Miami Seaquarium, an oceanarium since 1955, closed in 2025 after welfare and rent disputes

Miami Seaquarium opened in 1955 on Biscayne Bay and for decades was one of Florida's best-known marine parks, famous for shows, dolphins and its long-lived resident killer whale. It became a cultural institution spanning generations of visitors.

In 2022 the park's operation was taken over by The Dolphin Company, a corporate owner betting it could run a beloved park that had struggled after years of neglect. The new operator's tenure was marked by repeated welfare problems and claims that the park fell behind on its obligations.

The disputes came to a head. Federal regulators and the county raised serious concerns about the animals' care, and the county that owned the land pursued the park over conditions and unpaid rent, moving to end the arrangement.

The Seaquarium permanently closed in October 2025 after roughly 70 years in operation, with its operator facing financial collapse. A beloved institution ended not because the public stopped coming, but because its operator could not keep the standards the park's survival depended on.