Imagine being a captive for more than half a century. Being away from your natural world while performing tricks for human entertainment. This was Lolita’s life after she was captured, along with six other killer whales in 1970, in Washington. Lolita, who was also known as Tokitae or Toki, spent more than 50 years of her life in a small fish tank performing tricks for her survival at the Miami Seaquarium. She is finally free now, but her freedom only came through the loss of her life. As the marine world remains in grief, surfing legend Kelly Slater has also voiced his opinion on the terrible life endured by Lolita.

After years of pressure from animal rights groups, concerned authorities did give in as they prepared to move Lolita to her natural waters. However, this move could not come on time, and surf icon Slater expresses what should happen next to the people responsible.

Surfing Legend’s plan for the concerned authorities

Lolita’s demise was attributed to a suspected renal condition, despite the immediate and aggressive medical intervention of a dedicated team. According to a report by The Washington Post, Miami Seaquarium stated, “Over the last two days, Toki started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort. Toki was an inspiration to all.” Lolita’s plight was well documented and many activists and advocates over the years have demanded her release from the Miami Seaquarium. Dolphin Project, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide, also expressed their sorrow for the demise of Lolita.

A part of their Instagram caption read, “Lolita (also known as Tokitae), the subject of a decades-long, global movement to retire her to a seaside sanctuary, has died at Miami Seaquarium. While reports of her deteriorating health have peppered the media over the last several months, this is no easy news to accept.” Legendary surfing icon Kelly Slater also made his feelings known about Lolita’s death by commenting on the Dolphin Project’s Instagram post, which read, “Sad. They should be jailed and fined,” referring to Lolita’s captors. However, this was not the first time Slater was expressing his feelings for Lolita’s ordeal. Tokitae’s death should act as an eye-opener to a lot of people, as her demise highlights the plight of these magnificent creatures.

The terrible predicament of marine animals

Lolita was a captive for more than half a century. Her death underlines the controversies surrounding marine life captivity. According to studies, male orcas have an average lifespan of 30 years (with a maximum of 50-60 years), and female orcas live around 46 years (with a maximum of 80-90 years). The orca whale’s long captivity has prompted discussions about the ethical implications of holding these creatures in enclosed environments. Over the past six decades, more than 130 of the 166 orcas captured from the wild have succumbed to death.

Read more: Colts’ Jim Irsay to Use a Slice of His $4,000,000,000 Net Worth to Rescue an Abandoned Orca From 53 Years of Captivity

Lolita’s passing and her use for human entertainment for more than 50 years put a huge question mark on our relationships with these beautiful creatures. Human beings should learn from this terrible ordeal and aim to spark a renewed dialogue about the future of marine conservation and the complex relationships we share with the creatures of the sea.

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