Lolita, the orca whale that for years was an attraction at the Seaquarium in Miami, Florida, died Friday while trying to realize plans to free her. He was 57.
She was 57 years old and had made headlines recently because of plans to pull her out of the amusement park. Also known as Toki, by those who advocated for her freedom, she had recently faced health problems, according to local media.
["The Loneliest Orca in the World": Follow the fight to free Lolita, the main attraction at a Miami aquarium]
They will release the orca Lolita, after living 50 years in captivity in a Miami aquarium
March 31, 202304:20
In a recent message from the Seaquarium he claimed that Lolita had developed a kidney condition.
"Toki was an inspiration to all of us who were fortunate enough to know her story and especially to the Lumni nation who considered her family," they said in a statement quoted by the Miami Herald, referring to the indigenous community of the natural waters of Washington state, where she was captured at age 4.
Lolita, the main attraction of the Seaquarium in Miami, Florida, was the sole survivor of all the orcas that were captured with her on the coasts of the United States and sold to the entertainment industry in 1970, when these hunts were still legal. There, her trainers exhibited her twice a day in shows where the imposing animal pleased the audience with its striking fart noises and acrobatic jumps.