VIRGINIA KEY

The Miami Seaquarium moved out a Pacific white-sided dolphin — the companion of the orca that recently died in Virginia Key — on Sunday.

The Miami Seaquarium has reportedly chosen not to renew its earned accreditation for its trainers.

The Miami Seaquarium reopened on Sunday after closing the park on Saturday to deal with the aftermath of the death of the captive orca whale Lolita, also known as Tokitae and Toki.

Officials at the Miami Seaquarium provided the latest health update on their orca Lolita Tuesday as they prepare to eventually move her to her home waters in the Pacific.

Scientists from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science brought in basket after basket of corals ashore on Miami’s Virginia Key Tuesday, as extreme water temperatures threaten South Florida’s reefs.

Efforts to move Tokitae, the orca known as “Lolita” and “Toki,” out of the Miami Seaquarium to a seaside sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest continue, but that process is mired in legal red tape that could take months to iron out.

Tokitae is as majestic and powerful as ever. Jessica Comolli, the director of the Miami Seaquarium’s animal health department, said Tokitae is doing great.

With the upcoming start of Hurricane season, there is an effort to clean up the coast by picking up trash, and eliminating invasive plants — to help shore up protective sand dunes.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in South Florida Friday afternoon, where it’s anticipated that she will be addressing millions of dollars in federal funding earmarked for climate resiliency projects.

Three women who worked with famed orca Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium panned Thursday’s announcement that the attraction’s owners plan to return the captive whale to her “home waters” in the Pacific Northwest.

An executive with the Miami Seaquarium is expected to be joined by county officials and philanthropists Thursday morning to announce a plan to return beloved Orca Lolita to her “home waters.”

The Miami Seaquarium's famed killer whale could soon be on the move as there are plans in the works to free Lolita from captivity.

Tickets for the Country Bay Music Festival went on sale Tuesday. The event is scheduled for Nov. 11-12 at the historic Miami Marine Stadium, just southeast of downtown on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay.

Already considered a hub for Latin, hip hop and electronic music, now Miami is going country.

Authorities were responding after a large group of migrants were found on an overloaded vessel near Virginia Key Beach Thursday.

With questions rising about the future of historic Virginia Key after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez refused to veto the city’s takeover of the board of trustees, many Black local leaders are now angered by the decision.

The health and future of the beloved captive orca at the Miami Seaquarium was the focus of discussion during a meeting Tuesday at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami.

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department reported heavy rain caused the sewer overflow at the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant on Wednesday in Virginia Key.

After the U.S. Department of Agriculture made public a report that the Miami Seaquarium’s dolphins were more aggressive due to drastic food cuts, Miami-Dade County officials issued the park a formal notice of noncompliance.

The General Manager of Miami Seaquarium who watches over Lolita, a 56-year-old orca had encouraging news on Wednesday about her health on Wednesday.

There are questions about the future of historic Virginia Key after the mayor of Miami refused to veto the city's takeover of the board of trustees.

A July 6 report that the U.S. Department of Agriculture made public on Friday details how inspectors said the Miami Seaquarium drastically cut the diets of nine dolphins to get them to perform better — but instead this resulted in angry dolphins fighting back.

A July 6 report that the U.S. Department of Agriculture made public on Friday details how inspectors said the Miami Seaquarium drastically cut the diets of nine dolphins to get them to perform better — but instead this resulted in angry dolphins fighting back.

The environmentalist and philanthropist who watches over Tokitae, also known as the Miami Seaquarium’s Lolita, had encouraging news Thursday.

From Broward to Miami-Dade counties, Kurt Kaminer said although drivers need to learn how to share the road, there is also a need for infrastructure improvements.

The “transition zone” plan, which would see 50 to 100 tiny homes built on Virginia Key, has generated controversy from the moment Commissioner Joe Carollo proposed it in late July.

Several days have passed since a Virginia Key business was suddenly shut down indefinitely.

Another business owner accuses Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo of misusing his power.

Last week Miami Dade County leaders blasted a proposal to house as many as 100 homeless people in a cluster of tiny homes on Virginia Key.

The mayor of Miami-Dade County's memo to her Board of Commissioners cites a number of concerns at a proposed homeless camp on Virginia Key.

Virginia Key has been a proposed site to build a homeless community in Miami, but one county commissioner says that's not the case.

Concerns are growing after Miami city commissioners approved a plan to move forward with a pilot program that will create a homeless encampment on Virginia Key, next to land that has been deemed as critically endangered.

A controversial proposal to create pop-up communities for the homeless across Miami, including on Virginia Key, was approved by commissioners last week.

Miami city commissioners vote 3-2 to move forward with a pilot program that would build a community on Virginia Key for the city's homeless population.

