Artist known for smiley-orange graffiti arrested at Miami Seaquarium

South Florida graffiti artist Atomik was arrested Monday morning after sneaking into the site of the former Miami Seaquarium, police say.

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According to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office report, police responded to the now-closed Virginia Key venue around 11:30 a.m. after a security guard spotted on closed-circuit TV a person entering on a bicycle.

Deputies made contact with the person, later identified as the artist whose real name is Adam Vargas. The suspect was inside the golden dome where salty the Sea Lion performed, “actively spray painting the announcer’s booth,” the affidavit says.

A deputy told Vargas to stop what he was doing and he complied. The 45-year-old admitted to “vandalizing” the property after being read his rights.

Vargas was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center), and charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and criminal mischief. Bond was set at $3,000 and a judge ordered him to stay away from the former theme park.

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The famed Seaquarium on the Rickenbacker Causeway closed in October 2025 after prolonged protests from animal rights groups. The picketers, a constant presence outside the 70-year-old park, were particularly incensed about Lolita the orca, who died two years earlier after decades in captivity.

Vargas is best known for “tagging” his signature grinning oranges splashed all over town. He got his inspiration from the mascot of the Orange Bowl, where he attended games as a kid, after seeing the stadium get demolished in 2008, WLRN reported. The Cutler Bay resident recently discussed his origin story on the artist-centric Open Palette Podcast.

“I do this for my heart, my soul,” Vargas told host Brian Camacho of his creative motivation. “I just like the streets. I like being in the streets and participating in what’s going on in the real world. … It’s a blessing.”

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