Photo: Averette | Wikimedia Commons
Tokitae, a killer whale who has been in captivity for more than fifty years at the Miami Seaquarium, will be returning to her native waters in the Pacific Ocean’s Salish Sea. Tokitae, who is also known as Lolita, is the oldest killer whale in captivity at 57. She is about 7,000 pounds and 20 feet long, but spends her life in a tank 80 feet long and 35 feet wide, which is the smallest tank in North America, according to a nonprofit animal rights and rescue organization In Defense of Animals. It is hoped that Tokitae will be able to make the journey to her home waters in the next 18 to 24 months, the joint press release said. Her most recent independent examination by veterinarians indicated that her health and daily activities were “becoming reasonably stable.” “The story of Lolita the orca has been near and dear to my heart. I am proud -- and enthusiastic -- to play a role in finally returning Lolita to her native Pacific Northwest,” said Jim Irsay, a philanthropist and owner of the NFL football team the Indianapolis Colts.
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