{"id":397836,"date":"2023-08-21T22:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T22:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=397836"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Lolita-the-orca-dies-at-Miami-Seaquarium-after-half-century-in-captivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Lolita-the-orca-dies-at-Miami-Seaquarium-after-half-century-in-captivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Lolita the orca dies at Miami Seaquarium after half-century in captivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIAMI (AP)\u2014Lolita, an orca whale held captive for more than a half-century, died Friday at the Miami Seaquarium as caregivers prepared to move her from the theme park in the near future.<\/p>\n

The Seaquarium posted a statement from the nonprofit group Friends of Toki on social media that Lolita\u2014also known as Tokitae, or Toki\u2014started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort over the past two days. Seaquarium and Friends of Toki medical team members began treating her immediately and aggressively, but the 57-year-old orca died from an apparent renal condition, the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cToki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family,\u201d the Friends of Toki statement said. \u201cThose who have had the privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Animal rights activists have been fighting for years to have Lolita freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium. The park\u2019s relatively new owner, The Dolphin Company, and the nonprofit Friends of Toki announced a plan in March to possibly move her to a natural sea pen in the Pacific Northwest, with the financial backing of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am heartbroken that Toki has left us,\u201d Irsay said in a statement. \u201cHer story captured my heart, just as it did millions of others. I was honored to be part of the team working to return her to her indigenous home, and I take solace in knowing that we significantly improved her living conditions this past year. Her spirit and grace have touched so many. Rest in peace, dear Toki.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe based in Washington state, refers to orcas as \u201cqwe \u2019lhol mechen,\u201d which means \u201cour relations below the waves.\u201d The tribe has spent years working to secure Lolita\u2019s release and to return to her home waters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lummi Nation is saddened by the news that our beloved Orca relative has passed away at the estimated age of 57 years old,\u201d Chairman Tony Hillaire said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hearts are with all those impacted by this news; our hearts are with her family. We stand in solidarity with our Lummi members whom poured their hearts and souls into bringing Sk\u2019aliCh\u2019elh-tenaut home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lolita retired from performing last spring as a condition of the park\u2019s new exhibitor\u2019s license with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She\u2019s not been publicly displayed since. In recent months, new upgrades had been installed to better filter the pool and regulate her water temperature.<\/p>\n

Federal and state regulators would have had to approve any plan to move Lolita, and that could have taken months or years. The 5,000-pound (2,267-kilogram) had been living for years in a tank that measures 80 feet by 35 feet (24 meters by 11 meters) and is 20 feet (6 meters) deep.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Trainer Marcia Hinton pets Lolita, a captive orca whale, during a performance at the Miami Seaquarium in Miami, March 9, 1995.<\/p>\n

-AP
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