Latest news with #DolphinCompany
New York Post
04-07-2025
- New York Post
Marine park company reeling after five dolphins die within 8 months
A bankrupt global operator of marine parks and aquariums is seeking court approval to sell hundreds of its animals after a string of dolphin deaths at one of its Florida locations forced a facility closure and sparked multiple investigations. The Dolphin Company, which operates more than 30 parks in eight countries, cited 'limited liquidity' and 'exceedingly high' animal care costs for its dolphins, sea lions, manatees and other marine mammals, according to a filing submitted Wednesday to the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The company also wants to sell some of its real estate as part of a broader restructuring effort under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings initiated in March. Advertisement 5 The company that operates Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City, Fla., is seeking a court's permission to sell hundreds of dolphins, sea lions and manatees. Gulf World Marine Park The deaths occurred at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Fla., where five bottlenose dolphins died between October of last year and May. The fifth fatality prompted the park's closure and intensified scrutiny of the company's animal care practices. The deceased dolphins included Jett, who died in March from blunt force trauma to the head after crashing into the shallow end of a pool during a public show. Advertisement Staff response was reportedly delayed due to murky, algae-filled water. Samira, an eight-year-old dolphin, was found dead last month after weeks of distress and refusing food. Preliminary findings indicated she had ingested foreign material and suffered a pulmonary hemorrhage. Three other dolphins — Gus, Turk and Nate — died last October, with reported causes including euthanasia for a life-threatening condition, bacterial lung disease and systemic infection. Advertisement 5 The Dolphin Company operates dozens of aquatic parks and aquariums in the United States and abroad. The Dolphin Company Following the fatalities, inspections by the USDA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found troubling conditions at the park, including tanks with up to six inches of algae, broken water filtration systems, poor water quality, chronic understaffing and delayed emergency responses due to poor visibility in the water. Florida state prosecutors and federal agencies have since launched criminal investigations. Jay Trumbull, a state senator, called the situation 'disturbing and unacceptable' and urged the removal of all remaining dolphins. Advertisement 5 Five bottlenose dolphins housed at the park died within a span of eight months, including 8-year-old Samira. Instagram/ In its filing, The Dolphin Company stated that 'not only will the sale and transfer of these animals bring value to the debtors' estates, it will also aid in the animals' welfare and safety.' The company disclosed in bankruptcy documents that it housed approximately 2,400 animals as of 2023. These included 295 dolphins, 51 sea lions, 18 manatees and 18 seals. Court records show that many of these animals serve not only as live attractions but also as collateral for over $100 million in outstanding debt. 5 The Dolphin Company disclosed in bankruptcy documents that it housed approximately 2,400 animals as of 2023. PETER WILLOTT/THE ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD via Imagn Content Services, LLC The commercial value of bottlenose dolphins varies depending on training, age and appearance. Dolphins captured in Taiji, Japan, during the 2025 season have reportedly sold for between $30,000 and $128,000 each. Trained dolphins prepared for public performances can command prices up to $150,000. Advertisement California sea lions, also part of the company's holdings, typically sell for between $20,000 and $40,000, while manatees, a species that is protected under US and international law, are not commercially sold but can incur care costs exceeding $40,000 for several months and more than $100,000 for extended rehabilitation. After Gulf World's closure, 11 surviving dolphins were cleared for relocation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Four rough-toothed dolphins — Doris, Kitana, Dagny and Wren — were transferred to Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The remaining seven dolphins were moved to Marineland in St. Augustine, Fla. 5 The Miami Seaquarium is owned and operated by the Mexico-based Dolphin Company. Getty Images Advertisement The Dolphin Company's financial collapse has also revealed internal turmoil. Former CEO Eduardo Albor, who oversaw the company's growth over several decades, lost control of the business after it defaulted on approximately $100 million in debt. According to court filings, Albor refused to relinquish control of the company's parks in Mexico, where it is headquartered, and denied new management access to financial systems and accounts. US Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein recently ordered Albor to stop interfering with company operations and provide access to all records. Advertisement She also imposed a $10,000-per-day fine for noncompliance. Advisers overseeing the restructuring have accused Albor of diverting revenue from Mexican parks using credit card readers purchased from Costco. The Post has sought comment from The Dolphin Company and Albor.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Protest continues as Gulf World dolphin removal is delayed
