#tokitae

[blackandwhiteproductions]

Lolita has officially passed away, condolences to her true trainers and the people who truly knew her

[beandrawings]

In loving memory of Tokitae ❤️

[heckyeahponyscans]

Tokitae is dead.

I wonder if Miami Seaquarium knew she was declining and obfuscated it. If she died after getting transferred to a sea pen then they could blame the journey across the country, or the sea pen, for her death.

Tokitae's mother, Ocean Sun (age 95), survives her and still swims free in the Salish Sea.

[cipher-the-sidhe]

I don’t think I can adequately put into words the grief of watching the fight of three generations- 50 years of struggle and prayers- for our beloved sea-cousin’s return home crash and burn only feet from the finish line.

She was almost here. She was nearly home. She could have died in the waters of her ancestors, where her mother swims and her cousins are born and live and die. 50 years of fighting to bring her back and this time, just this once, we thought we’d won. Tokitae was coming back to us, where she belonged.

And the thing is, I never expected that for Tillikum. Or for Kasatka, or Corky, or Kiska, or for any of the others really. But Toki? The end was in sight and a lifetime of prayers built up in me and I positively burned with hope. I wanted so so so badly for her to make it back home, no matter how short it would be for her after. I wanted so so so badly for her not to die in that awful place.

Tokitae, I am so sorry for how we failed you. I am sorry for how much we’ve failed in this regard overall…

Every time I touch the shores of the Salish Sea I will whisper your name, so your ancestral waters remember you. Tomorrow night I will wade into the cold waters of the cove and run my fingers through the bioluminescence and I will tell the currents that you have gone ahead of us to the happy hunting grounds, where you are free and can grow fat with plenty of salmon. You’ll be with the matriarchs who have gone before; tell Polaris that I still think of her all the time, and she inspires me to keep fighting. I will tell the currents to carry that message to your mother, Ocean Sun, so that she knows you’ll be waiting for her.

Goodbye Tokitae. May the Mother welcome you home.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

Thank you for your kind words about care takers & vet staff in the wake of Toki's passing. I've been on her support staff for several years, and the influx of vitriol and hate we've been receiving has been devastating on top of everything we're already going through. So, I wanted to thank you, because it's been rare to see support, or pretty much anything kind to us, recently. It made me smile 🩵

Of course, Anon 🫂 I’m so sorry for everything you’ve had to put up with, both from the outside and from your own management. You loved her, and unlike everyone else, you truly knew her. And you wanted what was best, even if it was unpopular. Thinking about you and your coworkers! 🐳

As for the angry folks showing up in my notes… why exactly do you think it’s okay to be so hateful toward the people who actually took care of Toki, who knew her in a way you and I never will? Why do you blame her care staff and vet team for something they had absolutely nothing to do with? Did you get a four-year degree in psychology or marine biology and complete multiple unpaid animal care internships, only to make minimum wage and get called an animal abuser online? Or did you go to school for eight years, not counting thousands of hours of additional education in exotic species you didn’t learn about during that schooling, just so you could make a quarter of what other doctors make and be told you’re in it for the money?

You really think you’re her advocate here?

[chaifootsteps]

"I first met Tokitae (also known as Toki, Lolita and Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut), a female orca who had been captured off the coast of Washington, in 1987. I was a biology graduate student at my first professional conference, and the scientific society hosting this event held the opening reception at the Seaquarium.

Toki was 20 feet long and 7,000 pounds, and should have been in the Salish Sea traveling 40 miles a day and diving 500 feet deep with her mother and siblings. Yet there we were, a few hundred marine mammal scientists who mostly did field research, watching this magnificent being perform silly tricks in a bathtub.

That’s not really an exaggeration in Toki’s case. Toki’s tank was the smallest enclosure in the world for her species. It was only 35 feet at its widest point and 80 feet long. It was 20 feet at its deepest; if Toki hung vertically in the water, her tail flukes touched bottom. Captured in 1970 when she was 4 or 5 years old, she lived in this tiny space for 53 years.