In a 3 to 2 vote, the Miami City Commission rejected a plan that would have built 50 to 100 mini homes on Virginia Key as a homeless shelter community.

A man who was spotted sacrificing animals on the beach in Virginia Key this week received a hefty fine from the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Rapper Nehemiah “SpotemGottem” Harden was trying to get away from police officers while riding an orange jetski on Sunday in Miami, according to the Miami Police Department.

Rapper Nehemiah “SpotemGottem” Harden was trying to get away from police officers while riding an orange jetski on Sunday in Miami, according to the Miami Police Department.

The attack happened during the Flipper show in front of an audience of families and young children.

Businessman and environmentalist Pritam Singh is committing $1 million toward the care of the Miami Seaquarium’s beloved orca Lolita, sources tell Local 10 News.

USDA inspectors were back at the Miami Seaquarium Tuesday following last June's scathing 17-page report citing numerous serious animal welfare violations.

There are conflicting reports about the health of Lolita, the 56-year-old orca that lives at the Miami Seaquarium.

Authorities are searching for a person in the ocean on Monday near Fisher Island.

Miami Seaquarium says the 56-year-old orca that has been at the visitor attraction for 52 years is doing fine but many believe there is reason for concern.

The Seaquarium confirmed to Local 10 News that the famed whale is receiving around-the-clock care.

Earnie Enriquez, a treatment plant operator, stood next to where Miami-Dade County’s sewage first enters the Central District Treatment Plant in Miami’s Virginia Key and collected a sample.

More than 50% of the voters stood against Miami’s Virginia Key referendum to hand a contract to Biscayne Marine Partners LLC.

Monday was the second day in a row authorities detained people coming from Haiti.

A pilot and flight instructor are thankful to be alive after a scary situation earlier this week that saw their plane plunge into the waters off Virginia Key.

The pilot of a small Cessna plane crashed the plane into the water Thursday night about 20 feet offshore in the Virginia Key area, authorities said.

The Miami Seaquarium will change ownership later this year.

A beloved father was killed after being struck by a boat while riding a personal watercraft, and the man who police arrested for the hit-and-run has been released from jail.

A 27-year-old man is reported missing from a charter boat. Two days later, his body is found in the water near Miami Marine Stadium.

The driver of a Mercedes-Benz nearly hit a Miami-Dade Police Department motorman on Wednesday on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami and sped away to a parking building in Dania Beach.

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. – Nine-year-old Jay Weiskopf has about 120 stitches after surviving a shark attack on Sunday in South Beach. The dental battery of the shark also left trails of cuts on his right arm and side. Right after arriving from Minnesota, Jay and his parents walked to the beach, east of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park’s playground, and north of the South Pointe Park Pier. “All I was focused on was getting him help.”A 9-year-old boy from Minnesota was treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital after a shark attack on Sunday in South Beach. Ad“A shark tried to eat me at the ocean,” Jay said after his release.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – A typical day playing on the beach took a turn for the worst for a South Florida pet owner and her rescue dog. Miami Veterinary Services told Local 10 News the dog’s owner was playing with her at Darwin Beach on Virginia Key, a recurring activity at a regular spot for the two. The dog’s owner ran to the beach and was able to pull Boobie out of the sharks mouth. Boobie the rescue dog is recovering after being attacked by a shark off Key Biscayne. (WPLG)Boobie was rushed to a veterinarians office on Key Biscayne, where doctors were able to stitch up the dogs wound.

The newspaper reported that McKoy called families who had students in the school telling them that MAST was the No. 1 Miami-Dade County School in the central region for the most COVID-19 positive cases, and blamed the cases on students having parties, get-togethers and sleepovers without masks. According to the school’s dashboard, MAST Academy has a total of 46 cases, which is the tenth most of schools in Miami-Dade County. Email from MAST Academy Principal Derick McKoy:This is Dr. McKoy, principal of MAST Academy calling with a very important message. MAST Academy is the number one school in Central Region with the most number of COVID positive cases.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday evening that the search for a 33-year-old man who vanished after a Jan. 4 boat crash off Key Biscayne has ended. Florida Fish and Wildlife reported divers found human remains belonging to the man identified as Spencer Sheridan, according to the Coast Guard. It was near the Bear Cut Bridge, which connects Virginia Key with Key Biscayne. Man, 33, vanishes at sea after boats crash off Key BiscayneFour were injured and Sheridan vanished at sea prompting a massive search involving three police departments, a state agency, and a federal agency. FWC investigators found Sheridan and the other six people were in an unlicensed charter boat.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – The search for a 33-year-old man continued on Tuesday in Biscayne Bay. He vanished after two Open Fisherman, a 19-foot boat and a 21-foot boat, collided on Monday evening off Key Biscayne. The man who vanished was in the Open Fisherman that was carrying seven people when it capsized after the collision near the Bear Cut Bridge, which connects Virginia Key with Key Biscayne. Two Open Fisherman boats collided on Monday evening off Key Biscayne. This is a photo of the man who was involved in a Monday night boat collision off Key Biscayne.

