“Compassion encircles the earth for all beings everywhere”
Unknown
Most people know the story of Lolita (first called Tokitae).
But let me give you the short story of this lonely whale.
Lolita was captured on August 8, 1970 in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island.
Lolita (first called Tokitae) was recorded to be about 14 feet long and 4-6 years old at capture, though witnesses say she was probably no more than 12 feet long and only 3-4 years old.
She was sent to the Miami Seaquarium in Florida, where she arrived September 24, 1970 to be a playmate for the young male orca named Hugo who had been captured in Puget Sound in February, 1968. Hugo was from Lolita's family.
Hugo was often aggressive or withdrawn, and finally died in 1980 of a brain aneurysm from ramming the walls of his tank. He was about 15 when he died. The six other young whales exported from Lolita's capture went to parks in Texas, Australia, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. All died within a few years.
Loilta is the oldest living whale in captivity, she has spent the past 39 years, performing reliably, entertaining visitors at the Miami Seaquarium with her power and grace .
It is believed that Lolitas mother, and some family members still pass threw where they were ripped from one another so many years ago.
She is an excellent candidate to be retired in a monitored sea-pen in preparation for rejoining her family in her home waters, but objections to her return by the park have so far prevented the move.
This past week all of Lolitas shows have been canceled for what the MSA says is for a toothache....whatever the truth may be, I want to say a prayer for Lolita....
"Forgive us, dear Lolita, for all that we have done to harm you. There is light in us and we send it out on this night to you, the ocean, the earth, and all the creatures that inhabit this planet. May this great force that is within us be strong enough to heal us. We are all one, the earth, the ocean, everything—every one"
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