve been provided by Riveron, the restructuring company working on the bankruptcy case.
The Key Biscayne Independent reported that the former CEO of The Dolphin Company, Eduardo Albor, was found to be in contempt of court on June 5. The judge said that Albor was interfering with the new management of the company.
“We lost a dolphin, and I don’t want my delay to create that situation again,” the judge said at a June 2 hearing, according to the Independent. “Samira, to the extent we could have saved her because of communication, it’s on all of us.”
The reporting notes that the new management asked to hire a firm to split up the subsidiary companies running the parks and start the auction process. Debtors had apparently done an initial review and put the various parks and properties into “going concern” and “real estate” categories.
Gulf World was no longer categorized as a “going concern,” and they would find an alternative use for the property, according to the Independent.
First Coast News reported that State Attorney Larry Basford had told them the dolphins are better off in Marineland, which is under new management because of the bankruptcy proceedings. Basford told them that part of the bankruptcy process is disposing of assets, and the dolphins were assets.
Basford told the news station that The Dolphin Company didn’t have money to maintain Gulf World or conduct needed repairs.
A June 16 release from the company says that the relocated dolphins are eating, attentive, and acclimating well to their new homes. The park remains closed until further notice.
As for what happens now, Rep. Dunn had previously said once the dolphins were taken care of, they would move on to help the other animals in the facility.
