Dolphin Discovery, a privately held, for profit company known for its swim-with-dolphins programs at nearly two dozen venues in the Caribbean, south Florida, Jamaica and Mexico, is buying Marineland Dolphin Adventure, according to Amy Lukasik, acting director of the county’s tourism division.
Gary Inks, former general manager of the attraction, informed Lukasik of the pending sale in an email announcing his resignation from the Tourist Development Council, the county’s advisory board for the tourism bureau.
“They will have their own General Manager in place by May 1, 2019,” Inks wrote in late April. Lukasik has been the acting director of the county’s tourism division since the suspension of Director Matt Dun, who is under investigation.
The sale has not yet been recorded through county property tax records. It would be the second time in eight years that the tourist attraction changes hands. Atlanta Aquarium in 2011 paid developer Jim Jacoby $5.7 million for what was then known as the Dolphin Conservation Center (when the attraction was drawing about 70,000 people a year), 10 years after Jacoby himself had bought the property for $1.9 million from Marineland Foundation Inc.
The sale would have wide-reaching consequences beyond tourism. Since the Georgia Aquarium is a non-profit, the Marineland Dolphin Adventure property has been off the tax rolls, its entire assessed value of $5 million exempt from county, Marineland and other property taxes. That exemption would appear to be on its way out. The property’s acquisition by a for-profit company would result in an infusion of property tax revenue for the city of Marineland, the county, the school board and a few smaller entities, of a combined $128,000 a year at 2018 assessments.
For Marineland alone, it would mean tax revenue of $50,000. Marineland has the highest property tax in the county, at $10 per $1,000 of taxable value. It has one property taxpayer: Jacoby, who still owns significant acreage around town. County government’s share would be $41,000. The school board would reap most of the rest.
Dolphin Discovery officials have been elusive, however, so far not returning calls or contacts from reporters or even from Lukasik. “I’ve reached out to them, they haven’t returned my emails so I’m not taking it personally right now, it’s probably because the sale is not final,” Lukasik said. The tourism council has a designated seat for a tourism representative from Marineland. The seat is ready for the next general manager of the attraction, if he or she is willing (and if that person is a resident of Flagler County).
“I’m just interested to hear what sort of changes they have in mind, programs, hopefully some new animals,” Lukasik said. “When I did my looking around it looks like they have a lot more diverse animals. Hopefully we’ll see some of those and more reasons to visit Marineland. And what they do, it’s nothing new to them, they’re not starting from scratch.” Dolphin Discovery is a 24-year-old company.
Last year six Dolphin Discovery facilities in the Mexican Caribbean earned certification through the global American Humane Conservation program for the welfare and humane treatment of the animals under their care. The facilities passed third-party audits to earn the Humane Certified seal of approval. A company release said Dolphin Discovery joined “an elite group of less than four dozen institutions worldwide to achieve certification under the American Humane Conservation program.”
Exactly a year ago, in its latest push for visibility and relevance in an increasingly crowded tourism-attraction landscape (the original Marineland attraction predates Disney by decades), Marineland Dolphin Adventure re-dedicated its iconic arches, once the landmark of many a child’s memories, offered discounts to local residents and hosted a series of special events, concerts and movies.
A Dolphin Discovery Video:
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
It’s sickening that keeping dolphins in captivity and forcing them to work is considered an acceptable way to attract tourists to Flagler County. I don’t care who owns that place, it’s not right to enslave animals who should be in their natural habitats. Lukasik is hoping for some “new animals”? She speaks as though they are commodities to be bought and sold. Get with the times! It’s an outdated concept, no matter how many certificates are issued to say it’s “humane.”
Nick says
Hope the next go-round the dolphins put us in a tank and charge admission…. will be good for dolphin tax revenue
Regulator says
Lighten up. This is the closet many people will get to seeing these animals up close. You sound like the type of person who will not be happy unless everything goes your way.
