In a surprise move the federal agency in charge of the welfare of captive marine mammals has brought the curtain down on Lolita, the captive performing killer whale, a fixture of performances at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years.
It remains to be seen if the move by the U.S. Department of Agriculture adds to momentum for the southern resident killer whale's release, long sought by supporters from former Washington Gov. Mike Lowry to nonprofits and the Lummi Nation leaders who regard her as a relative.
Lolita is a member of the southern resident pods that frequent Puget Sound. She was captured in Penn Cove in August 1970 as a young whale and has been performing at the Seaquarium ever since. She is the sole surviving southern resident of the capture era, which killed a third of the pods.
The news was announced Thursday, as the USDA granted an exhibitor's license to MS Leisure Co. The catch: the facility may no longer display Lolita, or a dolphin named Lil also confined with her in Lolita's tank.
MS Leisure decided not to show Lolita anymore, so the new license does not cover showing Lolita, according to a March 2 letter from the USDA.
If the company later wants to show her, it will have to apply for a new license, according to the letter.
The closure of Lolita's exhibit comes amid a drumbeat from activists seeking Lolita's release, and seeking answers following critical findings by USDA inspectors during a routine inspection last September.
Lolita had been fed rotting fish, was being deprived of adequate rations, and was being made to perform high-energy tricks despite injuries to her jaw from a crash during a performance, inspectors reported. Animals in some tanks brought inspectors paint chips peeling from their exhibit. The water in Lolita's tank was so dirty it was murky.
The capture era was ended in Washington in 1976 by state leaders who took the captors to court and won. The captors targeted a generation of young whales because they were the cheapest to ship.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has continued to press a lawsuit for Lolita's release, and praised the decision in a statement Thursday.
"PETA is calling for this to be the first step toward releasing Lolita ... to a seaside sanctuary," said Jared Goodman, PETA Foundation Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Animal Law.
