Fort Lauderdale's Ocean World: Popular aquarium until ...

 

Dolphin feeding circa 1965
Florida State Archives/Florida Memory

By Jane Feehan

Ocean World opened in July 1965 with significant publicity.

The only aquarium in Fort Lauderdale, the attraction was marketed to tourists, residents and conventioneers. It occupied six acres on the north side of the 17th Street Causeway (once next to Tony’s Fish Market).

The center piece of the entertainment venue was a three-story, 90-ft circular tank, “Davy Jones Locker.” Its 17 feet of water was home to porpoises, sea lions and sea turtles. Wall aquariums held an assortment of fish; sharks swam in a moat surrounding the tank. Daily shows featured porpoises and sea lions performing tricks for a gallery that could seat up to 800, many of whom were encouraged to feed dolphins and other fish at designated times and places around the tank.

The man behind the operation was Charles “Charlie” Beckwith, a New York transplant who moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1963. He claimed he was an “idea man” at one newspaper interview. Before moving to Florida, he owned several flower shops under the name Idlewild Airport Florist at Idlewild Airport—later named John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was successful in acquiring a tax-free status for those shops, a relatively new concept at the time for U.S. airports.

Beckwith was also successful with Ocean World Inc. where he served as president and chair of the board. His brainchild, the marine park, often captured headlines for answering calls to rescue injured sea turtles, dolphins and sharks on local beaches. Some divers brought injured sea animals found in local waters to the aquarium. Most animals that survived injuries remained at the aquarium; a few performed. Its pantheon of live sea characters included Pegleg Pete, an old sea turtle missing a fin, Ginny, a porpoise, and Dimples the Dolphin (a porpoise). According to the park, Dimples was the only dolphin in the world who could perform a triple forward somersault in mid-air. Ocean World expanded its collection of wildlife to appeal to schools for their educational programs. They brought in parrots and an assortment of other birds. The park’s population grew to about 200 animals, including otters, an alligator and a monkey named Gilligan.

Dolphin at Ocean World Circa 1965
Florida State Archives/ Florida Memory,
Postcard collection

In 1984, Beckwith sold Ocean World. Education Management Corporation, who also owned the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute, acquired Ocean World. They operated the marine park until it closed August 31, 1994. According to news accounts, EMC claimed declining attendance, revenue loss of $1.1 million in 1992 and insufficient space for expansion drove the decision. Not a destination attraction, Ocean World's demise did not affect the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Its run of 29 years was a good one but not without controversy.

Ocean World filed a suit in 1975 against nearby Everglades Marina, Inc. and its insurance company for a fire that produced smoke they claimed killed Dimples. In 1976, the Fort Lauderdale News reported four parrots were stolen

Animal activism gained advocates during the 1990s. In 1992, it was reported that the USDA closed the park for nearly two weeks in June, accusing Ocean World of animal abuse. A dolphin had died after being dropped accidently by staff, breaking its tail. The park paid a $20,000 fine. During that decade, two attendees sued,  claiming a dolphin had bitten them during feeding. One claimant was awarded $20,000.

Alligator wrestling, circa 1965
Florida State Archives/Florida Memory
Postcard collection

Beckwith and wife Lois moved to the US Virgin Islands after selling Ocean World. They returned stateside to live in Palm Coast, Florida. He died in 2016. And the animals? At closing, EMC offered many to other marine parks; an accounting of their subsequent residences and fate are unknown to this writer.

During the past few years, there had been talk (silence now) about launching a marine park or exhibit near or in the Galleria. The push to develop every square inch of land in this city for expensive housing and Galleria re-development plans may have thrown water on that idea. Can’t say another park of confined animals will excite as many as Ocean World once did. We’re in a new paradigm of animal welfare for which I, for one, am grateful.

  Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, May 29, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, Sept. 12, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, Oct. 15, 1966

Fort Lauderdale News, Nov. 6, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, March 19, 1972

Fort Lauderdale News, May 14, 1972

Fort Lauderdale News, Dec. 29, 1972

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 10, 1994

Orlando Sentinel, July 5, 1994

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/news-journalonline/name/charles-beckwith-obituary?id=15053748

Tags: Fort Lauderdale attraction, Fort Lauderdale marine park, Fort Lauderdale aquarium, performing dolphins, Ocean World, Charlie Beckwith, Fort Lauderdale history, Broward County History

Pirate's World in Dania Beach: rides, big-name concerts and ... troubles

Pirate's World entrance 1967
 State of Florida Archives/Florida Memory,
Dept. of Commerce Collection

By Jane Feehan 

Pirate’s World opened to great fanfare April 8, 1967 in Dania Beach, Florida. Recreation Corporation of America had big plans for the “Disneyland-like” park located on 87 acres between A1A and U.S. 1 off Sheridan Street.

RCA built about 15 park rides and installed the vintage (1897) wooden Steeple Chase from Coney Island and the Crow’s Nest Tower from the New York World’s Fair. Kids looked forward to the Banyan Tree Slide and the swaying suspension bridge with an aerial view of the park. Family fun and all the rides came with the price of one ticket: $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12.

