Lolita the Orca

[eamber729]

it is very sad to say the least, but i wouldnt want her to die like sweet Keiko. They should just relocade her to a bigger pool for the rest of her life, shes been captive for so long there is not way she can survive in the wild for long.

[TroWu]

she was in that tank when I was born 24 years ago.... that is so freaking sad!!!

[krystalj13]

i went to miami this past labor day weekend and i did go and see the lolita she is in a small tank.... they need to build her a bigger tank or give her to sea world that she would be care of and swim in a bigger tank.... now she has 4 other dolphins in her tank with her....sharing it is so sad....

[WolfPark101]

I don't see why everyone feels so sorry for Lolita and yet they support SeaWorld. SeaWorld is no better than Miami Seaquarium, SeaWorld puts chemicals in the water that are highly dangerous to the orca's health, they put different breeds of orcas in with eachother that is also dangerous to their health, captive orcas have a reduced lifespan of up to 70%, the orcas are forced to swim in small circles day in and day out that is also hazardous to their health. If you have a heart, AGREE TO STOP SW!

[leanne4orcas]

It is absolutely horrible that they have Lolita in a kiddy pool. She is now at least 21 feet long and her tank is only 20 feet deep. I just went to the San Juan Islands, Washington where Lolita was captured and much of her family is still alive, even the whale they believe to be Lolita's mother. In the past 30 years there has been much research on orcas. The orcas in that area will not go to the cove where Lolita was captured; they passed the story to their young. Send Lolita home to L-Pod.

[fairplay9449]

is it possible to let her free? wouldnt she die out now? im guessing after 39 years your instincts arent as good:( poor whale

[brittboo858]

@fairplay9449 Not necessarily animals are very intelligent and can often adapt very well. Even if she dies a year or two later. I think it would be better to have her die with her family then in a small tank.

[LaFloful]

170 million dollars.... it only takes max. 2-4 million dollars to build a new tank for her, or free her

[bipolarbat]

"Children see mere shadows of animals, defeated beings who are not behaving as they should and cannot do what nature intended for them. And these parks teach all the wrong lessons: that it is acceptable to imprison animals; to deprive them of freedom of movement and thought; to forbid them the chance to establish their natural territory and explore; to breed and separate them as we, not they, please; and to let them go insane from loneliness." -PETA

[raptormarlins211]

this is sad. i feel bad for lolita. i bet you she dreams about being released and seeing her/his parents.

[14dlns]

so sad!! The part about how she's in this tank while we're doing everything else is very moving. Now, whenever somebody tells me something they did like "in 1984 I graduated college" or something, I think "wow, lolita was already in captivity 23 lears by then." Keep spreading the message!!!

[Morningdew1435]

Oh my God....

That's horrible.... ):

That's so sad :(

I can't believe someone would do this T_T

Can't someone DO something about this?! I want to help!

[peepchick101]

Please, everyone who is touched by Lolita's story, boycott the Miami Seaquarium for her sake. I know we can have her successfully retired.

[zippper4]

Totally agree with what you say in this video !

[metridium]

30 years of federal documents pertaining to marine animals and found that nearly 4,000 sea lions, seals, dolphins, and whales have died in captivity, and of the 2,400 cases in which a cause of death was listed, one in five animals died of uniquely human hazards or seemingly avoidable causes. Sun-Sentinel 2004

[laurenAmbrose]

I feel so bad for that poor whale!!!

[swimmergrl93012]

wow that is so sad! i live in california and go to seaworld now i feel bad for going! i love orcas!

[majaorca100]

it's a crime....

[UlyssesFan]

very touching

[raptormarlins211]

its sad to see that i tried to get her out with a lawsuit but failed miami seaquarium is to tought

[peepchick101]

What kind of lawsuit did you attempt? Were you with an organization? If you'd like to try again, you should contact ARFF (animal rights foundation of florida). They have dealt with Seaquarium before and they're a good animal organization.

[raptormarlins211]

i have many lawsuits on them but i failed they just messed me up and stole money from me now im done im contacting the mayor of miami to get them shut down for stealing money from me before i put a lawsuit on them and im thinking of putting a hit on them if lucky

[sparklywindsield88]

They moved the dolphins that were there with her!? I know that it was way smaller but at least she wasn't completly alone!

[peepchick101]

They actually added dolphins to her tank. They brought in two dolphins from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago (where I live) for breeding purposes. So Kri, Tique, Loki, Lii and the new calf will all be in the same tank when the calf is done nursing. Ohana the dolphin was sold to Shedd though.

