Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:01 am
Miami Seaquarium, Miami FL - Lolita’s Story
Lolita is a 42 year old captive killer whale (orca) living at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. Since her capture in 1970, she has been kept in a tank that is illegal by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) standards for size requirements. Lolita is approximately 21 feet long and 7,000 pounds. Her tank is a mere 20 feet deep at the deepest point and a mere 12 feet deep around the edges. The pool is only 35 feet wide. The Miami Seaquarium is considered to be one of the most dilapidated aquatic parks in the world. It is in need of major repairs, and per the Marine Mammal Inventory Report, has a substantial death rate for their animals.

Lolita is housed with several dolphins and they perform one or two shows a day, depending on Seaquarium attendence.
Please watch the video to learn more about Lolita’s life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-uqVOhQLnU
Many well intentioned people doubt that Lolita can be safely returned to Puget Sound. Orca researchers and past releases of cetaceans show that captive animals can almost always be successfully reintroduced to their habitats.

In conjunction with Orca Network, wish to see Lolita retired to a bay pen in her native waters off the coast of Washington State. There is a plan devised for her that would allow her to reside in a generously sized bay pen and be taken care of while slowly being re-acclimated to her natural waters. The plan is for her to get used to her natural surroundings while being able to interact with her family (Southern Residents L-pod). If she adapts well and chooses to do so, she may eventually be released to rejoin her pod. If for any reason she decides to return to the bay pen, she will be taken care of by humans for the rest of her life while still being able to live in a spacious, natural environment.

View Orca Network’s detailed retirement plans for Lolita
Only a small hurdle remains in the way of Lolita’s retirement: Miami Seaquarium owners Arthur and Andrew Hertz. Regardless of announcements to build a new tank for Lolita, the Miami Seaquarium has instead focused its improvement projects in a different direction, by building a completely new facility called Dolphin Harbor, to take advantage of the lucrative “swim with the dolphins” craze. Despite her importance to Seaquarium marketing, the focus is now more on the dolphins than aging Lolita. Now is the time to strike with letters, demonstrations, and media attention!

Please visit : http://www.orcanetwork.org/

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:03 am
DRAFT PROPOSAL
FOR RETIRING THE ORCA
KNOWN AS LOLITA
TO HER NATIVE HABITAT
IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

http://www.orcanetwork.org/captivity/2007proposaldraft.html

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:06 am
Please sign and forward http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Retire-Lolita-The-Orca-Whale

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:33 am
noted claldia

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:01 am
I signed in May, Thanks Claudia I hope they free her.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:40 am
I will sign it today.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:45 am
Gee wizz there comes a time when we all need to go on pension... this is her time now

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 9:25 am
noted, petition signed with comment.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 10:52 am
hank you! You signed at 12:27 PM PST, Dec 27, 2008

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 12:07 pm
All done
Thanks Claudia

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 12:46 pm
Thanks Claudia. Signed, sealed and delivered.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 12:48 pm
It really breaks my heart when I read of cases like this.
Innocent creatures been held in any type of captativty for human amusement.
All creatures must be freed.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 1:25 pm
I signed and commented in May. There are those opposed to her release noting she would be unable to survive the wild now. Would starve etc.
EEEK~
Tx ClaudiaXX

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 1:34 pm
Signed! Hope she has the chance to return to her pod.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 2:50 pm
This is the comment that I left, and it goes for elephants, and all other very intelligent, sensitive, social species:
Although I don't believe that it is humane to release her into Puget Sound, I believe strongly that it is our responsibility, all humans, to make right the cruelty we have imposed on sentient species by keeping them in isolation, making them 'perform' etc.. She needs to go to the Pen in Puget Sound NOW!!!!!

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 6:32 pm
Thanks, Claudia. Plase keep us posted.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 8:22 pm
thanks Claudia,I hope one day soon she returns to her pod.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 10:19 pm
Read "An Orca named Lolita" http://www.examiner.com/x-15967-Puget-Sound-Marine-Life-Examiner~y2009m7d9-An-Orca-named-Lolita

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 11:55 pm
WOW thx Claudia, i have been signing petis for years to help free Lolita and she iz still in captivity, such a disgrace, itz a damm wonder sh iz still with us the poor little girl, this iz so freekin sad it makes salt water run from my eyes...

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 2:21 am
Imprisoned for all that time. Disgraceful. All in the name of MONEY. Let her live the rest of her life out where she belongs for heavens sake.

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 5:42 am
It is disgraceful that animals and mammals are kept in captivity in the name of entertainment.This whale should be releast immediatly and allowed to live out the remainder of it's life with it's own kind.

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 6:08 am
Lolita should be released from prison!

Thursday August 27, 2009, 2:49 am
NOTED and signed. Orca"s are children of the wild not meant to be for the so called entertainment of bored and stupid people. Its animal abuse and should be illegal. All animal "entertainment" should be illegal. I think the same about swimming with dolphins. Its unnatural, unnecessary and environmentally unfriendly. Leave those orca"s and dolphins and all life in the seas and oceans alone....

Thursday August 27, 2009, 3:01 am
Signed
thx, Claudia

The petition site: "Retire Lolita the Orca Whale"
signature goal: 100,000; 2,177 signatures

Thursday August 27, 2009, 3:32 am
Signed.

Thursday August 27, 2009, 9:13 am
Noted and I signed the petition a while ago I am always on orcanetwork to see how I can help Lolita we need to get her out of that prison.
Thanks Claudia..

Thursday August 27, 2009, 9:45 am
thank you Claudia.again the rage builds inside me !! again the discust forms and builds inside me against my own kind!! that we could treat such beauty and intelligence with such callious disreguard!will we never learn that sooner or later(hopefully sooner)that we will pay for out crimes against our fellow inhabitants of this wonderful planet,we seem so bent on destroying?i signed and hope it will help make a difference in her life,somehow.although until she is released from that hole,her and all the rest she shares that discusting place with,i don't see much hope for that. thank you againClaudia!

Thursday August 27, 2009, 11:26 am
Thank you Claudia! Good work for our friend Lolita. We shall boycott Miami Seaquarium until she is safely retired!

Friday August 28, 2009, 3:24 pm
I hate to think of Lolita being kept in captivity. What torture for a whale. Hope she can be set free to experience freedom and life back in the sea once more after all these years. Seaquariums and the like are horrid. I hope they'll all be shut down and the trade in capturing whales and dolphins will stop.

Saturday August 29, 2009, 1:23 pm
Petition signed. Thanks Claudia!

Sunday August 30, 2009, 11:33 pm
Noted

Monday August 31, 2009, 4:14 pm
It says I already signed in March (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Retire-Lolita-The-Orca-Whale ) -but why are there still only 2000+something signatures when the goal is 100,000?! Everyone must see how urgent it is for the poor big girl - we need more people to sign!!!