Free Lolita

On August 9, 1970, Lolita was swimming with her family pod through Admiralty Inlet on their way to a gathering of all Puget Sound's resident killer whales.

Superpod congregations are typically ceremonious for the whales, but it turned out very differently... The entire community of about 85 resident orcas was driven into Penn Cove, Whidbey Island. Four baby whales and a young mother drowned in the capture, and seven very young whales were sold into the entertainment industry. Of at least 45 whales removed or killed during the capture era, only one survives ... alone ... in a Miami marine park.

Lolita is born around 1966 - she's believed to be the oldest orca in captivity. Killer whales in captivity tend to die in their youth, but if she comes back to her home waters she could live to fifty more years of age. She still has time to have a calf or two. She has been alone since 1980, when a young male from her community of resident orcas died in the tank with her.

Lolita, first known as Tokitae, is still bobbing listlessly in the oldest, and smallest, whale tank in North America made to perform un-natural circus tricks with no other whale company. Whether the tank meets the federal standards is heavily disputed. In April 1996, Lolita's stadium was closed for a long period of time to repair the worst. In November 2005 the park had to close once more after heavy damages during the hurricane season.

We believe it is abusive to keep her there. Over thirty years of field research on the Southern Community of resident killer whales, the clan from which Lolita was taken, indicate that she will successfully re-adapt to her home waters, physically and socially.

The species' natural condition is to always maintain peak physical conditioning - they swim actively day and night - and in all probability her family will recognize her and will assist her to rejoin them.

If for some reason she is unable to return to her family, she will be cared for in perpetuity. She could have a chance to be in her natural habitat again.