Announcement on Lolita the orca’s future to be made at Miami Intercontinental Hotel – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

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MIAMI (WSVN) – Lolita, the orca whale also known as Tokitae or Toki, is set to make a long-awaited return to her home in the Pacific Northwest after over 50 years in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium. An announcement will be made on Thursday in the Miami Intercontinental Hotel by Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team, who partially funded the cause.

At 11:30 a.m., Eduardo Albor, CEO of the Dolphin Company, Pritam Singh with Friends of Toki, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Lavine Cava are set to speak at the event as well.

Last year, Lolita’s health began to decline, which led her to stop performing. With her health now stable, a homecoming for Lolita is possible.

A federal report alleged that she was kept in inhumane conditions at the Miami Seaquarium.

The Dolphin Company, which took over the Seaquarium in 2021, has worked with advocates like Irsay and Singh to potentially move her.

Jared Goodman, the General Counsel for PETA, expressed his satisfaction with the change of ownership at the Miami Seaquarium.

“The takeover of the facility by the Dolphin Company has been willing to work with Friends of Toki to potentially move her,” said Goodman. “The former owners of the Seaquarium have never been willing to have those discussions before.”

Lolita’s move has to be approved by the Federal Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. It is estimated it will cost $15 to $20 million to move Lolita from South Florida to Washington.

Lolita was captured in the 1970s and has lived in a small enclosure at the Seaquarium ever since. She is the second oldest orca to be held in captivity.

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