Miami terminates lease with Seaquarium after questions of animal safety

Finally, we can say that the Miami Seaquarium's near 70-year run is coming to an end. After animal activists have long called for its closure, it may be the end of the road for the Miami Seaquarium. Terminating the lease is the best path forward for the safety of the animals as well as the safety of residents and visitors. On Thursday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava sent a notice of termination of a lease letter to Eduardo Albor, the president of the park operator, The Dolphin Company. The letter cited the Seaquarium's long and troubling history of violations to maintain the property and to maintain their animals in accordance with the law. Current state of the Miami Seaquarium is not the place that we visited as children and it's not the place that we want our children to visit. Demands for the closure came to a head after the death of Lolita, the beloved orca. Then a recent USDA inspection also reported that animals were not receiving proper care, which cited a dolphin found with a nail in their throat, another one with a broken bolt in its mouth, manatees in small enclosures, and a continued lack of adequate staffing. We spoke to the CEO of The Dolphin Company who took over this aquarium in 2022. He said he hasn't had an opportunity to speak to the mayor directly and plans to fight this termination. I've been asking for months, months we've been asking, Mayor, can you please give us an appointment? She has ignored completely the Miami Seaquarium. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.