[sparklywindsield88]

Wow! At least she has some companions. But she still needs so much more room. All of them do.

[DarkTripods07]

lolita hade enough at Miami Seaquarium now, she really needs to get home 8)

[IrishNicky08]

Peepchick, I really admire your work and effort for Lolita. It is so cruel, what they do to her. The part at 0:46, was, for me, pretty hard. I believe, that orcas, who were taken from the wild, are slaves now, living in those tanks.

Keep up the great work Peepchick!

[savelolitatheorca]

Poor Lolita....I just wish they'd let her go and let her see her family again...it's not fair keeping her caged all alone in there...

[Taikkah]

If you go to Miami Seaquarium you should question the trainers and make them very unconfortable, all while filming it. In your other new video of the trainer her exuse for lolitas tank was pathedic. You should have say its illegal. Im so mad at her caretakers. More like jailkeepers... Its sick. :c Its also horrible that the USDA hasnt done anything about it yet.

[FlightlessBird3264]

esto es tan triste! como pueden ser tan desconsiderados? que los dueños de miami seaquarium traten de estar tan solo 1 semana es ese tanque,, solos, van a tener conciencia de lo que sufre esa pobre criatura... muy conmovedor y triste a la vez este video, te felicito (Y)

[PhoenixFireAsh]

you know what's really ironic? there's an advertisement directly above peepchick's info (username, Subscribe button, date the video was uploaded, etc) on the upper right-hand corner of this page, advertising a Miami Seaquarium swim with the dolphins program, lol.

[Thedudeinthemask]

Awesome, as always

[peepchick101]

Thanks very much :)

Always good to have your support!

Keep up the good work "across the pond!"

[CDLver]

Nothing, absolutely nothing, gives you miserable animal profiteers the right to cage and isolate Lolita from all that is natural to her!

[dreamwildly]

depressing.... and shameful!

[Kaliamammamia]

Should've mentioned the gates in the pool, maybe you did, i didn't notice anything about it but the gates limit her space also making it no doubt illegal even though it's part of the pool. Breeding loan or not it doesn't make it acceptable to keep her in an even smaller space from before is just inhumane. Plus the fact her fish is cut up and they say she's "picky" but every single killer whale at sea world has whole fish and none are "picky" with their food. psh, get her a bigger tank already.

[peepchick101]

Couldn't agree more.

Kri and Tique have no reason to be in the back part of the pool. They are lags, just like Lii and Loke, who Lolita appears to get along with. They shouldn't be taking up space in her already tiny tank. It's pathetic because the trainers at Shedd Aquarium, who are loaning Kri and Tique act like they don't know where she went. I said something like "They're in a much smaller tank now" and the trainers are like, "Really? We haven't seen the facility."

[majaorca100]

I can't stand it either. I think she will remain in that shitty tank till she dies. Everyone who visits this aquarium is part responsible for her continued confinement...some people say they love orcas but still visit this cruel park....no one should visit it anymore, as long as people keep coming, they still make money and they won't let her go...greedy bastards...

[peepchick101]

I believe that even if Miami Seaquarium made a new tank, which I highly doubt they will - because of their lack of money, lack of space, etc - I would have a very, very hard time forgiving them for making Lolita spend 39 years in that tank. Plus, she would still be alone, without other orcas. They should really just consider selling/trading her to a Sea World park or allowing her to live in a sea pen.

[Mimolafidjo]

But if Seaquarium is closed, would Lolita or the other captured animals there still get the funding for their caring. And, if she's released to the vast ocean, after 39 years in that cramped "room", would she be able to survive on her own? :'

All of the sudden, Elsa the Lioness flashed through my mind.

[peepchick101]

If Seaquarium were closed, some of their animals could be returned to the wild - such as the fish, sea turtles, etc. Lolita would be rehabilitated in a natural sea pen off the coast of Puget Sound and slowly introduced back to her family. If it didn't work out, she could choose to swim back into the sea pen to live under human care. The dolphins and seals could be brought to larger, more suitable aquariums or possibly also rehabbed to go back to their habitats in the wild.

[peepchick101]

Luckily, many dolphins, such as Bahama Mama, Rocky and most recently Cutter, have been released back to their pods in the wild after years in captivity. Some captive-born dolphins have even been successfully freed. Notable freed orcas include Charlie Chin, Taku and Keiko.

There is also a dolphin "retirement" center in Key West where old or injured/sick dolphins can live in a sea pen under human care.