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. – A protest is underway at Miami Seaquarium in the latest call to free Lolita, the 20-foot-long, 7,000-pound orca who has lived at the Miami tourist attraction for 50 years. Activists say the tank in which the whale lives is not fit for her size. “She needs us to speak for her,” said Patty Leon, a protester with the group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest said that under their inherent rights, the whale belongs to them. In October 2018, a federal appeals court rejected a petition to reopen a lawsuit over the Seaquarium’s treatment of the killer whale.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – As Broward County continues to move forward with beginning in-person learning for district students, Local 10 has confirmed several positive COVID-19 cases in both public and charter schools. “They must wear a face covering including the weight room and physical education classes,” said Broward School Board General Counsel Barbara J. Myrick. The school district made the decision to temporarily shut down the campus after two students tested positive for COVID-19. MAST is one of several Miami-Dade County public schools to have new COVID-19 cases after reopening in early October. The superintendent said as of Monday afternoon, 10 students and one employee in the school district tested positive for the virus since physical schooling resumed.

MIAMI – Authorities are asking boaters and people with personal watercraft to take safety precautions such as wearing life jackets and staying sober while having fun in the water during this Labor Day weekend. Officer Ronald Washington, a spokesman for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation, said doing so is a matter of life or death. “Do the right thing to ensure you can get home safely,” Washington said. Miami Fire Rescue personnel took Ndiokwelu to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center where a doctor pronounced him dead. For more information about boating safety, call the FWC’s Boating Safety Section at 850-488-5600.

VIRGINIA KEY, MIAMI, Fla. – A watercraft accident near Miami Marine Stadium has left 1 person dead, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials who are conducting the investigation. The crash happened around 5 p.m. Saturday when the unidentified victim was riding a personal watercraft near Miami Marine Stadium on Rickenbacker Causeway and lost control, colliding with a concrete structure, according to investigators. Miami Fire Rescue transported the victim to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial where he died from his injuries. Local 10 is working to obtain more detailed information.) Assignment desk editor Wilson Louis contributed to this story.

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. – Police are investigating an accident by the Rickerbacker Causeway near Virginia Key. A man enjoying a day out on the water on his personal watercraft was injured around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. When Miami Fire Rescue arrived, the injured man was behind Miami Marine Stadium with facial injuries. He was taken to Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center. The man was in stable condition at Ryder Trauma Center.

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. – A cyclist has died, and another is injured after they were involved in a crash with a Miami-Dade Police Department marked vehicle. According to police, the crash happened at approximately 7:17 a.m. Sunday on Arthur Lamb Jr. Road near Virginia Key Beach. “The officer involved in this incident is assigned here and regularly patrols the causeway and the surrounding areas,” said Det. The entrance to the park was closed for hours as the traffic homicide investigation unfolded. Miami-Dade traffic homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

The director of the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show and Miami Yacht Show has turned a large area of Virginia Key into a boaters’ paradise. On Wednesday morning, workers flooded nine piers at the Miami Marine Stadium Park in an effort to turn the area into the world capital of the maritime luxury industry this weekend. An area of Virginia Key is being turned into a boaters' paradise this weekend. The Miami International Boat Show will be held Thursday to Monday in Virginia Key's Miami Marine Stadium Park area. The Miami International Boat Show opens Thursday in Virginia Key.

MIAMI – To help reduce traffic on the Rickenbacker Causeway this weekend, the Miami International Boat Show organizers are offering ticket holders free transportation from downtown Miami to Virginia Key. From Thursday to Monday, ticket holders will be able to board water taxis and shuttles at five stops in downtown Miami that are near to public parking lots or public transportation. The water taxis will be stopping at Bayfront Park and the AmericanAirlines Arena, where there will also be a free shuttle bus service stop. Although event organizers are discouraging attendees from driving to Virginia Key, they are providing valet parking at the Marine Stadium and parking at the event’s Lot B in the Virginia Key Beach Park area. Attendees who decide to use ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft will be using Lot C outside of the Miami Seaquarium where there will also be a free shuttle service.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - A precautionary No Contact with Water Advisory is being issued to avoid recreational water activities including swimming, fishing and boating for all beaches within Virginia Key, Key Biscayne and Fisher Island. A temporary electrical power outage at the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD)'s Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant resulted in an overflow of fully treated, chlorinated effluent from the plant's pump station into the waterway immediately adjacent to the facility, otherwise known as shrimp lagoon. WASD staff switched the plant to generator power and within an hour had reset the pump station. However, approximately 100,000 gallons of the fully treated, chlorinated effluent entered surface water. The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources are testing the affected waters and the advisory remains in effect until two consecutive days of clear testing occur after repairs are completed.

