While they hope to bring Lolita — also known as Tokitae, or Toki — to a whale sanctuary among the Pacific Northwest’s many islands, they know she might never again swim freely with her endangered family.
under an agreement with regulators. The 5,000-pound animal lives in a tank 80 feet by 35 feet and 20 feet deep.
Plans call for bringing Lolita to a netted whale sanctuary of about 15 acres . She would be released into an enclosure the size of a couple football fields within that sanctuary, where she would be under round-the-clock care. With financial backing from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, they have agreed to support Lolita long term, whether she’s reintroduced or not.
But a group of some of Lolita’s former caregivers called Truth 4 Toki announced an online petition Tuesday to keep her in Florida — perhaps at SeaWorld Orlando, where she can live alongside the two Pacific white-sided dolphins she has lived with for the past 30 years. She’d be flown to Washington, loaded onto a barge, floated to the sanctuary, and lowered by crane into her new home.
While Keiko would approach wild orcas at times, he would return to his trainers’ boat and generally sought out humans. He swam to Norway on his own — a journey of nearly 1,000 miles . But there again he was attracted to boats and people, and he died, apparently of pneumonia, at about age 27.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Caregivers: Returning orca Lolita to Northwest is riskyAn plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium. But it also called to mind the release of Keiko — the star of the movie “Free Willy” — more than two decades ago. Keiko’s return to his native Iceland improved upon his life in a Mexico City tank, but he failed to adapt to the wild and died five years later. Advocates say their experience with Keiko will inform how they plan for Lolita’s return.
Read more »
Lolita, the 2nd-oldest orca in captivity, is finally getting released after more than 50 yearsLolita, also known as Tokitae, is returning to the waters of the Pacific Northwest more than half a century after her capture there.
Read more »
After 50 years, a Florida aquarium plans to return Lolita the orca to her home watersAnd after years of growing pressure from animal rights activists calling for Lolita's release from the Miami aquarium, officials announced their plans for the 'process of returning to her home waters.'
Read more »
Bringing Lolita home: How to release a long-captive orca?An ambitious plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium
Read more »
Bringing Lolita home: How to release a long-captive orca?An ambitious plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium.
Read more »
Bringing Lolita home: How to release a long-captive orca?An ambitious plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium.
Read more »