[Mimolafidjo]

The sea pen. I see. Well, this is comforting. Thank you for explaining. Then, something really must be done so that Lolita and the others can get the chance to "see the world" before they leave planet Earth.

[AquaShamu]

I can't stand it. She's just stuck there. While we're living our lives, she's there. Lonley...

[toa719]

i agree Lolita has paid her debts allready

[HuNniEcHaN]

lolita's almost 3 times older than me...it's astonishing to think she's been in that cramped tank for nearly 3 times longer than i have lived.

[peepchick101]

Yes, it's crazy to think about!

I'm actually in Friday Harbor WA where she was captured right now and I saw her family pod yesterday, swimming along the shoreline. They are so free and beautiful and all she can do is sit, alone, in her small tank, while they are going 30 miles an hour, through the ocean.

[HuNniEcHaN]

i heard she also shared the same small tank with another orca named Hugo and many small dolphins, right? Wow...two orcas in that small tank? it's unbelieveable.

[peepchick101]

Yes, that's true. Hugo and Lolita shared the tank for 10 years.... ten long years in that tiny tank! Right now, three dolphins live with her. There have been about 10 dolphins that have died in her tank, along with a pilot whale and of course, Hugo. He died in 1980. very sad for her to see all those friends die!

[giogioproductions]

Well done with the video. It's cruel what they've done to Lolita (who I was informed of by a friend, the same one who showed me this video). This video made me really sad, made me want to do something...

[peepchick101]

There is a documentary about her called Lolita: Slave to Entertainment and it's online for free, under Google videos search. I have showings of it at my house sometimes and it really educates people. I always encourage others to show it too. We can also help Lolita by telling others about why we must boycott Miami Seaquarium.

Thank you for your support! Together we are strong!

[xeniakennedy]

so sad!

if it's illegal then she should be set free NOW

[guttedreason]

It's heartbreaking that she's been kept so long. Keep fighting for her. Never give up, never surrender!

[AquaTeal334]

they have to let her out!

Im surprised shes lived this long

[hyperholic34]

miamiseaquarium- come make friends? yeah right, more like come capture innocent animals and force them to do tricks just to get us money.

[obituarybirthday]

There aren't even words for how awful this must be for Lolita... I still can't believe they're getting away with it, certainly says a lot about the law system.

[AnimalLover0077]

beautiful video niki....this will show people how it feels like to be an orca in captivity.Very moving....Locking up an amazing creature for ENTERTAINMENT! its unbelievable. it makes me cry

Im amazed that miami seaquiam says "lolita is happy" when shes locked

Miami seaquiam is just doing to for money.

Lolita WILL be free one day its just up to us to make her dreams come true.

[SweetMe001]

yeah well... how do we know its not a diffrent whale?

like... the real Lolita could have died years & years ago.

they could be replacing the whale =/

but i agree, free lolita (:

[peepchick101]

Lolita's markings - the saddle patch behind her dorsal fin, her dorsal fin itself, and the black spots on her chin - are the marks we can use to identify her. Judging by pictures from her capture, pictures of her and Hugo, pics of her in the 80s/90s and the ones from today - she is the same whale, which almost makes it even sadder because she's been there that much longer, alone :(

[cowgirl22hannah]

yes well done,i like the new approach

[RingneckDoveFan]

Weird, I was thinking the same thing a while back, my whole life, Lolita has been in this tank. When I told my mom when she was 7, Lolita was in this tank from then on. She was like...wow. You even think, she has been in this tank forever, what would it be like when she finally leaves? Or if she ever does..

[peepchick101]

Yeah, it's just a very strange thing to think about overall... everyday that you and I have experienced on this Earth - from going to parties to going to class or going on a trip or meeting people - Lolita has been in the same tank. Even before us two knew about her story, she was there.

And she's there right now as I type this and as you read this =/

[MudskipperLover]

Has anybody in Flordia like sued Seaquarium?

[peepchick101]

I believe the Humane Society of the United States sued the Seaquarium in 1996 but nothing really became of that. Seaquarium was fined 44 million dollars in the years following the release of the movie Lolita: Slave to Entertainment, in which structural damage and fire hazards were video taped.

[fighter4paula]

good vid niki. nice way to get people to think about hos she feels.

[peepchick101]

Thank you. It occurred to me the other day that many people I know are under the age of 39 and Lolita has been captive, in that same small tank, for that amount of time... very shocking and surreal.

When I was born, she was in the tank! When I went to birthdays, vacations and everything else through my life, she has been in the tank.