Lolita the Killer Whale has a story, a story that I've followed for a bit now because I've been following quite a few stories that are related to whales and dolphins and the many threats that they face in our oceans.
Yesterday a young Gray Whale named Lily finally gave in and beached herself in Dana Point just minutes from where I live. I wrote about wishes how much I could have been there for her. I also woke up to the most amazing email from one of the rescuers who had said that they had been rushing to be there with her and had been too late. That they too, had wanted to be there with her when she had passed .
So I wasn't so crazy after all.
So, there's been a lot of talk about whales and dolphins, captivity and the impacts on their ability to thrive in the open oceans because of so many issues they face, from whaling, dolphin slaughters, captivity, acidification, noise pollution, climate change, yes, the list goes on and on.
But nothing really brought so many people's attention to the issue of captivity of Killer Whales like Tillikum, or Tilly did when he drowned one his trainers back in February.
This brutal reality of Tilly can be argued for days and what his intentions were. I will not do that here. This is about Lolita and she is a different killer whale, who was also caught while she was young, with her family pod and kept in isolation as Tilly is but that is where the similarities end.
Lolita is the only killer whale owned by the Miami Seaquarium in Miami Florida and she's been alone for all this time kept in a cement box that is far too small for her. She's also known for being very friendly, docile and cooperative.
I've argued here at Daily Kos that such animals don't belong in captivity, dolphins like killer whales and bottlenose dolphins just shouldn't be held as they are.
There are things we cannot control in nature but many of the things that are happening to these animals are human caused, from netting in their mouths (Lily the Gray whale had netting in her mouth, although she had other factors as well), to the oil gusher that, as we learn, could have been prevented in many different ways, from habitat loss, overfishing, etc.
But this is one of those cases where there is something tangible you can do. You can stop going to Sea World. You can complain to this facility that you believe what they are doing to Lolita is wrong and inhumane. You can write letters to your local paper and try to educate people about the continued captivity of dolphins as being barbaric and cruel.
Many of these animals were born in captivity and cannot be set free but many are still dying because of the demand to swim with dolphins and see them do tricks. The Cove outlines this very clearly, an amazing documentary that I've written about numerous times.
There are things we can do.
More about Lolita...
"In August 1970, Lolita the orca was brutally captured from her family pod near Seattle, Washington. In the capture, five whales died and seven were taken to aquariums.
Lolita was sent to the Miami Seaquarium, where she has been forced to live in a tank so small, it violates USDA/APHIS standards. The tank, which is no larger than a hotel swimming pool, is just 35 ft by 80 ft. In the center, it is 20 ft deep and around the edges just 12 feet deep... keep in mind, Lolita is 22 feet long and over 7,000 lbs -- and that wild orcas swim up to 100 miles a day, at up to 35 miles an hour.
Wild orcas remain with their families for life, yet Lolita has not been allowed to see another orca in 30 years (since March 1980, when her tankmate, Hugo, smashed his head against a wall and died).
It is time to RETIRE LOLITA"
International Day of Protest for Lolita – May 15, 2010
International Protest Saturday May 15, 2010 for Miami Seaquarium Orca Lolita Retirement –
May 15th starting at noon a protest will be held all over the world with a division here in Miami, Florida to raise awareness about Seaquarium Orca, Lolita. Over thirty different cities and countries have signed up to be part of the massive collaboration to show the Miami Seaquarium along with other marine mammal parks and the world that Orcas do not belong in captivity. One of our protests held on October 11, 2008 generated national media attention for the Orca when a four minute segment was aired on CNN Headline news. In collaboration with Orca Network invite fellow residents and media to come out and support this cause. We hope to see Lolita retired back into a sea pen in her native Pacific North West waters where she will be taken care of for the rest of her life unless she chooses to rejoin her pod that lives there as well.
She has been living in an illegal tank at the Seaquarium for the last 39 years, and has taken a backseat to the newly developed swim with the dolphins program. This backseat has raised controversy as to why she shouldn’t be retired, because the Seaquarium is not allowed and won’t build her a bigger tank. Surrounding the controversy with the rising number of orca attacks at Sea World, she could be the first of a new generation of orcas being retired back to their natural habitat
If retired she will initially reside in a generously sized “bay-pen” where she will be fed, taken care of and slowly reintroduced back into the wild. After rehabilitation it will be her choice to continue to live in the “bay-pen” or leave to rejoin her pod.
In 1970 Lolita was captured in Penn Cove. Since then, much controversy has surrounded the safety of the Seaquraium’s actions with their animals. Hugo, an Orca captured 2 years earlier from the same pod as Lolita, killed himself at the Seaquarium in 1980 by bashing his head off of the illegal tank; after showing strong signs of depression. Many have offered more than what Lolita’s insurance policy is worth for her retirement, but Owner Arthur Hertz of The Seaquarium has yet to agree. The concern is from coast to coast on an animal that has done her time in living quarters to small and arguably unsafe conditions for patrons to view in this dated arena.
INFO ABOUT MIAMI PROTEST:
Saturday May 15, 2010 from 12PM-2PM in front of the parking lot entrance to the Miami Seaquarium.
