Drone footage exposing conditions at marine park leads to police raid

Drone footage of animal conditions at a Florida marine park has led to a raid by local law enforcement and wildlife officials.

Footage showing dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park confined to small, murky pools, sparked outrage after being released by activists last month.

The park has seen four dolphins die since October 2024, most recently with one crashing headfirst into a shallow area of the pool during a public performance in March.

Gulf World was served a search warrant last Thursday (27 March) after refusing access for wellness checks the week prior.

Phil Demers of Urgent Seas, the direct action non-profit who released the footage, said: “The conditions at Gulf World are among the worst we’ve ever observed”.