Small business owners say they’ve been stiffed by Miami Seaquarium

MIAMI – As the Miami Seaquarium faces mounting troubles over animal health and structural safety, a South Florida attorney says the oceanarium isn’t paying its bills to small business owners who have done work at its site on Virginia Key.

Coral Gables-based attorney Domingo Rodriguez said he’s been contacted by a number of Seaquarium vendors who have the same story: They haven’t gotten money they’re owed.

“As far as I am aware they haven’t received any payment on any of their bills since October of last year,” Rodriguez said. “They (the Seaquarium) don’t return phone calls, text messages, emails, zero communication, so they came to me.”

Collectively, Rodriguez said vendors he’s spoken to are owed a collective sum in excess of $150,000.

“That is a lot of money for a small business,” he said. “They all have employees, they all have rent and bills that they have to pay and this could be devastating.”

Local 10 News spoke to a range of vendors, from welding and engineering to pest control and water filtration, who also said the Seaquarium owed them money — in some cases, in the thousands of dollars.

The park also owes Miami-Dade County tens of thousands in unpaid rent, dating back to October. It’s issued the Seaquarium two notices of default.

“I wish there is something the county could do to pressure them to pay off their vendors,” Rodriguez said. “I am not sure how much the county has an interest in that, as opposed to them being paid.”

In March 2022, the county “celebrated” U.S. Department of Agriculture approval of a Miami Seaquarium lease transfer from Palace Entertainment Holdings to MS Leisure Company, the operating subsidiary of the Dolphin Company.

Since then, the USDA has issued a series of violations, warnings, and findings that document facility failures and animals hurt or in distress.

Just last week, the county asked the USDA if its staff can accompany federal inspectors on any upcoming inspections and “participate in all corresponding exit/summary interviews with Seaquarium staff.”

On its website, the Dolphin Company showcases its venues, which the park operator says span eight countries and two continents.

“This is not a small company,” Rodriguez said.

That’s why he said he finds it curious that some small businesses in South Florida are struggling to get paid.

“I find it surprising that small, local companies would be the victim and have to pay the price for them defaulting on their obligations,” Rodriguez said. “I am hopeful that we can work something out.”

Rodriguez said in the “worst-case scenario,” the businesses may have to resort to litigation.

One vendor told Local 10 News that the Miami Seaquarium finally paid them over the weekend.

Another business owner, who said the Seaquarium owes $7,000 for work performed last summer, said Monday that they plan to take legal action.

In the meantime, like many of the business owners, Local 10 News has not heard back from the Miami Seaquarium after seeking comment.