Trainer Marcia Hinton raised Lolita, a captive orca whale, during a show at the Miami Seaquarium in Miami in 1995. The park’s new owners will not be performing shows with older whales. its death under an agreement with federal regulators.
Nuri Vallbona / Miami Herald via AP, File
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Nuri Vallbona / Miami Herald via AP, File
Trainer Marcia Hinton raised Lolita, a captive orca whale, during a show at the Miami Seaquarium in Miami in 1995. The park’s new owners will not be performing shows with older whales. its death under an agreement with federal regulators.
Nuri Vallbona / Miami Herald via AP, File
MIAMI – Miami Seaquarium’s new owner will no longer perform on stage with Its old Orca Lolita under an agreement with federal regulators.
MS Leisure, a subsidiary of The Dolphin Company, said in announcing the completion of its acquisition of Seaquarium that Lolita and her companion white-faced dolphin Lii will no longer be exhibited under a new license with the US Department of Agriculture. Ky.
“Today marks a new day for the Miami Aquarium and all the creatures in its care,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.
The 56-year-old Orca was originally named Tokitae or Toki when it was captured five decades ago in Puget Sound near Seattle. Animal rights activists, including Ethical Treatment of Animals say she is the oldest orca in captivity and will spend the last years of her life in her hometown in a controlled environment.
“PETA calls this the first step towards releasing Lolita (and Lii) to a seaside sanctuary, before this long-suffering orca dies in the same cramped tank in which it was kept. for over half a century,” said Jared Goodman, Vice President of the PETA Foundation and Deputy General Counsel for Animal Law.
For now, Lolita will stay at the Seaquarium, where officials say she is healthy and eating well despite her advanced age.
“As with any animal that has exceeded their expected lifespan, we will continue to monitor and care for it closely,” the Seaquarium statement said.
The Dolphin Company operates 27 parks and other habitats in Mexico, Argentina, the Caribbean, Italy and Florida, a company news release said.
Company CEO Eduardo Albor said they wanted the Seaquarium to be “an educational opportunity for new generations, educating our communities on the value of aquatic species and the sustainability of the oceans. “
The Seaquarium first opened in 1955 at Virginia Key east of downtown Miami. It is home to a variety of marine life including dolphins, sea lions, manatees, reef fish, and sharks, and was the filming location for 88 episodes of the television series “Flipper” as well as movies from the 1960s.