The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), administered by the US Department of Agriculture, has a ludicrous requirement for tank width — only twice the length of an average adult orca (or 48 feet). But Toki’s tank didn’t even meet that weak standard. For years, the USDA offered various excuses for not taking steps to revoke the exhibitor’s license. None of them made sense, as the tank was plainly not to code. Activists repeatedly tried to sue the USDA for failing to enforce the law, without success.

Toki’s was a strange, lonely life. Despite many campaigns to repatriate her to her family (the L pod in Puget Sound), years passed. The stadium around her slowly and literally crumbled.

The ‘Blackfish’ Effect,” named after the 2013 documentary that eventually reached tens of millions of people globally, has shifted the captive cetacean paradigm in the past decade. Businesses have severed ties with marine theme parks, and policymakers have passed laws ending the commercial display of orcas and other cetacean species. SeaWorld, the company that built its brand on Shamu, is phasing out orca display — no longer capturing, breeding or trading them.

And still Toki languished in the South Florida heat. The Seaquarium’s two owners during Toki’s first 52 years there were adamant that she would never leave the park and disdainfully dismissed talk of returning her to her family.

In March 2022, however, Toki’s outlook finally seemed brighter. The Seaquarium was sold to a company whose business model relied primarily on swim-with-dolphin encounters. An orca didn’t fit that model, and these owners were willing to let her go. Efforts could finally begin in earnest to return her home. The Lummi Tribe, who gave her the name Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut and considered her a relative, had prepared detailed plans for a seaside sanctuary in the Salish Sea.

Then, last month, Toki died. The hope felt by so many that she would finally go home disappeared in an instant.

Captivity robs orcas of a true life in the deep open sea. It robs them of family, of purpose, of change and challenge. Captivity is tremendous monotony for these socially complex, wide-ranging, intelligent animals. We should not perpetuate that.

Zoos and aquariums long ago relegated dancing bears and tricycle-riding chimps to circuses, but still claim that cetacean shows — loud extravaganzas featuring leaping orcas and cavorting dolphins — are educational (they are not). The industry could and should invest in seaside sanctuaries — it’s a win-win choice, as the industry would be heroes and the animals’ welfare would improve.

Let Toki’s miserable, isolated life and sad death mean something for her fellow captives. These amazing beings should not have to die to finally be free."

Dr. Naomi Rose is senior scientist (marine mammal biology) for the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C.

[xipiti]

Listen to the last song Toki, the captive orca sang, which her mother taught her.

In all the coverage of Tokitae, the captive orca who died at the Miami Seaquarium on August 18, perhaps the most heartrending detail was that Toki sang the songs her mother and pod taught her before she was captured in the Salish Sea in 1970, at age 4. She reportedly sang these songs her whole life in her tank in Miami.

On Sunday on San Juan Island, Lummi tribal members honored Toki’s life and what she meant to them. They played what is believed to be the last recording of her singing before she died, at age 57.

[jonmesseatingglass]

People really romanticize sea pens and “farm sanctuaries” and it blows my mind honestly

[starfeatheratelier]

A Farewell to Tokitae

[queenhelenblackthorn]

I know a lot of harrowing things have happened this past week alone but this news is my last straw.

we have had record breaking heat all summer and they had her swimming in circles in a glorified shallow pond by herself with no shade. our coast water temperature reached 101 degrees, I cannot imagine how hot that tank water was for her. she was taken from her mother when she was a young calf and sold to Miami Seaquarium and lived in that tank since 1970 and hasn't been in the company of another orca since 1980.

RIP Lolita, you deserved better.

[whaleexpertsanonymous]

This is literal misinformation

[devoted1989]

Tokitae passes away before her release

Tokitae , also known as Lolita, has passed away at the age of 57. Captured at the age of 4, she was the second eldest orca in captivity at Miami Seaquarium. 

In March 2023 it was announced that she was to be returned to the waters of her birth. She was to reside in a semi - wild sea pen in the Salish Sea for the rest of her life. 

Tragically it was announced on August 18 that Tokitae had passed away at the Seaquarium due to renal failure after exhibiting sights of distress for 2 days. 

