Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomes dolphins from Gulf World amid investigation into 5 dolphin deaths

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Four dolphins from a panhandle aquarium that’s under investigation after five dolphins died in over a six-month span, arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Tuesday.

What we know:

The four female rough-toothed dolphins are named Doris, Kitana, Dagny and Wren and are estimated to be 28, 18, 10 and 5 years of age.

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According to CMA, the facility’s veterinary and animal care teams will observe and evaluate the dolphins as they adjust to their new environment.

Courtesy: Clearwater Marine Aquarium

What's next:

Once they acclimate, CMA says the four dolphins will be introduced to the other rough-toothed and bottlenose dolphins who call the facility home.

CMA, which gained international fame for caring for Winter, a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, is currently the only aquarium in the United States that cares for rough-toothed dolphins. The addition of these dolphins will bring CMA’s total dolphin population to nine.

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The four rough-toothed dolphins from Gulf World have been deemed non-releasable by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and are not able to be released back into the wild.

Courtesy: Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Gulf World Marine Park criminal investigation

The backstory:

Attorney General James Uthmeier said that his office had opened criminal investigations into Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, and its apparent parent company, Mexico-based The Dolphin Company after five dolphins died at the facility since October. The FWC and the USDA, which oversees marine care, animal movements, and facility inspections, are also investigating.

Concerns have been raised in recent weeks and months following the reported deaths of five dolphins and concerning inspections noting algae-filled swimming pools and tanks, and low staffing to maintain the facility.

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.

Dolphin died during public show

On March 1, a dolphin named "Jett" died after performing a trick during a public show. He was found on the bottom of the pool with blunt force trauma to his rostrum and skull, according to the March 4, 2025, inspection report.

What they're saying:

"When he came down into the water, he went to the bottom of the pool and did not resurface. Due to excessive algae growth, the trainers could not visualize what occurred and, according to conversations with the staff, they believed he was hanging out on the bottom of the pool, because he did not receive a bridge reinforcer," the report states.

"The trainers did not suspect anything was wrong, until he did not resurface in a timely manner. The trainers then separated the remaining dolphins, cleared the stadium and entered the pool to find him on the bottom. When he was pulled to the surface, there was evidence of trauma to his rostrum, and it was clarified by the veterinarian that he was deceased. Preliminary necropsy results confirmed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to his rostrum and skull."

A vet theorized that when the dolphin re-entered the water during the show, he hit a shallow shelf, damaging his rostrum and skull.

"Due to the lack of clarity in the water and the inability for the trainers to see what happened, all reaction time was significantly delayed," the inspection stated.

Report: 3 dolphins died in a week

Dig deeper:

USA Today, citing Marine Mammal Inventory Reports, noted that the three dolphins who died in October 2024 were euthanized due to "an unspecified life-threatening condition, a bacterial lung disease and a systemic infection."

Staff reportedly blamed construction near a pool where the dolphins were living for the deaths.

Surviving dolphins get transferred

The eleven surviving dolphins at Gulf World were cleared by NOAA to be transferred to other facilities.

Seven were given the go-ahead to be transferred to Marineland in St. Augustine and four were sent to Clearwater.

Courtesy: Clearwater Marine Aquarium

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

What we don't know:

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.

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and previous FOX 35 news articles.

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