FOR RELEASE October 11, 2008
Contact: Howard Garrett or Susan Berta
Co-founders, Orca Network
(360) 678-3451
info@orcanetwork.org
www.orcanetwork.org
Starting at noon on Saturday, October 11, about 50 protestors assembled at the entrance of the Miami Seaquarium to demand that the park's management agree to return the captive orca Lolita to retire in her native waters. Shelby Proie (saveouroceansnow@gmail.com) organized and led the demonstration.
A small plane flew a banner eight times around the park with the message: "Let Lolita Retire - www.orcanetwork.org."
Lolita was captured in Puget Sound WA in 1970 and has outlived all the other orcas captured before 1973, 44 in all, by over 20 years. It's a miracle she's still alive, but there's still the chance that if retired in her home waters she could live another 3 or 4 decades and be able to communicate with her family of birth. Since 1995 a campaign has been waged in concert with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island WA. Since 1976 CWR has led the scientific field studies that established the demographic makeup of the Southern Resident orca community, Lolita's extended family.
The studies have shown that unlike any other wildlife known to science, the offspring of both genders remain with their mothers for life. They communicate using vocalizations that are completely unique from all other orcas worldwide, and Lolita continues to use those calls on a daily basis.
From the transport to her retirement in a protected bay pen in her native habitat, there is no real risk at any stage of the proposal to retire Lolita. On the other hand, every day that she remains captive at the Seaquarium she is in danger, as shown by the 44 of her family members who have died in captivity, many in larger facilities.
Orcas are believed to be the most socially bonded mammals, but since 1980 Lolita has been solitary in a 35' wide and 20' deep tank that does not meet the minimum requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.
The only obstacle to Lolita's retirement is the intransigence of the management of the Miami Seaquarium and the refusal of the USDA to enforce the Animal Welfare Act.
The New York Whale and Dolphin Action League
PO Box 273, Tuckahoe, NY 10707 USA
Phone: 914-793-9186
Email: ny4whales@optonline.net
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A Project of Cetacean Society International
URL for this page: http://ny4whales.org/news20081013.html