KJ says
I agree with Keep Flagler Beautiful. Dolphins and other animals should be enjoyed in their native setting and the idea of capturing or breeding animals for human entertainment is wrong and indeed long outdated. I believe most people are simply uneducated to the reality of these unnatural exhibits and knew the adverse impacts this ritual has on the animal the vast majority would not support such a sad experience. Parents, please teach your children that animals deserve the right to live in their own environment and not be held captive for the short term amusement of humans. Instead of patronizing these establishments, take an eco-tour on the Matanzas and see wildlife in their natural setting.
Make a donation to your local land trust or The Nature Conservancy or World Wildlife Fund and protect the natural world for wildlife.
Concerned Citizen says
That 128K will be wasted by our county leadership somehow. I can see them already figuring out how to spend it..
I Can See It says
Great for the local tax rolls, great for tourism, can’t wait to take the kids for a visit!
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
Regulator: You go live in a space for the rest of your life that’s the equivalent of the size of a bathtub, then we’ll talk about who needs to “lighten up.”
Nick says
Regulator- I wanted to say some smartass shit to you about the type of person YOU sound like but instead just want to ask you two questions—
How would you feel if YOU had to live in a cage?
Do you think dolphins are capable of understanding that they are in a cage and not the wild?
I understand you probably think animals are here for our enjoyment and they don’t really matter, but why do you think that and have you ever stopped to examine it?
Some dolphins migrate thousands of miles a year and have complex, changing, long term social relationships. It is not exaggeration to say that living in a tank is a lot like dolphin jail.
It breaks my heart that on so many of the stories on this website people in the comments display a total lack of empathy. Whether it’s homeless people, minorities, women or drug addicts the attitude is that ‘I’ve got mine and f* them.’ We are all tied together and when you hold hate against other people or creatures it only poisons your own self.
Call me a stupid hippy and get on with your day
David Redman says
Releasing the dolphins (porpoises) is a sure way for them to die.
Bitch some more says
Just amazes me that people always find something to complain about good or bad …if you don’t like it don’t go easy as that but let the people and children who do enjoy to be educated by having these amazing animals up close and personal the option to ..these animals are treated better than most house pets
Citizen says
Apparently some of these people making comments dont like zoo’s! This facility has rescued so many animals that would have died. The dolphins are born and raised in captivity and would die if released. The research they do have a tremendous impact on the future the dolphin population. I dont work there, but i have been there. I encourage people to go and learn more about what they do.
Dave says
Keeping these animals in captivity is barbaric at the least, if you would like to enjoy these animals go to the intracoastal coastal, you will see them jumping and playing, why do us humans always feel the need to touch nature and try to control everything.
Agkistrodon says
Having Spent many years at Woods Hole, there are times when animals are injured, and need to be rehabilitated. Most times these animals can be released into the wild. Other times they cannot. That is the exact time and reason for places like this. Also promotes research, that we might not otherwise be able to achieve. If Not for places such as these, perhaps some of those people so ardently against them could rehabilitate these animals in their bath tubs…………….But you better gain some education in Marine Sciences/Oceanography First.
Nick says
Guess I shouldn’t be surprised you guys didn’t read the article…. Dolphin Discovery is a for profit business and half of their dolphins were bred in captivity. I’m all for a bit of rehab/research.
Willy Boy says
Free the animals, and return everyone to their native land.
Doug says
Regulator says:
May 23, 2019 at 4:47 pm
Lighten up. This is the closet many people will get to seeing these animals up close. You sound like the type of person who will not be happy unless everything goes your way.
YOU NAILED IT!!!
As I always have said, if you don’t like it, don’t go.
Concerned Citizen says
Why can’t people have different opinions?
If you don’t like opinions different from yours then you you don’t have to be here either.
Mary Fusco says
Marineland is boring and very expensive. The whole exhibit can be seen in ten minutes unless, of course, you are forking over hundreds of dollars to swim with a dolphin. Nothing left to do but hit the overpriced gift shop or eat. I’ve taken my grandchildren several times.
lw says
This entire thread makes me sad. Be kind to the animals and to each other. No one deserves to be put in “jail” for your entertainment or to reproduce. I have often wondered if the dolphins can hear any of their pods in the ocean being right there in the tank by the ocean. Think about that. Does that feel right?