High school and college students comprised most of the park’s workforce; there were long lines at the employment office in its early days. Young people worked as pirates, ushers, guides at a shooting gallery and servers at the alcohol-free tavern. No doubt C.T. Robertson, president of RCA, and architect/designer Bob Mimick knew how to promote the park. With high school bands, dancing girls, a yearly Miss Pirate’s World and a Rock Music World Championship, there was no place to go but up for the popular spot. One year, children arriving on a Freedom Flight from Cuba were provided a day of fun, courtesy of a radio station; all this was the stuff of good public relations.

Crow's Nest 
 State Archives of Florida

Named for the “devil-may-care days” when pirates like Gaspar, Jean Lafitte and Black Caesar cruised in and out of Florida’s harbors and coves, Pirate’s World proved to be more than family fun by the time it closed its doors in 1973. 

Trouble probably started with the rock concerts. Rockers Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and David Bowie were among those who performed there. Concert goers numbered in the thousands. In 1971, hundreds of kids crashed the Grand Funk Railroad concert without paying. Cops were called. The city of Dania Beach asked (demanded?) money for crowd control, $5 - $25 per hour per officer. Reportedly, the chief was to get the higher amount … until Hollywood’s Sun-Tatler got wind of the arrangement and published a story. The demand for crowd control fees was quickly dropped.

Drugs commanded other headlines. As many as 35 park attendees one weekend were arrested for drug sales and use. Another weekend, 11 drug arrests. It became a regular occurance. Dania Beach wanted a head tax of five cents per ticket for crowd control and drug patrol. Robertson and his attorney claimed it was illegal (the city got a similar but less fee/tax from Dania Jai Alai).

Pirate’s World was grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. Sheriff Ed Stack promised to investigate and declare the park a public nuisance. State Attorney Ken Jenne promised the same. In 1973, the auditorium that hosted as many as 9,000 teenagers during its concert series was shut down because of unsafe construction. The building’s steel roof ribbing was spaced too far apart; its ceiling was a patchwork of burlap and plastic. Pirate’s World lost its license. The auditorium was closed.

Stack, Jenne and the city of Dania Beach were ecstatic. There were additional legal maneuvers, but the park’s end was clear.

Log Flume ride
Florida State Archives

The last day of Pirate’s World operations was Dec. 2, 1973. Offers from developers came in for the land and promises were made but not kept for several years to demolish the landmark. In late 1975, kids were seen jumping off the remaining condemned buildings. Today, it features residential and retail buildings.

Some blame the opening of Disney World in 1971 for the demise of Pirate’s World. Others would say troubles began with the concerts and drugs … and bad headlines. It lost family appeal.


Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Sources:

Miami News, Feb 1, 1967
Miami Herald, April 7, 1967
Miami Herald, April 10, 1967
Miami Herald, May 4, 1967
Miami Herald, May 21, 1967
Fort Lauderdale News, Sept. 5, 1969
Fort Lauderdale News, July 31, 1971
Fort Lauderdale News, July 26, 1972
Miami Herald, June 3, 1973
Fort Lauderdale News, June 9, 1973
Fort Lauderdale News, Dec. 20, 1974
Fort Lauderdale News, Sept. 4, 1975
https://theconcertdatabase.com/venues/pirates-world



Tags: Florida attractions, Pirate's World, Dania Beach, Concerts, Dania Beach history

Early Florida Attraction: Alligator Joe's Alligator Farm in Palm Beach (of all places)

Alligator Joe's Alligator Farm,
Courtesy of Florida State Archives

 By Jane Feehan

Palm Beach once had its share of offbeat attractions. In the early 1900s, the west end of what became posh Worth Avenue, was home to Alligator Joe’s Farm.

Alligator Joe, or Warren Frazee, entertained winter visitors with a collection of alligators he caught and often wrestled.  A story in The New York Times in 1907, claims Alligator Joe dragged one of the creatures into the ocean for a battle.  

He towed a crocodile weighing 200 pounds well out into the Atlantic Ocean, had a wrestling match with it, mounted it bareback, and brought it back to shore … The reptile toward the end appeared to be completely fagged, but Frazier showed no exhaustion.

Alligator Joe was also known for his 'gator farms in Chicago, Kansas City and Denver and the manatees he caught and sent to the New York Zoological Society (it was illegal then as now).

Frazee entertained Palm Beach visitors in other ways.  In 1898, he took Sir Edward and Lady Colbrooke of England on a hunt for an alligator (some thought alligators were the same as crocodiles). He successfully bagged one more than 11 feet long and was paid $25 for his services. The animal was taken to a  taxidermist where it was stuffed, mounted and otherwise readied for a trip to the Colbrooke’s home in England.  

Frazee, a large man of more than 300 pounds, died in 1915 reportedly of causes related to his obesity

Copyright 2011, 2020 , 2022 

Sources:

Miami News, Feb. 18, 1898

New York Times, March 3, 1907

https://pbchistory.org

Tags: Florida history, Palm Beach history, Alligator Joe, early Florida attractions, Florida in the early 1900s