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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” for 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.
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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. EMC claimed declining attendance, revenue loss of $1.1 million in 1992 and insufficient space for expansion (but enough for developing several strip shopping centers) 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, four parrots were stolen.
Animal activism gained advocates during the 1990s. In 1992, 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.
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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.
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
