Miami Seaquarium Closed Indefinitely

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
MIAMI, FLORIDA — Biscayne Bay poured over the seawall at the Miami Seaquarium during Monday's hurricane and the marine park expects to be closed for weeks if not months.

None of the park's dolphins, sea lions, manatees, and other animals -- including Lolita, the killer whale -- was injured and none escaped when Wilma's sea surge overflowed into the park, said Eric Eimstad, vice president of sales. The water did pour into the Flipper's Lagoon dolphin tank, he said, but had no effect on the dolphins that live there.

He declined to offer details on the extent of the Virginia Key park's damage or speculate when it would reopen. Officially, the park has canceled its Monster Splash Halloween event this weekend and its dolphin swim program, which requires advance appointments, through Nov. 14.

But Eimstad said this is the worst damage the Seaquarium has suffered since 1992's Hurricane Andrew, which left the park closed for about four months.

Source: The Miami Herald