It may take 18 to 24 months for Tokitae, a Southern Resident killer whale better known by her stage name of Lolita, to be back home to the Pacific Northwest, but plans to get her there are underway.
An agreement for the move once thought impossible was announced during a news conference Thursday held by the Miami Seaquarium, along with Florida nonprofit Friends of Lolita and philanthropist and owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts Jim Irsay.
Full details of the plan have not yet been released, but one speaker mentioned the need to use a traditionally military transport plane known as a C-17 aircraft.
"Tokitae has spent 52 years in a small pool in the Miami Seaquarium. For decades people have been trying to bring her back to her ancestral waters – Lummi elders, activists and marine biologists have spent decades trying to negotiate her release," FOX13 reported.
FEDS SEEK PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSAL TO ADD CAPTIVE ORCA LOLITA TO ENDANGERED GROUP
The orca was reportedly pulled from the waters of Washington state in 1970 when she was around four years old, making her now believed to be around 57. She is believed to be the oldest held in captivity.
In the last few years, Lolita had retired from performing, apparently due to falling ill, and the Dolphin Co. purchased the Miami Seaquarium.
Initial estimates for the cost to move the orca are between $15 million and $20 million, and would likely be backed by a number of large financial backers. The final plan would also need approval from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, according to FOX13.
"If Lolita is finally returned to her home waters, there will be cheers from around the world, including from PETA, which has pursued several lawsuits on Lolita’s behalf and battered the Seaquarium with protests demanding her freedom for years," Jared Goodman, PETA Foundation vice president and general counsel for animal law, said in a statement Tuesday.
Currently, Lolita is receiving round-the-clock care from a team of dedicated experts, WSVN states.
"Her most recent independent health and welfare assessment indicated that her energy, appetite and engagement in daily activities are becoming reasonably stable," the TV station's report reads.
