7 Gulf World Marine Park dolphins OK'd to be transferred to another facility: NOAA

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PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - Seven of the 11 dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park in Florida's Panhandle have received approval to be transferred to another facility in Florida. 

NOAA Fisheries confirmed to FOX 35 on Monday that it issued an emergency waiver on May 30 to transfer 7 bottlenose dolphins, and that it anticipates issuing another emergency waiver for the remaining four dolphins when a new facility is found to house them.

Gulf World Marine Park has been under scrutiny over the last several weeks and months following the deaths of five dolphins and concerning inspection reports from the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.

FOX 35 reached out to the USDA on Monday for an update.

What they're saying:

"On May 30, NOAA Fisheries issued an emergency waiver to transport 7 bottlenose dolphins to Marineland Dolphin Adventure in Florida. A separate waiver for the remaining 4 rough-toothed dolphins will be issued as soon as Gulf World makes arrangements with a facility that can receive them," NOAA said in a statement.

The seven dolphins have been cleared to be transferred to Marineland Dolphin Adventure in St. Augustine, Florida. That marine park is owned by The Dolphin Company, which owns Gulf World Marine Park and three other facilities in Florida, as well as a number of facilities in Mexico and Central America.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released a new statement on Monday.

"APHIS has been in regular contact with NOAA and continues to work collaboratively with state and federal partners. Facilities are required to notify NOAA regarding the movement of marine mammals."

"APHIS takes its mission to ensure the humane treatment of animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) very seriously. We continue to conduct inspections and work with facilities to ensure they are in compliance with regulations under the AWA," a spokesperson said in a previous statement.

Enforcement actions by the USDA can include letters of warning, fines, animal license suspensions and/or revocations.

The backstory:

At least five dolphins have died at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida, sparking outrage and protests about animal rights activists, and investigations by federal and state agencies, including USDA, FWC, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Federal inspection reports note several concerns found within the facility, including dolphin holding tanks filled with algae, broken water filters, lack of shade, and deteriorating facilities. 

One report notes that a dolphin died during a public show in March 2025, but trainers did not respond quickly due to not being able to see the dolphin at the bottom of the tank due to the level of algae.

Inspection reports: Algae, broken filters, quitting staff

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has conducted 19 inspections at Gulf World Marine Park since 2014.

The most recent inspections were conducted on Jan. 8 and March 4, 2025. Those inspection reports detail a facility seemingly in disrepair:

• "All the dolphin pools still have an excessive amount of at least 6 inches of algae bloom along all the walls and bottom of pools and clumps of algae floating in pools" - March 4 inspection
• "When the APHIS inspector was standing above the main pool, looking down into the water, it was difficult to see the dolphins if they are approximately three feet below the water" - March 4 inspection
• "At the time of the inspection, there is no working filter for dolphin east pool which went down on November 13, 2024. According to staff, the filtration for dolphin west is only functioning at 50 percent" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "There is an abundance of algae growth in multiple dolphin pools with the inspector scraping algae off a step that was almost 6 inches in length" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "The facility has lost six maintenance employees in the past three months leaving them with two maintenance employees. Additionally the facility has lost seven animal care employees in the past three months" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "At the time of the inspection, the penguins had been moved to an indoor room due to colder temperatures. The room where the animals are housed appears to be an storage space with carpet, old sound equipment with cords hanging down the cabinets, paint for crafts in the area, dust and debris throughout the room" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "The perimeter around the dolphin stadium pool is in the early stages of disrepair with paint flaking off right at the edge of the pool" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "The facility still has not provided shade over the far side of dolphin east pool where dry guest interactions are done, or the over the main show stage where the dolphins station for food during training sessions with the trainers or during public guest interactions after shows" - Jan. 8 inspection
• "Along the far wall of the sea lion stadium pool where a seal was swimming, rust is still coming through the wall and running down the wall and into the water" - Jan. 8 inspection

FOX 35 Orlando reached out to The Dolphin Company and Gulf World Marine Park on Friday for comment, but did not hear back.

The Dolphin Company

According to its website, The Dolphin Company operates 21 dolphin experiences and marine aquariums in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Italy.

There are four in Florida:

• Gulf World, Panama City
• Marineland, St. Augustine
• Miami Seaquarium, Miami
• Dolphin Connection, Duck Key

It's unclear if the state's investigation includes the other Florida facilities. USA Today reported that Mexico-based The Dolphin Company filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year.