One Dolphin’s Story: Bimini

Quick Facts

Born: July 22, 1999 at Miami Seaquarium, Florida, USA
Died: September 16, 2025 at Miami Seaquarium, Florida, USA (necropsy pending)

Bimini’s entire life was encapsulated at Miami Seaquarium. From the moment she was born until her passing, her destiny was to entertain within the concrete confines of a man-made facility.

Bimini was born to Nosey, a mother who was captured from the wild off of Florida’s coast on November 2, 1971 and after spending 38 years entertaining crowds at Miami Seaquarium, died on January 6, 2009 of squamous-cell carcinoma. Her father, J.J. was born at the facility on September 4, 1976 to mother Melissa (captured from the wild in Florida on December 14, 1972 and who died at the facility on February 2, 2002) and father Flippy (also captured off of Florida’s coast in 1960 and who died at the facility on December 30, 1979.)

According to Miami Seaquarium, at a young age Bimini acquired tracheal stenosis, a chronic condition involving narrowing of the trachea, which put her at increased risk for acute respiratory issues. In 2006 it was noted that she exhibited clinical respiratory difficulties. In 2021, Bimini was diagnosed with rib fractures and pneumonia. Subsequent CT scans confirmed she had pronounced tracheal stenosis, explaining her respiratory challenges.

While her respiratory issues could have been attributed to several causes, her rib fractures point to a disturbing history at Miami Seaquarium – one which has been well-documented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in several inspections, which ultimately contributed to the closure of the facility earlier this year.

In a USDA Inspection Report dated July 17, 2023, numerous concerning issues were discovered, including:

“On February 27, 2023, a CT scan conducted on “Bimini”, revealed the 23 -year-old female dolphin, housed at Dolphin Harbor, had multiple bilateral rib fractures in various stages of healing. These injuries were incidental findings and determined to likely be caused by conspecific aggression.”  ~ Source: USDA Inspection Report of MS Leisure Company Inc. July 17, 2023 (c/o Local 10.com News)

In a follow-up USDA report dated October 2023 Bimini is again mentioned:

“On the morning of 10/14/23, one dolphin ‘Bimini’ in Dolphin Harbor presented to trainers with a broken bolt in her mouth…” ~ Source: Miami New Times (quoting USDA Inspection Report dated October 2023

And finally, in yet another USDA Inspection Report dated January 2024, it was found that:

“…Bimini’s medical history required “specialized diagnostic procedures for adequate veterinary care” that the facility could not provide.” And, “Bimini also experienced serious breathing problems that the facility was ill-equipped to handle due to a lack of proper equipment and trained staff.”” ~ Source: Miami New Times (quoting USDA Inspection Report dated January 2024.)

Despite the looming closure of Miami Seaquarium (the facility closed its doors on October 13, 2025) and the subsequent relocation of the remaining animals, tragically it was too late for Bimini.

In a statement published by PR Newswire, the facility announced that on September 14, Bimini suddenly and unexpectedly lost her appetite, while exhibiting visible signs of discomfort and shortness of breath. Forty-eight hours later, despite first aid being administered, Bimini was dead at the age of 26 years old.

Her name, Bimini, likely referred to the turquoise waters and pristine beaches of the Bahamas, located a mere 50 miles off the coast of Florida. Yet her life was anything but tranquil. In contrast, Bimini’s existence reflected a pattern of suffering common amongst captive dolphins. She deserved better.

READ MORE about Miami Seaquarium’s closure.

Sources used in this blog:

Ceta-Base
PR Newswire
USDA Inspection Report of MS Leisure Company Inc. July 17, 2023 (c/o Local 10.com News)
Miami New Times (quoting USDA Inspection Reports dated October 2023 and January 2024)

Featured image: Miami Seaquarium dolphins, Miami, Florida. Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Pietro