Lolita the Orca Passes Away at 57 After Decades in Captivity

Lolita, also known as Tokitae or Toki, the beloved orca who resided at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years, has passed away at the age of 57. Her demise was attributed to old age and various chronic health conditions, as revealed in a report by the Miami Seaquarium.

On August 18, Lolita's life came to a peaceful end, and her remains were transported to the University of Georgia for a necropsy, which took place the following day. The Seaquarium has now shared an executive summary of the necropsy results with the Miami Herald.

The findings confirmed earlier announcements from the Seaquarium, which had identified kidney failure as the primary cause of her passing. The necropsy also uncovered additional health issues, including acute and chronic bronchointerstitial pneumonia, renal degeneration, and a chronic heart condition pointing to the degeneration of cardiac valves.

Lolita's death is a significant loss, as it marks the end of her five-decade-long captivity at the Miami Seaquarium.

Efforts to secure her freedom from the aquarium have been ongoing for years, championed by animal rights activists. In March, the Seaquarium's relatively new owner, The Dolphin Company, and the nonprofit organization Friends of Toki unveiled a plan to potentially relocate her to a natural sea pen in the Pacific Northwest, with the financial support of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

Last spring, Lolita retired from performing as a condition of the park's new exhibitor's license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As a result, she had not been showcased to the public. Recent improvements were made to enhance the water filtration system and regulate water temperature in her pool.

The relocation plan would have required approval from both federal and state regulators, a process that could have taken months or even years to complete. Lolita had spent her last years in a tank measuring 80 feet in length, 35 feet in width, and 20 feet in depth.