More than half a century after her capture, for reasons of public spectacle, Killer whale Lolita The plan is to return from the Miami Aquarium to the waters of the Pacific Ocean, where her nearly 100-year-old mother is still believed to be swimming.

The deal was announced during a press conference yesterday, Thursday, by a surprise alliance between a marine theme park owner, an animal welfare organization and an American football team owner.

“I’m glad to be part of Lolita’s journey to freedom. I know Lolita wants to get on the water,” said Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay.

Break! The Dolphin Company, Friends of Toki (aka “Lolita”) and philanthropist @JimIrsey announced today that orca Lolita will finally return to her native waters after 5 decades in a tiny aquarium at the Miami Aquarium. A HUGE thank you to Jim Irsay! Whoever has the resources… pic.twitter.com/wExhG76K9Z

— Colleen (@ColleenKOB) March 30, 2023

Lolita, also known as Tokitae, was only four years old when she was captured in Puget Sound in the summer of 1970. She spent the next decades of her life performing to paying audiences until she fell ill.

Just last year, the Miami Aquarium announced that it would no longer be running the show as part of an agreement with federal regulators. Now Lolita, May 57 and about 2.5 tons, lives in a six-meter depth, measuring 24 by 11 meters.

Today’s announcement of the release of Lolita, the lone killer whale of the Miami Aquarium in the Salish Sea, is grand and ambitious, but the reality is that years of persecution they must overcome first keeps her trapped in a very harrowing hellhole that is killing her. #freetoki pic.twitter.com/OWgudpSlFQ

— Phil Demers (@walruswhisperer) March 31, 2023

Lolita’s mom, Ocean Sun, continues to live at large with other members of the herd, known as Group L, and is believed to be over 90 years old. This gives fans of her release hope that Lolita, too, can live long in the wild.

“This is a step towards restoring our natural environment, recreating what we have destroyed through exploitation and development,” said Howard Garrett, chairman of the Orca Network, an island conservation organization in Washington state. “I think she will be excited and happy to be back home – this is her old neighborhood,” he added.

The agreement between the Irsays, Eduardo Albor, the owner of the Aquarium, and the Friends of Toki has not yet been finalized, as there are obstacles to its approval by the government.

Lolita’s release timeline requires the process to be completed in 18–24 months, and the project could cost $20 million.

Break! @MiamiSeaquarium Announces plans to return #Lolita #killer whale To her “native waters” #Washington After suffering for over 50 years in #Captivity 🙏🌊🐋

MORE: 🌍👉 https://t.co/gswIl5iYSV pic.twitter.com/jPdkAr6DiA

— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) March 30, 2023

According to the plan, the marine mammal will be airlifted to an ocean sanctuary in the waters between Washington and Canada. There she will swim in a fenced area with trainers and veterinarians who will teach her how to fish.

Since killer whales are used to traveling about 100 miles a day, Lolita will need to strengthen her muscles, explains Raynell Morris of the Lummi Native American tribe and a member of Friends of Toki.

“He was four years old when he was captured, so he learned to hunt. She knows the song of her family. He will remember it, but it takes time,” she says.

Lolita will be supervised around the clock until she acclimates to her new environment. The caretakers in the aquarium are already preparing her for the journey.

The whaling legacy of the 1960s and 70s continues to haunt a distinct group of endangered salmon-eating killer whales known as southern killer whales that spend most of their time in the waters between Washington and Canada.

Whaling in the 1960s and 70s still haunts a separate group of endangered killer whales that feed on salmon and spend most of their time in the waters between Washington and Canada.

During these hunts, at least 13 killer whales were killed, and another 45 were captured and released to theme parks around the world for public entertainment, reducing the Puget Sound population by about 40% and causing inbreeding.

Today, only 73 individuals of this species remain in the range, which includes three family groups.

The release of Lolita, the oldest orca in captivity, required years of pressure from organizations and activists who did not want the 57-year-old killer whale to suffer the same fate as her friend Hugo, who died of a brain aneurysm in 1980 after multiple strokes. repeatedly banged his head against the walls of his tank.

Source: Associated Press.