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn's office reported that seven bottlenose dolphins were cleared for removal from Gulf World on Friday. They were expected to be removed by Saturday. A video shows that preparations for the dolphin's removal are underway. Protesters camped outside Gulf World all Friday night, and say they haven't seen the dolphins leave yet. Protestors say they just want the dolphins removed, but not to another facility owned by the Dolphin Company. Gulf World Marine Park dolphins potentially being moved within the next 24 hours The park reportedly has 11 dolphins left. According to the latest update from Neal Dunn's office, there are still four living rough-tooth dolphins without permits for removal. 'We are begging, begging, begging. Please. We know that you guys have a permit to get these Southern Bottlenose dolphins out. There are still four rusty dolphins in there. We need all the dolphins. Like, we are concerned for the safety of every single living creature there,' protester Jamie Marghany said. After hearing confirmation that a fifth dolphin died on Wednesday, protestors want state-level action. 'It's inhumane. It's animal abuse on the highest level. And I am so sad that our Governor Ron DeSantis, our attorney general, has not done anything to step up and save these animals,' protester Cheryl Cargile said. The park closed unexpectedly on Wednesday and is said to remain closed until June 3rd. However, tickets were still available for purchase online the day before. Now, ticket-buyers are struggling to get a refund. 'We went online and Tuesday to look for the tickets. We put it up here because I've always wanted to run the Dolphins here, and it shows open not to fortnightly. So we've been coming down through here, and it shows daily, and it shows right here on their little sign, their little advertisement of everything. The people that's beside me from Georgia bought their tickets online they bought their tickets online. But when you go to call my brother Justine, they hang the phone number so they won't even speak,' Gulf World customer Amy Killian said. Gulf World employees were on-site, but did not provide refunds. Protesters believe Gulf World is hiding what conditions the animals are living in. 'We know for a fact that they are Photoshopping pictures because we had someone go in the same day that they posted a photo. Theirs is perfectly blue, clear water, and the actual photo is green. So the dolphins all have abnormalities and issues. They're shocking with granular chemicals because the numbers are broken. It's just not a good situation,' Marghany said. AFib awareness: Stroke risks & advanced treatment options They believe Gulf World is leaving a negative impact on tourists visiting Panama City Beach. 'I have a two-year-old grandbaby that's still crying, wanting to go in there, baby, we can't go in there, honey. They're not alive. And how do you explain that to a two-year-old?' Killian added. The fight isn't just for the dolphins. Protestors want all of the animals to be removed from Gulf World. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Animal welfare expert retained in Gulf World's bankruptcy case
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Since the April 11 standoff at the Dolphin Company's Cancun headquarters, lawyers for each side have filed contradicting preliminary statements. Former Dolphin Company CEO Eduardo Albor's counsel fired back on Monday with a preliminary statement claiming they are in compliance with the Mexican bankruptcy court of law. They say Albor and his personnel were present at the headquarters with state law enforcement, while the debtors used municipal police. Gulf World bankruptcy trial sidetracked by armed stand off in Cancun This all preceded the Tuesday morning emergency hearing in Delaware. With court filings in both Mexico and Delaware, remaining in compliance with the law of both courts makes the Dolphin Company's case a bit trickier. This creates a trickle down impact on the other entities involved in the case, including Gulf World Marine Park. But despite the recent standoff at the Dolphin Company's headquarters in Cancun, all parties were present and ready to cooperate at Tuesday morning's hearing in Delaware. 'They had an entire boardroom full of all of the executives of the Dolphin Company that were appearing via Zoom. Plus, they had their Mexican counsel all present. So they were taking this matter very seriously. And they made a point to let the court know that Mr. Albor and the other board of directors respect the bankruptcy court's jurisdiction, and wanted to do everything they could to comply with the bankruptcy court order, so long as they didn't directly violate any of the orders they were issued by the Mexican courts,' Bankruptcy Attorney Michael Wynn, who's been following the case closely said. The judge excused herself for a large part of the hearing so the parties could work things out informally. Manhunt ends with arrest of murder suspect in Washington County 'The good news is, what that allowed the parties to be able to do was to negotiate some timelines on exchanging documents, exchanging information, and setting some loose discovery parameters so that they could take necessary depositions to get information out there in order to move this matter forward,' Wynn added. One of the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's hearing is that the debtors' counsel has retained an animal welfare expert. 