Mirage on Las Vegas Strip announces last 3 remaining dolphins have left property

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip on Tuesday announced that the last three of its remaining Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have officially left the property.

According to a news release, the three dolphins from The Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage Las Vegas have joined the family of dolphins at CoralWorld Ocean Park’s Sea Sanctuary at Water Bay in St. Thomas.

“The relocation of the dolphins results from a collaborative effort between The Mirage and Coral World, both of which are committed to the care and well-being of these dolphins,” The Mirage said in a release on behalf of both venues.

“We have found an excellent home for our dolphins with Coral World and its innovative Sea Sanctuary. The dolphins will continue receiving the quality professional care they had at The Mirage, and they will continue to educate the public to care for and protect the ocean,” said Joe Lupo, president of The Mirage. “Our team has spent years caring for and loving these dolphins. Throughout this relocation process, we have ensured they will have the best possible home to live wonderful lives.”

According to the release, the last three dolphins to leave the property were female dolphins Huf-N-Puf, Coco, and Lady Ace.

Lady Ace was born at the property on Aug. 16, 2019, and was named in honor of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, who at the time were making a run in the playoffs. The team then went on to win the WNBA Championship.

“Coral World’s Sea Sanctuary is an exceptional home for our dolphins,” said David Blasko, executive director of animal care at The Mirage. His dedicated team of specialists accompanied the dolphins on the transport flight.

The release says Coral World’s Sea Sanctuary is located on nearly two acres.

In February, The Mirage announced that three dolphins at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, Karli, Sofi and Osborne, were moved to SeaWorld in San Diego. SeaWorld had originally loaned the dolphins to the habitat, the property said.

The move to rehome the dolphins comes after multiple dolphins that had been at the facility for years died, including the property’s original dolphin, Duchess, who died in January at age 48.