Yesterday, the Miami Seaquarium announced the death of Tokitae/Lolita, the orca who had been at the center of so much controversy over her life. Toki had been slated for relocation to a sea pen in her birth waters off the Pacific Northwest, a move which delighted some, happy to see her restored to (close enough to) her natural habitat, and enraging others, who were sure that the move would kill the elderly, change-averse animal.
We’ll never know, at any rate.
I know that this animal touched the lives of a lot of people over the past several years, from the indigenous communities who felt bound to her to the keepers and trainers who were with her day in and out. Her passing closes a major chapter in the lives of many people. It also closes a chapter for the Seaquarium, which has almost been defined by this animal (often in a negative light) for so long.
My condolences to all who knew her, cared for her, and wanted what was best for her - even if they couldn’t agree as to what that was.
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