For half a century, Lolita the orca languished in captivity. Her sad story came to an even more tragic end when she died at the Miami Seaquarium on August 18, 2023… just as preparations were underway to finally reunite Lolita with her family in the wild. Lolita’s story is a stark reminder of the cruelty and injustice faced by majestic creatures confined for human entertainment. Her suffering cannot be in vain.
Sign the petition now to demand that Congress pass a federal law in honor of Lolita to immediately phase out captive orcas across America!
At just 4 years old, Lolita was captured and ripped away from her family. Over five decades later, the orca many believe is her mother, Ocean Sun, still swims where they were so cruelly separated. It is heartbreaking that they will never reunite.
Lolita’s kidnapping and life represent a broader issue – the cruel practice of keeping intelligent, social, and massive marine mammals in constrained environments. The captivity of these beings, like Lolita, results in premature deaths and psychological suffering. Their large size, combined with their intelligence and complex social structures, means that confinement takes a heavy toll. They are unable to swim vast distances or dive deep, essential behaviors in the wild, and they are often isolated, leading to intense loneliness and stress.
California’s Orca Protection Act stands as a beacon of hope for these magnificent creatures. By prohibiting the breeding, performance, and captivity of orcas for entertainment, California has set a precedent that the rest of the nation must follow.
In memory of Lolita, we urge Congress to craft a federal law that not only upholds the values of California’s Act but takes it a step further. The goal of this proposed law should be to phase out orca captivity nationwide, ensuring that future generations of these marine giants live free in their natural habitats, unburdened by the constraints and traumas of captivity.
Let Lolita’s legacy be one of hope and change.
Sign the petition to call upon Congress to champion a comprehensive law that phases out orca captivity across the entire nation. In honoring Lolita, we champion the rights and dignity of her kind.
What you can do
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This article by Mathew Davis was first published by One Green Planet on 31 August 2023. Lead Image: Kamira/Shutterstock.
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