The Oldest Orca Held 53 Years in Captivity Dies Ahead of Release
Jakarta – Lolita, the beloved killer orca who captured hearts while in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium over the last 53 years, has died just before she was set to be released back into the wild.
The Miami Seaquarium announced on social media on Friday that Lolita, who also goes by “Toki” or “Tokitae,” started showing “signs of discomfort” earlier this week. This prompted Miami Seaquarium staff and Friends of Toki medical team to begin treating her “immediately and aggressively,"
However, the aquarium said that “despite receiving the best possible medical care,” she ultimately died on Friday afternoon from what experts believe “to be a renal condition” — or kidney failure.
Lolita si Paus Orca
- USA Today
“Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family,” the Miami Seaquarium wrote on social media.
“Those of us who have had the honor and privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit.”
The news sent shockwaves through the Miami community, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Lolita’s death.
"Our collective wish was to see Toki in her native waters and we are heartbroken to learn of this sudden loss," Cava wrote.
She continued: “Alongside the many Miamians who grew up visiting her, the generations of activists around the world that were inspired by her story, and the caretakers who remained dedicated to her until the end - today, we say our final goodbye to our beloved Toki.”
"Watching Tokitae wither away in captivity broke my heart," Lindsay Oliver, Executive Director of World Animal Protection, United States.
"She deserved the freedom of the open sea, not a life confined to a small tank. It's time for this industry to end, so no more animals have to suffer like this. Swim free, Tokitae."
