Tokitae has performed in shows for 48 years, doing tricks like jumping, flipping, and lifting trainers in the air. Reports have claimed that she can still be seen leading a pod of killer whales in the Salish Sea in search of salmon. Tokitae’s mother is still alive and thought to be in her 90s. In a report published by the Guardian last August, it was even suggested that she could be reunited with her family. The campaign to free LolitaĪctivists have been campaigning for Tokitae to be returned to the Pacific north-west to live out her final days for some time. “We’re glad to hear that the Dolphin Company is still committed to moving Lolita after decades of being trapped in the smallest orca tank in the world, and suffering from a respiratory infection for which she remains medicated, and hope to see that happen as soon as possible for her sake,” Jared Goodman, vice president of PETA told the Miami New Times. This had led concerned activists to hope that she recovers in time for a safe release into her native waters so that she can live out her days in peace and freedom. It has been confirmed that she is suffering from a severe respiratory infection. Tokitae (also known by her stage name Lolita) cannot yet be transported to her release location of Puget Sound, off the northwestern coast of Washington, as she remains under medical care. In a statement on December 13 2022, Eduardo Albor, CEO of the Dolphin Company, which owns the sea life attraction, said that he and his colleagues are all “100 percent committed” to returning her to her home. Miami Seaquarium, where she is still currently housed, has claimed to be fully onboard with the release, despite refusing such a move for years. Tokitae, a 56-year-old orca, could soon be released back to the Pacific Northwest waters where she was captured in 1970.
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