As the Miami Seaquarium fights eviction, its owner heads for bankruptcy court

As it tries to fend off an eviction action by Miami-Dade County, the owner of the Miami Seaquarium sought bankruptcy protection this week as part of a broader effort by its parent company to rework its debt and overcome financial challenges.

In filings in a Delaware court, MS Leisure, which is the corporate owner of the Seaquarium, and related companies across the country asked a judge to authorize a reorganization of the businesses under federal bankruptcy laws. MS Leisure is one of 14 entities listed in the federal filing by the U.S. office of the Dolphin Company, which is the corporate parent of the Seaquarium and has headquarters in Cancún, Mexico.

In announcing the bankruptcy filing, the Dolphin Company said the restructuring is needed to stabilize its operations and “ensure the ongoing safety of animals.” The announcement said a new leadership team is taking over the company as part of a financing arrangement that will inject new dollars into the privately held operation.

The filings come as Miami-Dade is awaiting a trial in its local eviction proceedings against the Seaquarium, a marine-mammal theme park that rents its waterfront location from the county. Citing critical inspection reports from federal regulators, the administration of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent the Seaquarium an eviction notice last April.

The Dolphin Company purchased the Seaquarium business in 2022, becoming the new owner of an attraction that’s been operating on Miami’s Virginia Key since the 1950s.

The bankruptcy filing does not appear to have any immediate impact on the Seaquarium, which remains open five days a week while fighting the county eviction process.

This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM.