Is a reckoning finally arriving for Miami’s troubled Seaquarium?

The captive orca Tokitae, who performed as Lolita, was due to be released into 'home waters' after 50 years at Miami Seaquarium but died before the transfer could take place. Photograph: Storms Media Group/Alamy

For decades, Miami Seaquarium was a jewel in Florida’s well-polished crown of popular tourist attractions, known to millions worldwide as the home of the beloved aquatic television superstar Flipper the dolphin.

But these are tough times for the once-exalted aquarium, mired in a battle for its survival against the weight of animal rights activists, federal inspectors, financial troubles and now the Miami-Dade commission, which says it is behind with the rent and has begun eviction proceedings.