A movement has been slowly, yet steadily building in the states of New Hampshire and Florida. Since 2012, a powerful inspiration has been fueling the unity of animal welfare organizations, such as Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Orca Network, motivating legal action, and inspiring many residents to stand up and spread the word. What is this amazing inspiration? A lonely, yet strong survivor named, Lolita.
Who Is Lolita?
Formerly known as Tokitae and renamed by her kidnappers, Lolita is an ocra that was taken from her mother and out of the waters of Puget Sound (Washington State) at the age of 4. She was placed in a tiny tank at Miami Seaquariam where she has remained for nearly 47 years.
How Big Is Lolita?
Approx. 21 ft. long and 7,000 pounds
Her Tank Size
Lolita is kept in the smallest orca tank in the United States, which also technically violates government requirements. There is a ‘work island’ in the center of the tank. The tank is 35 ft. wide from the front wall to the ‘work island’ barrier. The water depth is 20 ft. deep at the deepest point and a mere 12 ft. deep around the edges.
“In the wild, killer whales swim hundreds of miles a day, diving as deep as 500 Feet. In her tank, she swims in circles inside the 35 foot wide area and can only go as deep as 20 feet in a small area in the center of the tank.”
-SaveLolita.org
Why is NH Involved?
Palace Entertainment is the U.S. operating subsidiary of the company that owns Miami Seaquariam, where Lolita is kept in her tiny tank. Palace Entertainment also owns Water Country and Story Land, which are located in NH.
(Above: Lolita Documentary produced by Daniel Azarian, featuring world-renowned biologist Dr. Ingrid Visser. Filmed in Miami, Summer 2013)
Don’t Buy A Ticket
Every time you purchase a ticket to enter Miami Seaquarium, Water Country, Story Land, or any other park owned by Palace Entertainment (or other separately owned parks such as Sea World), you are financially supporting the imprisonment of Lolita and other marine mammals.
1. Learn More:
SaveLolita.org This simple, clear and informative site, includes a summary of Lolita’s story, legislative history, videos and recent updates.
OrcaNetwork.org This site provides extended info, such as more details regarding the retirement proposal for Lolita, expert reports, important links and more.
2. Attend Events:
Shut Down Palace joined the fold in 2015. Their Facebook page provides details on upcoming local events to spread the word of Lolita and their website RetireLolita.com provides additional information and helpful links.
3. Contact Those Responsible For Lolita:
Visit SaveLolita.org and scroll down to the Take Action section to learn how to voice your concerns to the influential parties who hold the authoritative power regarding Lolita’s well-being.
4. Spread The World:
Share Lolita’s story, this blog and the above sites with your family and friends. We can’t change what we don’t know.
And Again - Please Do Not Buy A Ticket
The above picture includes destinations owned by Palace Entertainment according to Palace Entertainment’s website as of March 2017. Palace Entertainment has not provided any direct information, support, or any commentary regarding the information in this blog, nor has any other entity from the destinations included in the picture above. For more details on each location, you may visit the Palace Entertainment website. Purchasing tickets to those locations, continues the financial support of their owner and keepers of Lolita. Palace Entertainment has the power to discontinue backlash, by doing what is right for the public, for their owned destinations, their employees that depend on them, and for Lolita, by allowing her retirement and safe transport to a coastal sanctuary, as proposed by the Orca Network.