Gina Weiss says
The documentary is called “THE COVE” produced by Ric O’Barry who trained Flipper, I believe at Marineland, then read up on how Flipper died which is why Ric O’Barry became an advocate for dolphins and travels with his crew to Taiji, Japan every year . Sea Shepherds Captain Paul Watson also sends his crew to document the torture of these captive dolphins and what they go through all for profit. The abusement parks sends their trainers to pick the cutest dolphins out of the bloody cove because the pod that is caught in the nets will not leave their family members they would rather die-bludgeoned, suffocated or the fisherman stick a metal rod into their blowhole. A dolphin sells for around 200,000 dollars for these abusement parks to buy so figure if the Taiji government gives the okay for over a thousand dolphins to be caught what does that come to? Yes it’s all money driven from the abusement parks down to the greed of the Japanese government. Caroline Kennedy who once was the ambassador to Japan when Obama was President spoke out about this cruelty and inhumane blood fest but was later silenced. Some of these Sea Parks do rehab these mammals who get hurt in the oceans but most use the term “Rehab and Science” under a guise so that they get government funding. And there are dolphins who were captive and born in captivity that were released very successfully into the ocean, it is a long process, they are put into holding pens and must be taught to eat live fish again because in these abusement parks they are given dead ones, which in itself is another abuse of these mammals because at first they do not want to eat dead fish so the dead fish is forced down into their throats. These captive dolphins are kept inside holding pens and taught by these trainers to do tricks, some don’t so they are left to die in the holding pen. So then, everyone must make a personal decision knowing all of this as to whether to support this cruelty or to say NO TO ABUSEMENT PARKS! Look what happened to Ringling Brothers Circus. Only difference being this is a water circus for profit. Many of our young people today do not support this, The Times They Are a-changin Bob Dylan.
Gina Weiss says
There are currently at least 2360 cetaceans in captivity worldwide. the industry is a BIG BUSINESS and is driven by the attraction for tourist to see these amazing creatures up close. Life in a marine park is unsuitable, no captive facility can provide the social, intellectual and wide ranging needs of these animals. MISCONCEPTION: marine parks conduct useful “research” into cetaceans. REALITY: Marine scientist Dr. Naomi Rose “About the only thing we have learned from research of captive cetaceans is that they shouldn’t be in captivity”
MISCONCEPTION: Animals bred in captivity do not suffer as they do not know any different. REALITY: All animals suffer when physical and mental needs are not met. Wild animals in captivity are still “wild” and have the same instincts and desires as those living in their natural environment. MISCONCEPTION: Cetaceans removed from captivity wouldn’t survive in the wild. REALITY: Many cetaceans unfortunately have been kept captive too long and may not be able to be FULLY released but they can live out the rest of their years stress free to be relocated to sea pens to enjoy access to more space than in a land based tank. More than 100 have been successfully rehabilitated this way. Marine parks play the “research” card every time there is a question about why we keep dolphins in captivity. Jacques Cousteau and his son vowed never to capture marine animals again after witnessing one captured dolphin commit suicide by deliberately crashing into the side of a tank to shatter his skull. Go to the Change For Animals.org website they are partnered with the World Cetacean Alliance for more information.
Concerned Citizen says
We as humans are responsible for these poor animals being held against their will.
If you really want to make a difference it starts with us. Stop going to these attractions and cut off the cash flow. Once the cash flow stops it kills of the tourist angle.
When you visit one of these parks you’re part of the reason that animal is there. Instead of being out in the ocean where they belong.
How would you like it if you were out and about one day. And someone captured you all of a sudden. Then put you in a cage. And let people gawk at you all day?
Gina Weiss says
Exactly right, the dolphins are actually stolen from the ocean, we do not own the oceans, very sad for future generations. Captain Paul Watson, “If the oceans die we die”, he has a documentary coming up on Netflix , March 24th called Seaspiracy