Florida marine park raided after shocking living conditions exposed

By Ottilie Von Henning

A Florida marine park was raided by local law enforcement after drone footage exposed the shocking living conditions of its dolphins.

The video, released by UrgentSeas on March 18, showed a small concrete tank currently housing 12 dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park, a dolphinarium in Panama City Beach, Florida.

UrgentSeas, an animal welfare non-profit, has been calling for the dolphins to be relocated to more suitable environments after the park lost four dolphins in six months.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed on Saturday (March 29) that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) had executed a search warrant that same day.

The FWC said in a statement: "The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes the health and welfare of all wildlife, including Florida’s marine mammals, very seriously.

"Due to growing concerns about the sanitation and condition of aquatic enclosures, as well as the well-being of captive bottlenose dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park, FWC has joined (local and state) partner agencies to conduct a thorough investigation of the facility.

"The Commission will continue to engage with our partner agencies in this investigation and will provide all necessary resources to resolve this matter.

"The safety and humane treatment of these animals are of the utmost importance, and we remain committed to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to protect them."

Bottlenose dolphins Gus, 14, Turk, 15, and Nate, 20, died in quick succession in October 2024, followed by the death of a fourth dolphin, Jett, 14, earlier this month.

According to the Marine Mammal Inventory Report (MMIR), which tracks marine mammals held in captivity in the U.S., Gus was euthanized for a life-threatening condition, Turk died from a bacterial lung disease and Nate died from a systemic infection.

Philip Demers, co-founder of UrgentSeas, said: "Gulf World is yet another example of a facility that prioritizes profits over the well-being of its animals.

"The conditions at Gulf World are among the worst we’ve ever observed.

"The sheer number of dead dolphins over such a short period of time is shocking and inexcusable, yet Gulf World continues to operate without repercussions.

"There’s no excuse for the awful and deteriorating conditions these dolphins are living in.

"Unless these dolphins—and other animals—are removed as soon as possible, we can expect more deaths."

According to NOAA, the average lifespan of a bottlenose dolphin is around 40 years, making the deaths of these young dolphins particularly concerning.

An inspection conducted by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) earlier this year found continued issues at the park.

The report highlighted issues with the dolphin stadium pool's perimeter, where paint is flaking and concrete is cracking, posing potential water quality and safety risks.

At the time of inspection, the dolphin east pool, which went down in November 2024, had no working filter and filtration in the dolphin west pool was only 50% operational.

The report also noted algae growth in several pools, which has reduced the visibility of the dolphins.

The report also called for water quality to be maintained by "filtration, chemical means or other means to comply with water quality standards."

Gulf World Marine Park was contacted for comment.