Nearly five decades after she was detained and held at the Miami Seaquarium, Lolita the orca will be finally allowed to return into the Pacific to enjoy her final days.
In a press conference on Thursday in Miami, the Miami Seaquarium announced its plans to relocate the 5,000-pound killer whale that was originally named Tokitae also known as Toki — back to her former habitat in waters in the Pacific Northwest.
After years of increasing demand from rights for animals advocates calling for the release of Lolita out of Miami aquarium, the officials revealed their plans to begin to begin the “process of returning Lolita to her natural habitat.”
This news event was hosted partly by Miami Seaquarium, the Florida non-profit Friends of Lolita as well as the philanthropist and manager of the team of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay.
“This is an extremely significant day for me,” Eduardo Albor, CEO of the Dolphin Company, said during the news conference. “It is amazing to observe the amount of things you can accomplish in a single year, when you have actions instead from words.”
The Seaquarium reached an agreement in partnership with Friends of Lolita to relocate the orca and also receive the financial aid of Irsay.
“I’m happy to be part of the Lolita’s story,” Irsay said. “Ever since I was a young child I’ve always been a whale lover, and I’ve loved whales due to their power, the beauty of them and the gentleness they are.”
Irsay informed reporters that the price of moving Lolita could be the equivalent of a “big amount,” because officials haven’t released an exact amount or budget associated with the relocation. The current strategy of Lolita is to construct an ocean-side sanctuary using nets, and where she will be supervised by trainers.
“She’s been through all her life to have this chance and my sole goal … is assist this whale become completely free of charge,” Irsay said.
Lolita was captured off the Pacific coast close to Seattle around 50 years ago, at the age of four. The orca, believed to be 57 years old older, was finally able to take a break in the spring of last year from shows that featured exhibitions under the terms of an arrangement with Federal regulators.
It is now the longest orca that is kept in captive.
Over the past 10 years the animal rights organizations have staged protests and submitted lawsuits in an effort to improve the living conditions in the Seaquarium. The members from the Lummi Nation close to Bellingham, Wash., have even threatened to bring a lawsuitfor their release.
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