Miami, Florida, March 23rd, 2022:
At a press conference this afternoon, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Danielle Levine Cava, announced an agreement with the new owners of the Miami Seaquarium – the Dolphin Company – regarding the orca Lolita, also known as Tokitae and, by the Lummi Nation of the Pacific Northwest, as Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut.
As part of this agreement, the Dolphin Company will be providing access to Lolita for a team of independent veterinarians and other experts to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of her physical and mental health.
To facilitate this work, an informal coalition of organizations and individuals has been brought together by philanthropist and environmentalist Pritam Singh, who has committed $1 million to support Lolita and established a new non-profit named Friends of Lolita. The Whale Sanctuary Project continues to provide advice and expertise for purposes of addressing Lolita’s health and welfare needs, and our Executive Director Charles Vinick is serving as a volunteer Board member of Friends of Lolita.
The Whale Sanctuary Project will be providing our best resources to this endeavor. And we thank the Mayor, the Dolphin Company, and Friends of Lolita for opening the door to giving Lolita/Tokitae a new and better life.