“so long and thanks for all the fish!” – Last Chance to See the Dolphins at Walt Disney World. As of October 20th, 2024, SeaBase in World Nature at Epcot will never be the same. Disney is removing the Dolphins and relocating them to the panhandle of Florida for the health and well-being of the mammals. No more dolphins will be displayed at The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
Disney’s Dolphins in Depth will close permanently, and DiveQuest will take a hiatus, returning in the spring of 2025 as a different experience. “Beginning October 20, 2024, EPCOT Seas Adventures – Dolphins in Depth will be closed.” and “Beginning October 20, 2024, EPCOT Seas Adventures – DiveQuest will be temporarily unavailable and is scheduled to return in spring 2025.”
I swear if there isn’t a note written on the glass that says “so long and thanks for all the fish!” I will personally go to SeaBase the day the dolphins are moved and hold up a sign! It is the least we can do to celebrate the decades of entertainment those dolphins have given us. As we all know Dolphins are the second most intelligent species on the planet Earth, only surpassed by mice, although many outside observers don’t know about the mice.
Speaking of the intelligence of dolphins… they are also jerks! They knew I was trying my hardest to take a few pictures of them and they refused to pose. In fact, every time I took a snapshot they would speed up. They like to look longer and blurry than they are. Unless I am wrong and dolphins do look like long blurs. Then there was the one who would swim as close to the glass and not let me get a good picture of his face.
Related: New Cuteness Overload as 1700 Pound Ocean Potato named “Inigo” Joins “Lil Joe” at SeaBase in Epcot
In a letter to Disney Cast Members: “As we look to the future of The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot, we are making some changes that require careful thought, prioritizing the wellbeing of these sensitive marine mammals,” the memo reads, later adding: “We are planning to permanently relocate three dolphins in late October to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Florida which is accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums and the International Marine Animals Trainer’s Association. The facility is led by a marine mammal expert who cared for the dolphins for years at The Seas.”
The decision “came after a comprehensive evaluation as to what is best for these dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas,” and the information was determined with “extraordinary care from our team” to ensure that “these three male dolphins have thrived and led long lives and we will continue to be a resource while they receive the best possible care after they are moved.”
