Lolita set to be returned to her 'home waters' after life at Miami Seaquarium
MIAMI -- Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, officials with the Miami Seaquarium and other dignitaries on Thursday officially announced a deal to send Lolita, a killer orca whale who has been in captivity for at least five decades, back to her "home waters."
During a mid-morning news conference, Cava said the overall crux of the deal hinged on the care of Lolita, a 57-year-old whale who is also known by her Native American name of Tokitae, or "Toki."
"To all of you who care, we want to thank you for your care and concern of Loki," Cava said. "The most important thing is Toki's long-term wellbeing, and together, guided by the experts, we will continue to do what's best for her."
Cava told CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench. "This is such a special creature who is loved by so many people around the world. So many are concerned about her well-being after decades of being in a small tank. Here we are looking at the real possibility that she will spend the rest of her life in nature's waters and live freely."
There were some emotional words from Charles Vinick, the Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project who said "This is all about the whale. All that matters is the whale."
He also said they obtained all of the necessary state and federal permits. "This means a lot because she is like family and we want to help," said Vinick.
Under the terms of the deal, the Seaquarium has approved a "binding agreement" with Friends of Lolita, a non-profit group co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh, to free the whale.
Edward Albor, chairman of The Dolphin Company, which manages the Miami attraction, said in a written statement that officials hope the relocation will occur in the next 18 to 24 months.
The deal to release the whale is being underwritten by a "generous contribution" from Jim Irsay, owner and CEO of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, officials said.
Irsay told D'Oench, "We are hoping this will take 6 to 9 months to get her out. We don't have this locked in. There is no rush. This is not like a fire drill. I am paying for it. We don't know the full cost but it will probably be $10 million to $20 million. I am doing it because I have loved whales since being a kid and to me, she is an inspiration and changing the world is so important to me. I am blessed when I can do service work and I like to do service work so I can be the best that I can be,"
Pritam Singh of Friends of Lolita said, "I think we are here because we have a love for this animal. For over years, that has been proved,"
For years, activists including people from PETA, People for the Professional Treatment of Animals, have been urging that Lolita be freed.
Jared Goodman, the General Counsel for the PETA Foundation, said: "We have been pushing for more than a decade to give Lolita to have the opportunity for some relief after decades of being kept in a tank and deprived of all that matters to her."
Officials still have to determine the details of how and when they transport the 5,000-pound killer whale to waters off the coast of the U.S. West Coast.
Those details will include the water to transport her, a plane large enough to carry her safely as well as the equipment needed to get the whale on and off the aircraft.
"This hasn't been done much," Irsay said during the news conference. "This isn't something that happens every year (and) I'm just so blessed and excited about being part of this."
Lolita has been receiving round-the-clock care at the Seaquarium, following a health concern from late last year.
In March 2022, the USDA granted MS Leisure Company Inc., owner of the Miami Seaquarium, an exhibitor's license under the condition it no longer displays Lolita and Lii, a white-sided dolphin. Her performances were stopped and her tank was closed to the public.
Lolita is believed to be at least 57 years old, making her the oldest killer whale living in captivity.
She was caught on August 8, 1970, in Penn Cove, Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington when she was about 4 years old. She was later sold to the Miami Seaquarium. When she first arrived, she lived alongside another orca named Hugo for about 10 years, but he died in 1980.
For years, animal rights groups have wanted Lolita moved to "a protected cove sea pen," where she can be transitioned to the ocean.
