Lolita the Orca Returns to the Wild After 52 Years in Captivity

After 50 years in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium, Lolita, the oldest whale in captivity, is finally set to be returned to the ocean.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has announced the release of the orca into the waters of the Pacific Northwest, where she was captured five decades ago.

Lolita, also known as Tokitae, was about 4 years old when she was captured in Puget Sound in summer 1970, during a time of deadly orca roundups. She spent decades performing for paying crowds before falling ill.

Known as the southern resident killer whales, Lolita is a member of an endangered group of orcas inhabiting the waters between Washington and Canada, where it’s thought only 73 individuals remain. The group suffered a significant population decrease in the 1960s and 70s when whalers captured 45 orcas, including Lolita, and sold them to theme parks around the world.

For the past 50 years, she has been living in a small tank at the Miami Seaquarium, performing tricks for visitors. Lolita's story has become a symbol of the controversy surrounding the captivity of marine animals in theme parks and aquariums.

For decades, animal welfare activists and organizations have campaigned for Lolita's release, arguing that her small tank and lack of stimulation were causing physical and psychological harm.

The now 57-year-old orca retired from performing just last year, and currently resides in a 24- by 11-meter (80 by 35 foot) tank

Despite the controversy, the Miami Seaquarium had refused to release Lolita. The park argued that she was too old and had been in captivity for too long to be released back into the wild. However, the National Marine Fisheries Service has now authorized her release, stating that it is in her best interest to be returned to her home waters.

Lolita's release has been met with mixed reactions. Animal welfare activists have welcomed the news, while some scientists and experts have expressed concerns about her ability to adapt to life in the wild. Lolita has not had contact with other killer whales since her capture in 1970, and there are concerns that she may not be able to communicate with other whales or hunt for her own food.

Although releasing Lolita from captivity will involve a number of hurdles, like re-training the animal to hunt and physically moving her across the country, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at Thursday's conference that completing the transfer largely depends on the health of the aging whale. Lolita has received consistent veterinary care since late last year.

Despite the concerns, the release of Lolita is a landmark moment in the fight against the captivity of marine animals. Lolita's story has raised awareness of the plight of captive marine animals and has inspired a global movement to end the practice of keeping marine animals in captivity for human entertainment.

“It’s a step toward restoring our natural environment, fixing what we’ve messed up with exploitation and development, I think she’ll be excited and relieved to be home — it’s her old neighborhood.”

-President of the board of advocacy group Orca Network, Howard Garrett.

The time frame for moving the animal could be 18 to 24 months away, the group said, and the cost could reach $20 million.

The plan is to transport Lolita by plane to an ocean sanctuary in the waters between Washington and Canada, where she will initially swim inside a large net while trainers and veterinarians teach her how to catch fish.

“We have to teach her how to catch fish again, she doesn't know how to do that anymore because she's been in captivity too long."

-Jim Irsay

The orca believed to be her mother, called Ocean Sun, continues to swim free with other members of their clan — known as L pod — and is estimated to be more than 90 years old. That has given advocates of her release optimism that Tokitae could still maybe have a long life in the wild.

Lolita's release marks a significant moment in the ongoing fight for animal welfare. Let's hope that this marks the beginning of a new era of respect and protection for these magnificent creatures.