MARINELAND, Fla — A saga in the Florida panhandle involving a dolphin park has splashed onto the First Coast.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure is now home to dolphins from the defunct park called Gulf World in Panama City Beach.

“They used to call me the crazy dolphin lady because I’ve been a huge advocate of them for years,” Tory Meisel laughed. She’s a big fan of Marineland Dolphin Adventure, proudly wearing the hat and shirt to prove it.

“I used to volunteer here when it was owned by Georgia Aquarium,” Meisel said.  She knew, and still knows, some of the dolphins by name. 

On Wednesday, Tory visited the park for the first time in a while, unaware that just the day before, four dolphins had been brought over in an unexpected bread semi-truck from Gulf World dolphin park in Panama City Beach.

“No, I did not. I did not see any of the new ones,” she said.

Over the past year, Gulf World has seen the deaths of five dolphins. Its owner is The Dolphin Company, a business based in Mexico, which also owns Marineland Dolphin Adventure.

The Dolphin Company filed for bankruptcy this year. According to State Attorney Larry Basford in the panhandle, part of the bankruptcy process is to do dispose of assets, and the dolphins at Gulf World were considered assets.

He says 11 dolphins from Gulf World were sent to three parks in Florida, including the four that arrived at Marineland Tuesday.

He said The Dolphin Company did not have the money to maintain Gulf World and conduct the repairs it needed. 

State Attorney Basford believes the dolphins are better off at the other parks such as Marineland. 

He noted The Dolphin Company no longer manages Marineland because of the bankruptcy process. 

According to a new release, The Dolphin Company announced that the company’s leader, Mr. Eduardo Albor, was relieved of his duties as executive and officer. Also, representatives from two different entities — Riveron Management Services and Odinbrook Global Advisors — have “jointly overseen” The Dolphin Company’s management since the end of March 2025. 

Basford told First Coast News the other dolphins arrived safely at the three other parks in Florida and “were interacting with some of the trainers who traveled with them.”

First Coast News called, emailed, and visited Marineland for comment Wednesday. We  have not received a response to our questions.

As for Meisel, she says the dolphins she did see Wednesday, “looked great. They looked plump, they were healthy, active, seemed to be having a really good time.”