Family and friends gathered to honor the memory of Cristian Burgos, who drowned after saving a mother and son from drowning in Virginia Key. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

A 17-year-old boy died Wednesday, two days after he rescued a 9-year-old boy and the child's mother from drowning in the waters off Virginia Key, a spokesperson with Jackson Memorial Hospital... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

A 17-year-old boy died Wednesday, two days after he rescued a 9-year-old boy and the child's mother from drowning in the waters off Virginia Key, a spokesperson with Jackson Memorial Hospital... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Loved ones have identified a 17-year-old boy who nearly drowned while rescuing a woman and her 9-year-old son from the waters off Virginia Key as Cristian Burgos, a senior and soccer player at Booker... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Loved ones have identified a 17-year-old boy who nearly drowned while rescuing a woman and her 9-year-old son from the waters off Virginia Key as Cristian Burgos, a senior and soccer player at Booker... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - University of Miami classes are canceled from Friday afternoon through Tuesday and will resume on Wednesday. The cancellation applies to classes held at the university campuses in Coral Gables, Virginia Key and Miami-Dade County's Allapattah neighborhood. The university has also canceled events scheduled for the Labor Day weekend. For more information, call the university's emergency hotline at 1-800-227-0354/"Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Piedrahita was riding a motorcycle when he was following Alex Palencia, 48, who was cycling with a group on the William Powell Bridge on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Detectives said Piedrahita, who was on Facebook Live as he followed the Don Pan cycling group, fatally shot Palencia on Wednesday morning in the stomach during a scuffle. "I lost my dad, the most important man in my life, without the chance to say goodbye," Palencia's daughter, Alice Palencia, wrote on Instagram. Piedrahita, whose son is a member of the Don Pan cycling group, made a threat in a video on Facebook. "I can genuinely say that this is the worst pain my heart has ever felt in my life," Alice Palencia wrote.

MIAMI - Alex Palencia was riding with a large group of bicyclists when he got into an argument with a motorcyclist who fatally shot him Wednesday morning on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Brendaly Rodriguez said Palencia was a beloved father of two with relatives in Arkansas. Piedrahita's defense attorney, Sabino Jauregui, said his client shot Palencia in self-defense. Detectives have yet to confirm that, so it remains unclear if Piedrahita was following or harassing Palencia. The wounded bicyclist was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead.

MIAMI - A bicyclist has died after he was shot Wednesday morning on the Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami police said. The shooting happened about 6 a.m. on the bridge that connects Miami to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay. A view from Sky 10 showed paramedics treating the wounded man, who was lying in the middle of the causeway. According to fellow cyclist Lee Marks, the victim and the motorcyclist had been involved in an ongoing feud for about two weeks. People get heated and I don't know if that was the genesis of it," Marks said.

MIAMI - A person was shot Wednesday morning on the Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami police said. The shooting happened on the bridge that connects Miami to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay. A view from Sky 10 showed paramedics treating the male victim, who was lying in the middle of the causeway. Local 10 News reporter Madeleine Wright spoke to a bicyclist who said he was riding in a pack of about 50 to 70 people when a motorcyclist started shooting at another bicyclist. Police diverted eastbound traffic into one westbound lane.

MIAMI - The annual Ultra Music Festival pulled its own plug after its move to Virginia Key in March, and it's officially moving back to Bayfront Park. But the former head of the Park Trust was not happy with having Bayfront Park as an option again for Ultra. The trust now has rules placing limits on private events held at Bayfront Park. Carollo and Russell, who represents downtown Miami residents, were the only two commissioners who voted against bringing Ultra back to Bayfront Park. Some were thrilled with the festival's return to Bayfront Park.

MIAMI - The annual Ultra Music Festival pulled its own plug after its move to Virginia Key in March, and attempts to get it back to Bayfront Park are hitting some sour notes at Thursday night's commission meeting. The money and panache of the iconic Miami-born global music festival is still a lure. But the former head of the Park Trust was not happy with having Bayfront Park as an option again for Ultra. The trust now has rules placing limits on private events held at Bayfront Park. The music festival has numerous partnerships and political connections, but it remains to be seen whether it will have enough votes to return to Bayfront Park.