Makes signs if you can, leaflets and signs will also be provided. This event will go on rain or shine.
Also, here’s a list of city captains. If your city isn’t listed or you need contact information for your city leader, contact me at Save Lolita!
City Captains for Lolita:
Chicago: Niki Gianni-niki@savelolita.com
Miami: myself
NE Florida: Venus Hurst-jasonshursttilecollc@yahoo.com
Whidbey Island, WA: Howard and Susan-howard@orcanetwork.org
Olympia, WA: Pat Rasmussen-patr@crcwnet.com
Vancouver: Rachel Palmer-rachelbronwyn@gmail.com
Denver: Lauren Kimball-solaceskiesproductions@yahoo.com
Berkeley, CA: Wendy-aokincade@yahoo.com
Amsterdam: Ingrid van Dam-snowyziggy@gmail.com
- Pittsburgh, PA: Amanda Young-amndayoung@gmail.com/Michellebuzas@gmail.com
- Whakatane, New Zealand: Emily-taimamoana@gmail.com
- Toledo, Ohio: Amber-lilamber411@Gmail.com
- Philadelphia, PA: Shannon-sodlpn@comcast.net
- San Diego, CA: Hailey-hailey_bleau@yahoo.com
- Stockholm, Sweden: Ewakajsa Werngren-ewakajsa1@hotmail.com
- San Fransico, CA: Kim Flaherty-kflaherty@pacbell.net
- Toronto, Canada: Bob Timmons-timmons.animal.artist@gmail.com
- Vancouver Island: Tarah.millen@hotmail.com
- Glen Falls (Albany), New York: Jessica Ryle adkanimalrights@gmail.com
- Belgian: Noortje noortjevanvlasselaer@hotmail.com
- Budapest, Hungary: Tatiana tdemchuk@hotmail.com
- Orchard Park (Buffalo), New York: Kimberly kgalanti@roadrunner.com
- St. Lois, Missouri: Sarah Garvin sgarvin314@gmail.com
- Key West: Kathy Watkins kathy@marketsharecompany.com
- Portland, Oregon: Rae Wilson raemarie.wilson@comcast.net
- Traverse City, Michigan: Bailey Hanson Bhanson.np@gmail.com
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Christine Swindell whalerider36@comcast.net
- Melbourne, Australia: Gwen Williams asuka.12@hotmail.com
- Indianapolis, Indian: Leighann Shropshire shrop87@sbcglobal.net
- Seattle, Washington: Dianna Comstock dianacomstock@gmail.com
- Houston, Texas: Amanda and Brian Petrie AmandaMPetrie@gmail.com
- Sarasota (Bradenton), Florida: Candice Gee (contact via Facebook)
- Fort Meyers/Naples, Florida: Blakeleigh McEwan blakeleigh.mcewan@gmail.com
- Brisbane, Australia: Robyn Price mokie485@optusnet.com.au
- Rome, Italy: Ilaria Ferri (contact via Facebook)
- Akron, Ohio: Rick Ashline ashlinejr.richard@yahoo.com
- Waimanalo, Hawaii: Wild Dolphin Foundation tori@wilddolphin.org
- Victoria, BC, Canada: Diane McNally: freecaptiveorcas@gmail.com
- New York City, New York: Edda Ness: ecness@legal-aid.org
- Friday Harbor, Washington: Debbi Fincher fincher@rockisland.com
- BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Andrea Gauzza-Langlie andrea@langlie.com
- Orlando, Florida: Tommy Mason teamblueflorida@gmail.com
Protest today to free killer whale captured near Whidbey Island 40 years ago
Lolita has spent most of her life at Miami Seaquarium in a tank that critics say is too small.
Annual Free Lolita demonstrations are held across North America and Europe, including one on Whidbey, close to Penn Cove, where Lolita and other endangered southern resident killer whales were captured in 1970.
Now it's time for Victoria residents to push for Lolita's retirement to a sea-pen off San Juan Island, where she can interact with her family, said demonstration organizer Diane McNally.
By the way, Lolita's mother is still alive!
Her pod, the L-pod, is studied daily by researchers and is the focus of The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, WA. Note that Lolita’s mother “Ocean Sun” (pictured below) is still alive in the wild. She is around 80-85 years of age and travels with another orca named Alexis, as well as her calves.
http://www.freewebs.com/...
And more about the plan to retire her...
Many well intentioned people doubt that Lolita can be safely returned to Puget Sound. Some of the world’s top orca researchers and past releases of cetaceans show that captive animals can almost always be successfully reintroduced to their habitats.
In conjunction with Orca Network, wish to see Lolita retired to a bay pen in her native waters off the coast of Washington State. There is a plan devised for her that would allow her to reside in a generously sized bay pen and be taken care of while slowly being re-acclimated to her natural waters. The plan is for her to get used to her natural surroundings while being able to interact with her family Southern Residents L-pod If she adapts well and chooses to do so, she may eventually be released to rejoin her pod. If for any reason she decides to return to the bay pen, she will be taken care of by humans for the rest of her life while still being able to live in a spacious, natural environment in close proximity to her wild relatives.
http://www.savelolita.com/