'They did indicate in court today that the animal welfare expert was already working with agencies to relocate some sea lions. It was unclear as to whether or not those were sea lions which were located here at Gulf World, or perhaps in Miami at the park there. But what they did make very clear is that they are taking the animal welfare seriously and are actively employing professionals to ensure that the animals are cared for,' said Wynn. While Tuesday's hearing consisted heavily of negotiations during recess and outside of the presence of the judge, Wynn feels the May 5 hearing will be more definitive. 'I think it was important today that they disclose the animal welfare expert because that is the debtor's way of reviewing some of the things that they will likely talk about on May the fifth. For example, one of the things that they have to address on May the fifth, related to their financing motions and the requirements of the lender is they have to be able to discuss a risk mitigation and strategy for dealing with these animals in dealing with Gulf World Marine Park and other various parks that are run by the Dolphin Company and its subsidiaries,' Wynn added. Wynn says by announcing the retention of an animal welfare expert, the debtors have displayed they are already in compliance with requirements that will most likely surface at the May 5 hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gulf World bankruptcy trial sidetracked by armed stand off in Cancun
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – The bankruptcy case for the Dolphin Company- the parent corporation for Gulf World – has already been chaotic. Now, court documents filed last week show the case is getting stranger. The Dolphin company's prior management allegedly denied debtors and restructuring officials access to the company's Mexican headquarters in Cancun. Even stranger is the claim that former CEO Eduardo Albor and other personnel seized the headquarters with an armed party. Albor's counsel released preliminary statements earlier today, telling a very different April 21, counsel for the debtors filed a motion for an order pursuant. Chief Restructuring Officer Robert Wagstaff and his team from 'Riveron Management Services' describe a lack of overall cooperation from former Dolphin Company CEO Eduardo Albor. The document then says that after access was briefly gained to control the headquarters, Albor returned with '20 armed individuals purporting to be state police officers,' who forcibly entered and retook possession. Albor's legal counsel fired back with their own preliminary statements Monday, saying the claims are not factual. The documents recount an entirely different story, leaving local bankruptcy lawyers shocked at the latest turn of events. 'They were like, hey, judge, hey everybody. You have your facts wrong. We didn't forcibly retake the building. You guys forcibly took the building. You guys should have never been there. And you used municipal police. We actually had legitimate state police as opposed to what they argued or what the debtors argued in court, which was that the state police were like fake state police. And so they make this big deal that it's actually legitimate state police pursuant to legitimate court orders. And then one of the things that they said that I was last reading was basically, they said, oh, and the reason why the debtor says they can't get back into the facility has nothing to do with us or armed guards. It has everything to do with the fact they were legally trespassing on the building because the Mexican court said they don't have the authority to be there right now,' Bankruptcy Attorney Michael Wynn said. The issue of jurisdiction is the result of precautionary measures for the company's Mexican entities which were put in place by the Concurso Mercantil court on January 28. This pre-dates the Delaware court filing by nearly two months. The documents from Albor's counsel now claim Albor was the only party acting within the constraints of the law on April 11. So what does this mean for Gulf World and the other entities around the world affected by the parent case? And what about the animals who are now caught in an international legal crossfire that could take a lot of time to mitigate? 'What the state agencies need to remember in these cases is that they have the inherent power to go in and enforce what's known as their police power. Right. The state actors who have the authority to regulate and administer regulations over marine animals, such as FWC or the USDA. They have an exception to the automatic stay that stopped everything. So they have the ability, should they choose to, to get in and get active on these cases, to step in on behalf of the animals. And hopefully, you know, we see some action like that happening, or we see it happen at large. With the secured creditors and lenders taking over because those animals don't deserve what's happening to them right now,' added Wynn. There was an emergency hearing scheduled Tuesday morning, prior to the preliminary statements released by Albor's counsel on Monday morning. Wynn says, given the latest jurisdiction battle, that the hearing will likely play out differently than originally intended. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
22-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ex-Aquatic Park CEO Accused of Seizing HQ in Middle of the Night
The Dolphin Company 's former chief executive officer, aided by armed men, took control of the bankrupt aquatic parks operator's Mexican headquarters in the middle of the night earlier this month, restructuring advisers battling for control of the company alleged in court filings. Former CEO Eduardo Albor and about 20 armed men purporting to be state police officers arrived at Dolphin's Cancun headquarters at approximately 12:45 a.m. on April 12 and 'forcibly entered' the property, Chief Restructuring Officer Robert Wagstaff said in a sworn statement dated Monday.
