Lolita is a 57-year-old killer whale
Lolita has been at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida for the past 52 years, delighting and awe-inspiring her visitors with her performances. The marine creature, which can swim up to a thousand feet in the deep sea, has lived in a mere artificial pool for half a century. Is there another aquatic creature as lonely as her? Lolita’s performances were highly admired. Those who fell in love with her returned to the seaquarium again and again, while others struggled for years for release into the vastness of the sea. Those struggles are coming to an end. The long-standing demand of environmentalists and NGOs has finally been met.
The oldest orca whale ever to be tamed is preparing to head out to sea again at age 57, never to return. Seaquarium officials informed that Lolita will be released within the next two years. Lolita will be released into the Salish Sea.
Kiska’s death and Lolita’s release
The death of Kiska, an orca whale in Canada that had been living alone for a long time, was big news. Captured in 1979, Kiska lived alone in Canada’s Marineland theme park for more than a decade. The video footage of Kiska injuring herself by banging her head on the cage and so on was criticized in the social media. Lolita’s release announcement comes amid a large number of clamoring for their release. The release request was approved by the authorities when The Dolphin Company took over the management of the seaquarium in 2021.
The mass die-off of domesticated killer whales around the world has sparked protests. According to reports so far, about 174 orcas have died in the cages. There are 18 orcas in captivity at SeaWorld in America alone.
From seashells to seaquariums
Lolita arrived at the Miami Seaquarium in the 1970s when orca whales were poached on a massive scale. Lolitha was only four years old when she was caught. She was eight with Lolitha
Orca whales were also caught. Her captors later sold Lolita to the Miami Seaquarium. At that time Lolita’s shows were held with Hugo, another Southern resident. But in 1980, Hugo Pranan died after repeatedly hitting his head in the seaquarium. Lolita’s lonely days began from there. It has been four decades that Lolitha has passed in solitude without any other companion. The 20-foot-long Lolita was allotted a very small space in the aquarium. A United States Department of Agriculture inspection found the Miami Seaquarium’s animals inadequately cared for.
Preparations
Lolitha will be under observation for 24 hours after release. Lolita will be housed in a marine sanctuary between Washington and Canada. Lolita has been eating food provided by park staff for years. So here whale experts will train Lolita to catch prey and more. The whale will be kept under observation until it adapts to new conditions.
Get together with mom?
A 90-year-old orca nicknamed Oceanson, believed to be Lolita’s mother, is believed to still be in the sea. Therefore, Lolita is considered likely to mate with the mother whale once freed. Among those who raised their voices for Lolita’s release were stars including Johnny Depp. In the 21st century, large-scale training of orca whales began to be used for exhibitions.
Endangered
Although they are known as killer whales, they belong to the dolphin family. The main habitat is the North Pacific Ocean. There is no evidence that this killer whale has killed humans in the oceans. In 2005, this category of killer whales was declared endangered.
Orca whales are also highly intelligent creatures. Orca whales can be seen in small groups. Male whales can weigh up to 9,800 kg. They are also one of the rare species that can recognize themselves by looking in the mirror. Orcas spend 90 percent of their time in the ocean. Female whales weigh less than male whales.
