Free Lolita! Help this wild orca trapped in a tiny concrete tank for decades.
Lolita the orca was captured off the coast of Washington decades ago for the entertainment industry and continues to spend her miserable days in a concrete tank at Miami Seaquarium. She was about four years old when she was taken from the wild and some of her family members are still there -- including her mother! We have a chance to reunite them so Lolita may live her remaining days in a peaceful and loving coastal sanctuary so please sign this petition asking the Miami Seaquarium and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to free Lolita!
Orcas are highly intelligent animals, and I get shivers even trying to imagine how much Lolita has been suffering. She lives in the tiniest tank in North America for captive orcas. In the wild, she could swim up to 100 miles a day, but currently she has space less than 60 x 80 feet. The confinement is so stressful and abysmal that the only other orca at Miami Seaquarium years ago repeatedly smashed his head into the walls of the tank and killed himself.
So this intelligent, social animal, Lolita, has no company of other orcas and animal experts say she’s exhibiting signs of psychological trauma. Miami Seaquarium knows public opinion is against capturing wild orcas for entertainment and there is no business future for companies who mistreat animals.
Two major developments have happened. First, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is set to decide on Lolita’s status under the Endangered Species Act in 2015. The Pacific Northwest’s Southern Resident orcas are already covered under the Endangered Species Act so a logical person would expect Lolita, who was taken from this community, to also be protected from abuse.
Miami Seaquarium also got newer owners, Palace Entertainment, in recent months, and they must decide if they want such a horrendous case of animal cruelty on their conscience. As we’ve seen with the case of SeaWorld, the public does not support cruelty and attendance and business partnerships will certainly suffer.
We’re organizing the largest march in history for Lolita on January 17 in Miami.Please sign and share so we can present your signature as part of this large event. Not everyone can travel to attend, but every one of you can take a moment to sign my petition for Lolita. She’s suffered decades and each signature will bring her one step closer to freedom.
LETTER TO
Miami Seaquarium - NOAA - Palace Entertainment
Free Lolita! Help this wild orca trapped in a tiny concrete tank for decades.
NOAA should protect Lolita as an endangered species so she can be removed from her cruel confinement.
Miami Seaquarium and its owners Palace Entertainment can admit that there is no future in cruel captivity of intelligent orcas and relocate Lolita to a coastal sanctuary to live out her life in peace.
NOAA should protect Lolita as an endangered species so she can be removed from her cruel confinement.
Miami Seaquarium and its owners Palace Entertainment can admit that there is no future in cruel captivity of intelligent orcas and relocate Lolita to a coastal sanctuary to live out her life in peace.
After 44 Years in Captivity, Is there Hope for Lolita, the Loneliest Whale in the World?
In August, 1970, a family of killer whales were swimming in the waters of Puget Sound when a group of men, led by Ted Griffins and Don Goldsberry, emerged in speedboats and herded the whales into a nearby cove. Using nets, ropes and explosives, these men managed to separate the adults from the young and captured several babies. This was the first large-capture of killer whales on record. The capture did not occur without a fight, however. Locals around said you could hear the human like screams of the mothers crying for their babies. During the capture, one adult and four young killer whales were killed. In an attempt to hide these deaths from the public, the men slit their bellies, filled them with rocks and let their bodies sink.
As for the surviving captured young whales, they were sold to marine parks across the world. One of these whales was Tokitae. She was just four years old when she was taken from her mother. The capturers sold and shipped her to the Miami Seaquarium where she was placed in a 35-foot wide tank and renamed Lolita. She never saw her mother again.
