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Monday 17 February 2014

Lolita the Killer Whale

Lolita is an orca whale captured from the wild in 1970. She has been on display at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida ever since. She is the last surviving orca from a group of almost 50 whales of the Southern Resident Community from the west coast that were captured and used for entertainment between 1965 and 1973.

Lolita was only four years old when she was captured. She has been living in a tank that is only 35 X 80 feet, which is illegal according to the Animal Welfare Act. The tank is also only 18-20 feet deep. There is no protection from the sun, and perhaps worst of all, she is kept alone, socially isolated from any other whales.

The good news is that there is a proposal to retire Lolita in a protected cove near her family's territory. Learn more about Lolita and the full plan for retirement by visiting: Orca Network


Photo of Lolita from Orca Network website