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The Miami Seaquarium, an old-Florida style tourist attraction that was home to\u00a0Lolita, the beloved Orca that died last year<\/a>, is being evicted from the waterfront property it leases from Miami-Dade County.<\/p>\n Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava cited a \u201clong and troubling history of violations\u201d in a\u00a0lease termination notice<\/a>\u00a0sent Thursday to the chief executive officer of The Dolphin Company, which owns the Seaquarium. The company was told to vacate the property by April 21, according to the letter from the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have been the subject of continuous violations, including decaying animal habitats, lack of veterinary staff and a lack of other experienced staff,\u201d Levine Cava said during a news conference Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cOur number one priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of the animals,\u201d the mayor said.<\/p>\n Seaquarium officials sent a\u00a0letter<\/a>\u00a0last month to Levine Cava, inviting her to visit the park so she could witness the animals\u2019 wellbeing for herself. The county had advised the park in January that they were looking to terminate the park\u2019s lease following a review from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates the treatment and care of captive animals.<\/p>\n Eduardo Albor, CEO of The Dolphin Company, showed up at the news conference and told reporters he doesn\u2019t understand why the mayor has refused invitations to the Seaquarium.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can she say that she\u2019s concerned about the animals when she has never come to the Miami Seaquarium in two years,\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Levine Cava said during the news conference that representatives of the county\u2019s parks department have regular visits to the park over the past year and a half.<\/p>\n \u201cThe current state of the Miami Seaquarium is unsustainable and unsafe,\u201d Levine Cava said.<\/p>\n The Seaquarium could still fight the eviction. A judge would need to declare the park in compliance with their lease.<\/p>\n Albor said Thursday that he plans to let his lawyers respond to the eviction notice.<\/p>\n \u201cI will just let my lawyers defend our rights. I will just let our lawyers defend our rights because it is offensive to speak about my people,\u201d Albor said.<\/p>\n The action follows a series of federal inspections that found multiple problems at the Seaquarium, including unsafe and structurally deficient buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s reports since 2022 also consistently identified that several structures have not been maintained properly, and that creates dangerous conditions and in many cases have resulted in injury,\u201d the mayor said.<\/p>\n The Dolphin Company, based in Mexico, had\u00a0agreed to help move Lolita to a natural sea pen in the Pacific Northwest<\/a>\u00a0when it took over ownership of the Seaquarium in 2022. Lolita, also known as Tokitae, or Toki, died Aug. 18, at age 57.<\/p>\n Animal rights activists had sought Lolita\u2019s freedom for years. The orca spent much of her life in tank a that measures 80 feet by 35 feet (24 meters by 11 meters) and is 20 feet (6 meters) deep, and\u00a0stopped performing in shows<\/a>\u00a0at the Seaquarium in 2022.<\/p>\n A coalition that included Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay worked on the plan to move Lolita back to the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n A\u00a0necropsy<\/a>\u00a0cited kidney failure as the cause of Lolita\u2019s death. The necropsy also found Lolita suffered from acute and chronic bronchointerstitial pneumonia and renal degeneration, as well a chronic condition of the heart implying the degeneration of the cardiac valves.<\/p>\n \u201cAt long last, authorities are taking action against the persistent animal welfare violations at Miami Seaquarium,\u201d said Dr. Naomi Rose, senior scientist in marine mammal biology for the Animal Welfare Institute\u2019s Marine Life Program. \u201cThis run-down facility has been a blight on Miami for too long. We hope the zoo and aquarium community steps up to the plate to ensure all of the animals \u2014 the mammals, birds, fish \u2014 find acceptable homes in U.S. facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n The Seaquarium opened in 1955 overlooking Biscayne Bay and was among the first theme parks devoted to marine life. It garnered international attention in the 1960s when the television series \u201cFlipper\u201d was filmed there.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to Impact Report, a weekly newsletter on the trends and issues shaping corporate sustainability. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n