50 plus DC - Miami Seaquarium

Miami Seaquarium

Miami and its barrier islands have a close association with the sea and marine life, so it is fitting that it has one of the oldest oceanariums in the US. Founded by Fred D. Coppock and Captain W.B. Gray, when it opened in 1955 Miami Seaquarium was the largest marine life attraction in the world..It is located on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay but, the 15 hectare .(38 acre) site is only 8 km (5 miles) from downtown Miami. From 1963 to 1967 the TV show ‘Flipper’ and two spin-off movies were filmed at the Seaquarium. More than half a million people visit the seaquarium each year.

Reef Acquarium

A huge tank contains a saltwater reef complete with many of its residents including tropical fish, groupers, stingrays and moray eels. The diver in the picture is feeding the tropical fish.

Killer Whale Show

The most controversial displays at Miami Seaquarium is its Killer Whale (Orca) show. Lolita was among several young Orcas caught in 1970 and sold to marine parks around the world. She joined an Orca called Hugo at the Seaquarium and for 10 years they performed Killer Whale shows. Hugo died in 1980 and since then Lolita has performed with a pair of dolphins. Animal rights groups argue that keeping Lolita in captivity is cruel and she should be returned to the wild. However, since she has been in captivity most of her life, it is unlikely that she could successfully return to the wild. Questions have been raised about whether Lolita’s tank is big enough to merit a licence to exhibit an Orca, but legal action by Animal Rights campaigners and protests outside the marine park have not been successful. Several marine parks have ceased to display Orcas, but at the time of writing the Killer Whale Show goes on at Miami Seaquarium. If you don’t want to see a Killer Whale the park also stages Flipper Dolphin Shows.

Manatees

Manatees (or Sea Cows) live in freshwater and estuarine systems, venturing into nearshore ocean waters only to travel to an adjacent river or estuary. They cannot survive for long in water temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius so they are mainly found around the Caribbean but the Florida Manatee subspecies is mainly found in soutthern Florida but also ranges up other soutern coastal states of the US. Like their relative the elephant,, manatees are herbivores. but they may occasionally eat fish. The manatee has long been hunted for its meat and its hide. As a relatively slow moving animal living in shallow waters it is also vulnerable to collisions with power boats. Measures taken after it was listed as an endangered species have helped to increase numbers, but injuries and fatalities after boat collisions continue to be a problem. The manatees on show at the seaquarium are part of a rescue and rehabilitation programme.

View from entrance

Miami Seaquarium has on display a wide range of marine animals, including dolphins, manatees, seals, sea lions, sea turtles and penguins. There are also tropical birds to be seen including Cockatiels, Macaws, Flamingos and a peacock.

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- A very good marine park, especially because it has remained focused on marine animals and avoided the temptation to install theme park rides.

- You will need to make up your own mind about the rights and wrongs of the Killer Whale Show. The idea of releasing Lolita into the wild is daft, but there are valid questions to be answered about the adequacy of the tank in which she is kept.

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Sea Turtle

There are numerous species of sea turtle on show at the seaquarium. This fellow is a Loggerhead Turtle, a species common in south Florida.

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