Marineland is saved from the clutches of greedy corporations, former State Senator TRAVIS JAMES HUTSON's family "development" corporation. Three cheers for the Rule of Law, for the dolphins and other sea creatures, for the Marineland employed, and for the new owners and for the learned United States Bankruptcy Laurie Silber Silverstein of Wilmington, Delaware:
Prior stories here:
https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2025/11/clay-county-couple-makes-last-minute.html
https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-marine-park-in-canada-warns-that-it.html
https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2025/10/debtor-leisure-investments-holdings-llc.html
From St. Johns Citizen and First Cost News (Selim Algar and Jessica Clark)
Marineland Miracle: Judge Signs Off On $7.1 Deal To Preserve Aquatic Park
- By Selim Algar
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Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the nearly century-old marine park south of St. Augustine, has won an unlikely reprieve.
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved its sale to a Florida-based preservation groupthat plans to keep the landmark oceanfront attraction operating as a marine park rather than see it redeveloped.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Wednesday authorized the sale of Marineland’s assets to Apex LLC, a consortium led by Jon and Barbara Rubel of Green Cove Springs.
The transaction, valued at about $7.1 million, includes $6.5 million in cash and roughly $635,000 in cost savings through the assumption of contracts and retention of staff.
The sale concludes months of uncertainty following the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Leisure Investments Holdings LLC, the Mexico-based parent company that cited financial strain across its marine attractions.
Marineland’s 20-acre property, located at 9600 N. Oceanshore Boulevard, was one of several holdings put on the market.
Initially, Texas developer Craig Cavileer appeared poised to take control after his firm, Delightful Development, won the first auction in October with a $7.1 million cash offer.
But the Rubels’ group—working with marine-mammal advocate Jack Kassewitz and former Marineland manager Felicia Cook—challenged the process, claiming their bid to continue operations had been unfairly excluded.
After reviewing the dispute, Judge Laurie Silverstein reopened the auction earlier this week, allowing the Apex bid to move forward.
She later approved the sale, citing the proposal’s good faith, preservation of jobs, and commitment to maintain the facility as an active marine attraction.
Under the agreement, Marineland’s dolphins will remain on-site except for three — Sandy, Soleil, and Capri — who will be relocated to Theater of the Sea, a family-owned marine park in Islamorada that purchased them for $500,000.
Founded in 1938 as “the world’s first oceanarium,” Marineland has long been a fixture of Florida’s coastal identity, blending tourism, education, and marine research.
The park’s survival under new ownership marks a rare instance of preservation in a market where coveted waterfront properties often face redevelopment.
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Former Marineland manager 'elated' to return now that park is saved from development
MARINELAND, Fla. — Marineland will stay Marineland.
On Wednesday, a judge approved the sale of the dolphin park in Flagler County to a group that will keep it a marine life facility.
Just two weeks ago, in the bankruptcy auction involving the park's parent company, it looked like the 6-acre Marineland Dolphin Adventure property was going to the highest bidder, a real estate developer.
Fast forward to Wednesday morning, and the judge okayed the bid from a group of dolphin professionals who have generous benefactors.
"We are elated at the judge’s decision," Felicia Cook beamed.
'It brought tears to everybody," Jack Kassewitz said. "We did it!!"
Cook and Kassewitz are part of the team that is now set to buy Marineland. They spoke to First Coast News Wednesday afternoon.
Kassewitz is a dolphin researcher, and Cook is the former general manager of Marineland.
After realizing Marineland’s parent company, The Dolphin Company, was in deep financial trouble last year, Cook chose to leave her job this past January.
Cook told First Coast News Wednesday afternoon, "The day I walked away was almost unbearable. It was so hard."
She said she left her team at the park with a message. "I told them I was going to do everything I could to save Marineland. I couldn’t do what I did if I were an employee there. It would have been immoral and unethical. So I had to leave to do that."
Months later, The Dolphin Company filed for bankruptcy, impacting Marineland and its many other dolphin parks around the world.
Cook and Kassewitz teamed up, and she found their benefactors, Jon and Barbara Rubel of Florida, who put up the $7.135 million bid ($6.5 million in cash and $635,000 in a non-cash contribution). Together, the group called themselves Apex.
Wednesday, the judge approved the sale to the Apex group.
"We are looking forward to doing things better, making things better, bringing in new things, bringing in old things." Cook said. "We'd really like to get deeper into, into research, deeper into education and how that's available to our schools, to our community."
Cook and Kassewitz also credit the community for its support. They say dozens of students wrote letters to the judge. Private individuals also donated money toward the legal fees. One person even wrote a song.
"The community doesn’t understand what an unbelievably magnificent thing they’ve done for the oceans," Kassewitz said, "because we have sharks there. We have rays there. We have other animals there."
When asked about the park's viability, Cook said, "It will be financially viable. What people are confused about is, they think that Marineland is in bankruptcy, and Marineland is not. The Dolphin Company was in bankruptcy or is in bankruptcy. Marineland is just an asset of theirs that got tangled into it."
Once the sale is final, Cook will be the general manager at Marineland again. She smiled, thinking about the opportunity to get back with her team there ... who she said are both humans and animals.
"It’s a miracle place. It really is a miracle," she nodded.
The sale closes during the winter season, on Dec. 5, which is the slowest time for Marineland. Cook and Kassewitz are now looking for big and modest donors to help them get through the rough season.
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