Over the past few days, we have been learning new and deeply disturbing facts about life for the marine mammals at the Miami Seaquarium. Best known among them is the orca known as Lolita, who was captured from her family in 1970 at approximately age four and is now 56 years old. She is the most famous orca living in captivity and she spends her days in the world’s smallest orca tank.
The facts we have been learning are detailed in a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of a special inspection that it conducted in June. It begins with the assertion that the Seaquarium’s management has been deliberately ignoring the recommendations of its inhouse veterinarian:
“The facility’s attending veterinarian’s recommendations regarding the provision of adequate veterinary care and other aspects of animal care and use have been repeatedly disregarded or dismissed over the last year.”
In an interview with the Miami Herald, Magdalena Rodriguez, who had been that veterinarian until she was fired in June of this year, says she believes her dismissal was based on concerns she had raised for several years and that coincided with the USDA’s inspection of the facility. Rodriguez says she had warned management about poor water quality, bad food and other serious issues.
“Sidelining the attending vet undermines the entire basis for protecting captive animal welfare in the United States.”As regards the food, the report says that “Beginning February 25th, 2021, poor-quality ‘fragile soft-bellied’ capelin that smelled bad was fed to the marine mammals despite concerns from some of the trainers and the Attending Veterinarian … Medical entries made by [Rodriguez] tracked the effects of the poor-quality fish for her and other animals at the park. One week later [Lolita] developed inflammation according to her bloodwork.”
Rodriguez requested that the bad fish be withheld, but two days later she discovered that “a consulting veterinarian had been contacted without her knowledge and that he had agreed with Facility Curators that the bad capelin could be fed.”
All of this took place despite the fact that “feeding poor-quality fish or partially decomposed fish is detrimental to the health of the animals and can result in illness, compromised immune systems and even death.”
In an extended blog post, Naomi Rose, a member of the Whale Sanctuary Project board and marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute, writes:
“There really isn’t anything worse for a USDA inspector to report than the fact that those in charge of a facility are disregarding their attending veterinarian. Sidelining the attending vet undermines the entire basis for protecting captive animal welfare in the United States.”
Injuries and water contamination
Among other times when the Seaquarium ignored or dismissed the recommendations of its veterinarian is that after Lolita had injured her lower jaw, Rodriguez specifically directed the staff not to request head-in entry jumps or fast swims from Lolita, now a geriatric whale. Yet, regardless of this directive, according to the report, the training manager incorporated extra head-in jumps to its routine and continued fast swims. Her jaw injury likelt occurred during either of these behaviors.
Photo of Lolita by Piotr Domaradzki via Wikimedia
According to the Herald, a government scientist was alarmed at the spike in deaths and flagged the events to the USDA. “Two dolphins and a sea lion died from trauma to the head and neck, while a third dolphin drowned after getting caught in a net that divides two pools. A fourth dolphin died from an unexplained gas embolism and another one was reported as having developmental abnormalities, according to the documents.”
“So much algae it sometimes wasn’t possible to see the bottom of the whale tank.”“In short,” Rose comments, “the dolphins were fighting; two individuals were seriously injured and three died from the trauma their tank mates inflicted … In the wild they would never have associated or would have had plenty of room to escape each other. But at MSQ, apparently, despite one, two, and now THREE dolphins being killed, little to no effort was made to separate incompatible animals, which would have prevented this tragedy from repeating itself. And STILL there has been no enforcement action!”
Another issue was the lack of competent people to care for the animals. “Staff shortages left dolphins, manatees and even the park’s star attraction, Lolita the killer whale, with inadequate care,” Rodriguez tells the Herald. “Broken pumps and malfunctioning filters choked water with so much algae it sometimes wasn’t possible to see the bottom of the whale tank. Records on water quality were inaccurate and managers didn’t keep track of where animals were placed in the park’s different pools, a critical part of safely maintaining captive animals.”
Accreditation questions
Another major question that Rose raises is that, while the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has not accredited the Seaquarium, American Humane has given the facility its certification, saying, “The facility passed rigorous, independent third-party audits to earn the certification.” The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums has also given its accreditation. But why?
“What professionally-accredited zoo or aquarium anywhere on this earth,” Rose asks, “gives BAD FOOD to its animals?”
Photo of Lolita by the Orca Project
What, if anything, will change at the Seaquarium as a result of the government’s report? Very little, Rose predicts. “They will suffer no penalty, they get to keep their [federal] APHIS license, no animals will be confiscated. And NOTHING WILL CHANGE. They are likely to be cited again in the future for similar infractions, because they know they will suffer no real consequences for cutting corners and being lax.”
Rescue efforts
Over the years, there have been numerous efforts on the part of animal protection groups and of the Lummi Nation of the Pacific Northwest to have Lolita returned to her native waters. To the Lummi, she is known as Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, a member of Sk’aliCh’elh family of orcas who call the Salish Sea home and where her mother and other family members still swim the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
A comprehensive operational plan to safely bring her to a secure and protected area within the Salish Sea.As part of our Whale Aid work, the Whale Sanctuary Project has drafted a comprehensive operational plan to safely bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut to a secure and protected area within the Salish Sea where she can thrive in her natal waters while receiving ongoing human care and while prioritizing the wellbeing of the Salish Sea ecosystem and all its inhabitants, including the Southern Resident orcas.
Such a plan would depend on whether Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut could safely make the arduous journey back to her home waters. And bearing in mind her age and the trauma and abuse to which she has been subjected over the years, any such determination can only be made after a careful and complete health evaluation by an independent team of veterinary experts.
Meanwhile, Rose is not confident that waiting for governmental action is going to be productive. “It is now very clear that the law will NEVER protect [Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut]. I don’t know what will work, after all these years of so many people trying to help her, but at the very least, we need to spread the word of what has happened at MSQ. Based on this inspection report alone, MSQ is failing abysmally in its duty of care for this amazing being. Something has to give.”