Lolita the Orca Will Be Released After Over 50 Years in Captivity

After over 50 years of performing for the public in a tiny tank at the Miami Seaquarium, Lolita, an orca, will be released back into her native water in the Pacific Northwest.

Source: KING 5 Seattle/Youtube

The plan was announced last month at a news conference and was reportedly the result of an “unlikely coalition involving the theme park’s owner, an Animal rights group and an NFL owner-philanthropist,” The Associated Press reported.

Just over 50 years ago, on August 8, 1970, a 4-year-old wild orca named Lolita was caught off the coast of Washington and torn away from her family and ocean home. Shortly after, on September 14, 1970—roughly a month after her abduction, she was transported to Miami and put into the world’s smallest orca tank. Lolita has been trapped in captivity ever since then, and things have taken a turn for the worse. Now, Lolita is around 57 years old.

The Dolphin Company, which owns the Miami Seaquarium, came to an agreement to release Lolita and signed a deal with Friends of Lolita, a Florida nonprofit group, according to NPR. The Dolphin Company announced that the release will happen in the next 18 to 24 months in a tweet.

The NLF owner-philanthropist involved in helping with the release, Jim Irsay, said that he is excited to be a part of Lolita’s journey to freedom. Irsay said that he would help with the costs associated with moving Lolita from Florida to Washington, “which could rise to eight figures and could require the use of a 747 plane or a C-17 military plane,” The Times wrote. Irsay said that Lolita will need to relearn how to catch fish as she as been in captivity for too long.

Many have argued that the transition will be hard on Lolita and fear that she may not be able to acclimate to her natural environment after spending over 50 years in captivity. Lolita, like so many animals caught in the wild and forced into zoos and aquariums, has spent the vast majority of her life confined into a much smaller space than her natural ocean habitat. Like other whales and dolphins, Lolita is extremely intelligent and social, but given her captivity, has only been able to interact with one other Orca.

We hope that Lolita’s health and safety are taken into account and the top priority during this relocation. She deserves to be free from the cruel abusement park after all of these years. The easiest thing for you to do to help Lolita, and other captive animals like her, is to never buy a ticket to the Miami Seaquarium or any other business like it. Despite all the information available regarding the dangers of keeping cetaceans in captivity, people still visit these parks, so make sure you share this with your network as a reminder to never Support animal cruelty!