A plan announced last week to return a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century to her home waters thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank in Miami. But it also called to mind the release of Keiko more than two decades ago.
A plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington's Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium.
While they hope to bring Lolita -- also known as Tokitae, or Toki -- to a whale sanctuary among the Pacific Northwest's many islands, they know she might never again swim freely with her endangered family, including the nearly century-old whale believed to be her mother.Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest revere orcas, considering them their relatives.
Many orcas remained nearby, declining to leave as their clan members were hauled out of the water. Among those kept was 4-year-old Tokitae, later sold to the Miami Seaquarium. The whale believed to be Toki's mother is the matriarch of L-pod, one of three clans that make up the so-called southern resident killer whales, a genetically and socially distinct population that frequents the Salish Sea between Washington and British Columbia. There are 73 southern residents remaining.
With financial backing from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, they have agreed to support Lolita long term, whether she's reintroduced or not. They describe her as a geriatric animal in poor health who has had trouble adjusting to changes as slight as introducing different music into her performance routine. They say the stress of the move could kill her, but if it doesn't, she could be susceptible to pollutants in Puget Sound.
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