Florida

A Florida aquarium has decided to release a large killer whale held in captivity for more than 50 years. The aquarium has reached a deal with animal welfare advocates to release Lolita, a 5000-pound (2,268 kg) killer whale on Thursday. Lolita, also known by her Native American name Tokitae, is being returned to the ocean after a 2013 documentary highlighted her plight in captivity. 

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The aquarium named Miami Seaquarium said it had reached a ‘binding agreement’ with the nonprofit Friends of Lolita to return the whale to an ocean habitat in the Pacific Northwest within two years. Her plight was widely publicised in the 2013 documentary called Blackfish, which highlighted the captivity of orcas. 

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The orca, aged 57, retired from performances last year when ownership of the aquarium was changed. She was captured at the age of four in 1970 from a cove off Seattle. She then spent decades performing for paying crowds before falling severely ill. 

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Her mother orca, called Ocean Sun continues to swim free with other members of their clan, known as L pod and is estimated to be more than 90 years old now. 

The process to return Lolita to her home was a long and dreadful one, beginning with the transfer of the aquarium’s ownership to The Dolphin Co, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference. The company later partnered with a non-profit organisation to provide medical care to the whale. 

Animal rights advocates for years fought unsuccessfully in court to obtain Lolita's freedom after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added orcas to the endangered species list in 2015. Killer whales are highly social mammals that have no natural predators and can live up to over 80 years. 

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“It’s a step toward restoring our natural environment, fixing what we’ve messed up with exploitation and development,” said Howard Garrett, president of the board of the advocacy group Orca Network, based on Washington state’s Whidbey Island.

“I think she’ll be excited and relieved to be home - it’s her old neighbourhood.”

The process to return Lolita to her natural habitat will require federal approval and her release could take 18 to 24 months and the cost could reach $ 20 million. 

The plan is to transport Lolita by plane to an ocean sanctuary in the waters between Washington and Canada, where she will initially swim inside a large net while trainers and veterinarians teach her how to catch fish.

(With inputs from agencies)

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