For 51 years this killer whale has lived in a tiny tank. Now her health is at risk

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An Orca, Lolita at Miami Seaquarium.





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Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty





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Activist Michelle Morrow tries to convince visitors to turn around at the entrance to the Seaquarium





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A U.S. Department of Agriculture report released last month showed that may no longer be the case. The 17-page document detailed dozens of problems: «critical» issues with the pools and enclosures for dolphins, seals and the killer whale; poor water quality and inadequate shade for the animals. The inspectors said dolphins had been injured and some had died because incompatible animals were often housed together.


Lolita and other animals were fed rotting fish


For Rose, perhaps the most surprising finding in the report is that the Seaquarium deliberately fed Lolita and other animals fish that was going bad. «They fed the animals rotting fish against the advice of their veterinarian,» she says. «Their veterinarian quite logically said, ‘This fish smells bad, don’t feed it to the animals.’ And they did anyway.» According to the USDA report, Lolita’s bloodwork showed inflammation after eight days of eating the bad fish.

The report says Lolita’s trainers continued to override objections by the Seaquarium vet. They cut the amount of fish the orca received each day by 30 pounds. And, despite an injury, they continued to have her perform head-in jumps. Rose says, «She injured her jaw because they were making her do things that she was just too old to do. And the vet told them not to make her do them anymore. And they ignored the vet.»

The Seaquarium wouldn’t make anyone available for an interview to NPR. In a statement, it said it’s «dedicated to delivering the best care to all of our animals» and is working with USDA on issues identified in the report. The current owner, Palace Entertainment, recently sold the attraction. The new owner, the Dolphin Company, which operates 30 marine mammal attractions around the world, has promised to make improvements to the facilities and to allow the county to make unannounced inspections.


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Protesters display messages outside the entrance to discourage visitors to the Seaquarium





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Protesters display messages outside the entrance to discourage visitors to the Seaquarium


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Advocates hope the federal government will support Lolita’s relocation


The head of Miami-Dade’s County-owned Zoo, Will Elgar, evaluated the new owner’s plans, including one specifically for Lolita’s care. At a recent meeting, he encouraged Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners to sign off on the deal. He said, «It’s a great opportunity to have a company that is actually animal focused and conservation-centric coming in to take charge if the transition moves forward of the Seaquarium.»

Outside the Seaquarium last Sunday, protester Thomas Copeland was skeptical that the new owner will be able to make significant improvements to the conditions Lolita has lived in now for more than 50 years. He says, «You cannot put an orca in captivity where it is an environment that’s big enough that matches what it sees in the wild. They swim hundreds of miles in a day. But they can’t do that here in a tank that’s only 20 feet deep at its deepest point.»

Advocates hope that given the findings in the USDA inspection report, the federal government will eventually support Lolita’s relocation. There are plans underway on the West coast and in Canada to build sea pens that someday may provide a protected sanctuary for captive killer whales.