The head veterinarian at Miami Seaquarium has resigned amid multiple recent reports alleging mishandling of animals and poor conditions at the facility.
Officials with Miami-Dade County said they were made aware Wednesday of Head Veterinarian Jessica R. Comolli’s resignation.
No other details about her resignation were available.
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The Seaquarium has been inundated with calls for it to be closed amid several inspection reports detailing a host of issues at the facility.
One report prepared last month by the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service details the conditions found at the Seaquarium during a routine inspection on Oct. 16.
The report noted that a dolphin named "Ripley" was found with a two-inch nail, mangrove pods, and small pieces of shell in his throat.
Another dolphin, "Bimini," was found with a broken bolt in her mouth.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Raquel Regalado issued a joint statement following the news of Comolli's resignation.
“We have been made aware of the resignation of Miami Seaquarium’s Head Veterinarian. This news raises even more concerns about the conditions and safety of the animals currently under their care," the statement said. "The Seaquarium must have the appropriate staff with the required expertise and credentials to ensure the health and wellbeing of the animals. Miami-Dade County is taking all steps necessary to enforce compliance with our current lease agreement as we move closer to termination. Today’s news reaffirms the County’s concerns and the urgency to determine next steps in the best interest of the animals residing at the Seaquarium.”
Weeks before the inspection, it had been discovered that an adult female California sealion named "Sushi" had been holding her right eye closed and rubbing both eyes due to needing cataract surgery, the report said.
The sealion started refusing food due to eye pain and at the time of the inspection the cataract surgery had still not been scheduled, the report said.
Also found at the time of the inspection were a large number of ants in the facility’s vet clinic, on and inside the cabinet housing vitamins and supplements that can be used for the marine mammals, the report said.
Other issues found were black growth and bubbling and peeling paint in a penguin enclosure, a "strong noxious odor" in an area housing parrots, and "stagnant, murky water with green algae growing in it" in a flamingo enclosure, the report said.
Another USDA report from November found dolphin pools in disrepair and high counts of bacteria in the water where marine mammals are kept, among other issues.
In January, it was learned that Miami-Dade County was seeking to terminate its lease with the Seaquarium, citing the USDA reports.
Earlier this month, two PETA protests were held in Miami calling for the Seaquarium’s lease to be terminated.
In a Jan. 21 letter to Eduardo Albor, the president of park operator The Dolphin Company, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed "profound frustration" over the Seaquarium's "multiple and repeated" instances of animal welfare violations found by the USDA.
The Seaquarium later released a statement that said its animal care staff has been collaborating with the USDA to address concerns about the care of four complex animal cases.
"Miami Seaquarium is in compliance with federal Animal Welfare Act regulations. It's important to clarify that, there was no confiscation, and MSQ’s professional staff continues to care for its animals with the same passion, knowledge and dedication they do every day," the release stated. "Despite maintaining open and direct communication with Miami Dade County, MSQ was never asked by our landlord to confirm such information."
Miami Seaquarium also noted that constant improvements have been made to its animal care programs since The Dolphin Company assumed the operations.
"The USDA complimented the steps Miami Seaquarium and its dedicated team of animal professionals has taken in that regard," the release stated.
It also mentioned that Miami Seaquarium remains open and operating under the lease agreement executed by Miami-Dade County.
"We reiterate our disappointment with how Miami Dade County has misused the information they claimed they had received from the USDA regarding animal health issues at MSQ. The Mayor and her staff have never reached out to MSQ to confirm the accuracy of this information before making it public," the statement continued. "They could have contacted us at any time with any questions or concerns, or even sent an independent Veterinarian to confirm the claims, but this was not the case."
The Seaquarium suffered two major animal losses in 2023, including the death of beloved killer whale Lolita in August and the death of dolphin Sundance in December.
