Killer Whale Miami Sea Aquarium pic 18 picture taken May 2000

Lolita the whale's story:She was captured at age 4 from her loving mother-Ocean Sun and the rest of the pod-on August8,1970.At that time,Lolita's name was Tokitae,which she had been named by whale researchers and local residents of the Seattle area.Lolita's family was swimming to an orca whale migration of sort in Puget Sound,Washington State.Speedboats owned by aquariums set chase upon spotting them. The startled families increased speed to escape the loud boats.The people aboard the boats threw ropes and nets into the water. They tried to chase the creatures into a small cove.The adult male of the group,acting as decoys tried to distract the boats and sacrifice themselves for their mates and babies.The orcas were caught in a cove in Penn Harbor. Whales could be heard crying and thrashing for miles.5 of the orcas died during the capture, in which explosives, dynamite, and oars were used. They drowned in the nets in attempt to be with eachother.These bodies were dragged on the boat's decks and their bellies were slit open,filled with lead, anchors were put on their tails,and they were dropped into the ocean.Aquariums did this to hide the evidence but later the bodies washed ashore.The aquariums were sued for what they did to the orca whale species-the captures caused orcas to become an endangered species.Anyway, Lolita was placed into a tank so small it was illegal.It was illegal then and it is illegal now.Marine park standards require a killerwhale's tank to be at least 48 feet in each direction.Lolita's tank is only 30ft by 80ft. Lolita is a whopping 22 ft long.this means the tank is only 1.5 times her size and no bigger than a hotel swimmingpool.Its only ten ft deep! Lolita has not seen another killerwhale since her mate killed himself 25 years ago.Lolita has no shade from the boilinghot sun and she is forced to do pointless unnatural tricks for tiny chunks of rotted dead fish in monotonous uneducational shows.For more information please visit:www.captivitystinks .org or www.miamiseaprison.com

said NeociaLivesOn 2006.12.20 at 18:42:24 PST

I WANT LOLITA TO BE IN THE WILD WITH HER FAMILY

said promero8 2007.05.13 at 11:12:23 PDT

Congratulations on being featured as Member's Choice in the Aquatic section of Pets! Thanks for sharing.

said lovejoy 3 months 12 days ago