As Miami-Dade County tries to evict Miami Seaquarium after a slew of animal safety violations, another animal has died at the embattled marine park on Virginia Key.
The county announced on Wednesday that a “22-year-old chronically ill” dolphin died at the facility on Tuesday. A Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces spokesperson said the dolphin will be sent to the University of Florida.
Valerie Greene, a former SeaWorld trainer and animal rights advocate, tells New Times that the deceased is actually a 26-year-old dolphin named Bimini, who routinely suffered from breathing problems and broken ribs before her death. Greene says that Bimini was diagnosed with mucormycosis, a fungal infection in the lungs caused by airborne dust particles, when she was around 6 years old. Bimini’s former trainers told Greene that though Bimini recovered from the infection, she suffered from longstanding respiratory issues as a result…