The Oldest Orca Held 53 Years in Captivity Dies Ahead of Release
Jakarta – Lolita, the beloved killer orca who captured hearts while in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium over the last 53 years, has died just before she was set to be released back into the wild.
The Miami Seaquarium announced on social media on Friday that Lolita, who also goes by “Toki” or “Tokitae,” started showing “signs of discomfort” earlier this week. This prompted Miami Seaquarium staff and Friends of Toki medical team to begin treating her “immediately and aggressively,"
However, the aquarium said that “despite receiving the best possible medical care,” she ultimately died on Friday afternoon from what experts believe “to be a renal condition” — or kidney failure.
Lolita si Paus Orca
- USA Today
“Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family,” the Miami Seaquarium wrote on social media.
“Those of us who have had the honor and privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit.”
The news sent shockwaves through the Miami community, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Lolita’s death.
"Our collective wish was to see Toki in her native waters and we are heartbroken to learn of this sudden loss," Cava wrote.
She continued: “Alongside the many Miamians who grew up visiting her, the generations of activists around the world that were inspired by her story, and the caretakers who remained dedicated to her until the end - today, we say our final goodbye to our beloved Toki.”
"Watching Tokitae wither away in captivity broke my heart," Lindsay Oliver, Executive Director of World Animal Protection, United States.
"She deserved the freedom of the open sea, not a life confined to a small tank. It's time for this industry to end, so no more animals have to suffer like this. Swim free, Tokitae."
Oliver's statement ended with a broken heart emoji.
Lolita was captured in waters in the Pacific Northwest in 1970 when she was about 4 years old, making her roughly 57 years at the time of her death. Lolita was believed to have been the oldest orca whale in captivity.
However, she also was noted to have lived in one of North America's smallest whale tanks during her life.
The orca's health had ebbed and flowed throughout the years. A report from the USDA released in 2021 criticized the Miami Seaquarium's care of the animal, citing that she was fed less than the recommended amount and wasn't taking in enough water.
The Dolphin Company, which became the new operators of the Miami Seaquarium in August, 2021, reportedly made adjustments to Lolita's care, and an independent assessment in June 2022 found the whale to be in better health.
Despite this, Lolita was pulled from display at the Miami Seaquarium in 2022 in response to her health issues.
In March, the Florida aquarium announced plans to relocate Lolita to an ocean sanctuary near her capture point so she could be reunited with her mother. The plan was set to take place sometime within the next 18 to 24 months.
