Coast Salish Lummi Nation, Lolita the orca, the second-oldest orca in captivity, will be returned to her home waters in Puget Sound.The Miami Seaquarium, where Lolita has lived for 53 years, announced the planned relocation at a Thursday press conference along with parent The Dolphin Company, Florida non-profit Friends of Lolita and philanthropist Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts and main donor for the relocation.Miami-Dade Mayor Levine Cava was also in attendance and called the agreement “historic” and a great day for the city, the Miami Herald reported.
Read more: ‘Baby boom’: Banner year for orcas, whales in B.C.’s Salish Sea The relocation is expected to take six to nine months and will cost between US$15 to $20 million.
Before moving the orca across the country, the team will need to secure approval from federal agencies, build a netted pen for her in Puget Sound waters, stock it with dolphins to keep the orca company and hire trainers to help Lolita acclimatize to the wild.“We have to teach her how to catch fish again.
She doesn’t know how to do that anymore, she’s been in captivity too long,” said Eduardo Albor, CEO of the Dolphin Company.Big news!