Lolita the Orca Dies At Miami Seaquarium

worldanimalnews.com/beloved-orca-lolita-has-died-at-miami-seaquarium/​

Lolita, the Orca who gained international recognition after news that she was going to be released back in to the wild, tragically passed away this week at The Miami Seaquarium. Lolita passed away after what experts believe to be a renal condition after she took a turn for the worst a few days prior to her passing. This story is beyond saddening as Lolita was on track to taste freedom after several decades trapped in a bathtub at the Miami Seaquarium, only to pass away before she had that chance. Lolita was 56 years old, and spent 2/3 of her life in confinement for entertainment purposes.

Not my photo. Image taken from World Animal News

Lolita's story is a tragic one, but it should serve as a reminder that these beautiful, intelligent creatures do NOT belong in captivity. Lolita was 56 years old, 56!! That's a lifetime of hell and captivity imposed on a creature, and for what? So stupid humans can watch them do tricks, forced upon them by their "trainers". There is hardly anything educational about watching dolphins, sea lions, walrus', or orcas, performing stupid tricks for a clapping audience, and then leaving them in their tiny, prison-like enclosures until the next time they're forced to dance and jump through hoops for human entertainment.

In most cases, orca's like Lolita are plucked from the wild, and forced in to confinement for the rest of their long lives. When you consider Lolita's age, that's a literal lifetime of knowing nothing but forced performances and confinement. We are imposing a life-sentence on wild animals for our own selfish desires and forcing them in to a lifetime of servitude. These creatures knew freedom, which makes it even worse that they spend their entire lives confined until they die miserably. 

The argument that these shows or forced confinement of these species, is in any way educational, is simply our way of justifying the abuse we impose on them. The National Geographic enterprise would be considered educational. We can watch through their eyes how these creatures live and interact in the wild without adversely affecting them. To argue that forcing a wild animal in to confinement and servitude is educational in any way is embarrassing and a grotesque abuse of our ability and power over wild animals. It's time to empty these places and return these beautiful creatures back in to their natural habitats.

Lolita's story is tragic but she will not be the last orca to die in a bathtub. We must use her tragic story as motivation to advocate for the release of captive orcas, dolphins, and other aquatic creatures. We do NOT need to watch them doing tricks. We need to release them and free them from the horrors we've imposed on them for our own gratification.

HAPPY VEG