Forty-Four Years Later
Lolita still lives at the Miami Seaquarium and in the same tank that has been compared to the size of a hotel swimming pool. She is almost 50 years old now. For the past 44 years, she’s beenperforming the same routines in return for brief moments of companionship and reward. People still wonder how a wild animal, like Lolita, has stayed alive for so long under such terrible circumstances. This is drone footage of Lolita swimming circles in her tiny tank:
Hugo, a male killer whale, was captured two years prior to Lolita. His tank was close to Lolita’s and they would call to each other every day. Unlike Lolita, Hugo regularly showed signs of aggression and hostility. Unable to cope with his new surroundings, he took to continually bashing his head against the wall of the pool. In March 1980, Hugo died from a massive brain hemorrhage. Experts say, it could have been a suicidal attempt. It has even been said that Hugo may have had a brain tumor that caused him so much pain, he bashed his head against the tank in agony. From that day on, Lolita never saw or spoke to another killer whale again.
Rose elaborates on Lolita’s strength saying, “It is far more likely that her resilience is due to unique aspects of her personality and genes. She is just one tough animal – and the Seaquarium is taking credit for that, ignoring Hugo’s sad demise decades ago.”
Lolita’s Anguish
Whales and dolphins are among the most intelligent creatures on Earth. Scientific evidence has proven that whales and dolphins can hunt, use tools, surf waves, rescue humans and even, as Hugo proved, take their own lives (when in captivity). Whales and humans share many of the same complex cognitive abilities, one of these is self-recognition. This means that whales and dolphins – like humans – are vulnerable to emotional stress associated with understanding themselves as individuals and comprehending their own feelings. As you may know, this sort of stress can be incredibly damaging, both on mental and physical levels.
“To be physically removed from her family for almost 45 years while still being mentally and emotionally bonded for life with her family shows unbelievable patience and courage, day after day, year after year,” Howard Garrett of Orca Network explains to One Green Planet. “I think it would be fictional to say she has no feelings about her separation from her family all these years.”
Perchance to Dream, a six minute documentary created by Lauren Kimball, offers you the chance to visualize how Lolita sees, feels and dreams. Bioligists have praised this documentary, saying it greatly captures the emotions of a killer whale in captivity. This animated feature invites you to see her world through Lolita’s eyes. What happens when the lights go out and the seats empty? What does the dazzling performer think about when the music is switched off and she’s left with only the sound of her beating broken heart? Check out the video below:
Will Lolita’s Story Have a Happy Ending?
Will Lolita ever see her mother again? Will the rest of her life be spent in a tiny, filthy tank until the day she dies? She’s spent nearly fifty years performing here. It’s time to set her free.
Her release has not be suggested yet. However, when asked whether Lolita would stand a chance of survival if she was returned to the wild, Rose says,”Given her age, the obvious plan is to retire her to a sea pen enclosure in her native habitat. Release would only be considered if her response to this (and the response of the southern resident orcas) suggested there was a chance of success. Otherwise she would be cared for in retirement for the rest of her life.”
Nobody knows, right now, whether Lolita will ever return to the ocean. But if we stay positive and continue our plight in changing public opinion, there is always a possibility.
“Park owners and government agencies may be the last to be moved, but they too will have to shift along with public opinion,” comments Howard Garrett. “I think we have a sound plan for Lolita, and that reality, when understood by the newly conscious public and the owners and the government, could bring her home. The exact sequence of events is yet to be seen, but there are several scenarios that could make it happen.”
What You Can Do to Help Lolita
The story of Lolita’s life thus far has been incredibly tragic. However, the good news is that you can take action to end this sad tale for Lolita and help many other cetaceans suffering in captivity as well. Here’s how:
- Don’t buy a ticket to the Miami Seaquarium or any other marine park. Lolita is hardly the only orca who is suffering in these cruel establishments and your patronage is what allows these parks to continue operation.
- Support the work of anti-captivity organizations, such as Orca Network and Save Lolita who are campaigning for Lolita’s release.
- Write a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service asking them to reconsider Lolita’s captivity at Miami Seaquarium. You can find the contact details and a sample letter here.
- Send a letter to the new owners of the seaquarium and ask them to release Lolita. Either post a letter to :
Fernando Eiroa
Palace Entertainment
4590 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 400
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Palace Entertainment
4590 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 400
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Or send an email to feiroa@palaceentertainment.com
With your help we can change the ending of Lolita’s story for the better!
Image source: Leonardo DaSilva/Flickr
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