What do a theme park’s owner, an animal rights group, a mayor, and an NFL owner-philanthropist have in common? They came together on Thursday to hold a news conference and announce an agreement they made to return an orca named Lolita back to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest.
The whale was captured more than 50 years ago in Puget Sound. The summer of 1970 was a time of deadly orca roundups. That time left a legacy that is still felt today.
The legacy of the whale roundups of the 1960s and ’70s continues to haunt a distinct group of endangered, salmon-eating orcas that are known as the southern resident killer whales and spend much of their time in the waters between Washington and Canada.
At least 13 orcas died in the roundups and 45 were delivered to theme parks around the world, reducing the Puget Sound resident population by about 40% and helping cause problems with inbreeding that remain a problem today.
Lolita, also known as Tokitae, was four years old when she was captured. She spent decades performing for paying visitors at the Miami Seaquarium. Now Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has joined with the Dolphin Company (owner of the Miami Seaquarium), Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and the Florida nonprofit Friends of Toki, to return Lolita back to Puget Sound. The most amazing part of this story is that her mother, Ocean Sun, is believed to be over 90 years old and still swims with members of their pod.
The orca believed to be her mother, called Ocean Sun, continues to swim free with other members of their clan — known as L pod — and is estimated to be more than 90 years old. That has given advocates of her release optimism that Tokitae could still maybe have a long life in the wild.
“It’s a step toward restoring our natural environment, fixing what we’ve messed up with exploitation and development,” said Howard Garrett, president of the board of the advocacy group Orca Network, based on Washington state’s Whidbey Island. “I think she’ll be excited and relieved to be home — it’s her old neighborhood.”
I can’t say for sure but that photo used with the headline of this post may be of Lolita when she was captured in 1970. The photo was taken in Whidbey bay where orcas were held, including Lolita, before they were moved elsewhere.
How heartwarming to know that Lolita may be reunited with her mother if all goes well with the plan.
The plan still needs government approval. The time frame for moving Lolita is 18-24 months away. The cost could reach $20 million. In the meantime, Lolita will need to re-learn skills and train to be an orca in the wild again.
The plan is to transport Lolita by plane to an ocean sanctuary in the waters between Washington and Canada, where she will initially swim inside a large net while trainers and veterinarians teach her how to catch fish.
She will also have to build up her muscles, as orcas typically swim about 100 miles (160 kilometers) per day, said Raynell Morris, an elder of the Lummi Indian Tribe in Washington who also serves on the board of Friends of Toki.
Lolita to suffer the same fate as her partner Hugo, who died in 1980 from a brain aneurysm after ramming his head repeatedly into the tank’s walls.
“She was 4 when she was taken, so she was learning to hunt. She knows her family song,” Morris said. “She’ll remember, but it will take time.”The orca would be under 24-hour care until she acclimates to her new surroundings.
That was my first thought – will she be able to survive in the wild after being in captivity for 50 years? Her benefactors think she will be able to do it. I’m happy to think about her returning to her home waters. As much as I have enjoyed seeing Shamu during our trips to Sea World over the years, it always makes me a little sad to think of orcas being confined to such small areas.
The Miami Seaquarium opened in 1955. It was the filming location for 88 episodes of the “Flipper” television series as well as movies in the 1960s.
Last year, under an agreement with federal regulators, the Seaquarium stopped using Lolita in stage shows. She is now 57 years old and weighs 5,000 pounds. Lolita’s partner, Hugo, died in 1980 after suffering a brain aneurysm caused by ramming his head repeatedly into the tank’s walls.
Good luck to Lolita. I hope it all goes well for her.