Statistics:

Currently there are 54 orcas in captivity worldwide, 29 of whom were captive-born. There are 17 orcas in the SeaWorld parks.

At least 176 orcas have died in captivity across the world, and 30 orca calves have either been miscarried or stillborn.

In the wild, male orcas can live for 40 to 60 years and females 80 to 90. 

Sources: Wikipedia, The New York Times and NBC.

ADDENDUM

Another tradgedy 43 years earlier - Tokitae’s cellmate

In 1968 Hugo was the first orca at Miami Seaquarium.

When Tokitae arrived he had been in a tank on his own for 2 years.

They shared the tank for 10 years until Hugo died of a brain aneurysm in 1980. It was caused by repeatedly and violently ramming his head into the sides of his tank.

He was 15 years old.

Tokitae spent the rest of her life alone in the tank or with a few dolphins for company.

[heckyeahponyscans]

With the Tokitae aka Lolita in the news so much, I'd like to take a minute to remember a different orca: Hugo.

He was caught in Puget Sound, Washington, and sold to Miami Seaquarium. As small as Tokitae's tank is now, Hugo was initially in an even smaller one. After Tokitae was sold to Seaquarium both orcas were moved to a slightly larger tank, the one Tokitae swims in today. Upon purchasing her, Miami Seaquarium changed Tokitae's name to Lolita, after the heroine in the famous novel. You know--the novel where the middle-aged narrator lusts after a twelve year old. Because Tokitae was so much smaller / younger than Hugo and the theme park wanted them to mate--get it?? Yikes.

Anyway. Hugo repeatedly banged his head against the side of his tank. At one point he cracked the viewing wall and nearly severed his rostrum (the tip of his nose), which had to be surgically reattached. In 1980 he died of a brain aneurysm. The image above shows his lifeless body being lifted out of his tank. Miami Seaquarium dumped him at the city landfill.

You won't find any memorials to Hugo at the Seaquarium; they would prefer that you forget him. But I haven't forgotten you, Hugo. Unhappy soul trying to reach the sea.

[cipher-the-sidhe]

The celebration of life for Tokitae and the installation ceremony for this story pole on San Juan island was really lovely today. It’s always good to hear the Lummi people speak and share their amazing leadership and wisdom, and to hear for sure that Sk’aliCh’elh’tenaut’s body will be coming home.

Going to really try to follow the wisdom the Lummi elders shared today about moving beyond our grief of this loss to focus our energy on protecting and preserving the rest of Toki’s family, who still need our help. The dead baby orcas draped over the story pole’s nose represents the baby that the J-pod orca, Tahlequah, carried on a tour of grief for 17 days. Her message was clear then as it is now: we need help. Our babies are starving, and we are dying. Help us, please, help us.

Remember that no extinction happens in a vacuum. We need to protect the salmon, and the water, and the orcas. They share a future with our next 7 generations. What world will we leave for them?

(Imagine description in alt)

[orcinus-veterinarius]

hi, i learned about Tokitae/Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut thought my engagement in Indigenous environmental justice projects and subsequently the Lummi's efforts to have her repatriated. i initially felt very strongly about this but since learning more from you about marine mammals in captivity and how awful the whole Keiko situation was, I'm no longer sure. what are feasible options for an orca as old as her assuming the priority is continued good health? is releasing a long-captive wild-caught orca something that necessarily ends badly?

Hello, thank you for asking! I've let this one sit for a while because it's a very sensitive subject. I'm not Indigenous, so obviously I cannot speak for the pain and injustice suffered by the Lummi people. Taking orcas from the Puget Sound was horribly cruel not only to the animals, but also to the people who have cherished them for millennia, and I don't want to diminish that in the slightest. I can only speak on the feasibility of actually returning Tokitae/Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut/"Lolita" (who I'll refer to by her nickname "Toki") to her native waters.

Toki was estimated to be 4 years old when she captured in 1970. While calves only nurse for 1-2 years, she was very likely still socially dependent on her mom (who has never been confirmed to be Ocean Sun as is often claimed) at this time. She was sold to Miami Seaquarium in Septemer of the same year and placed in an undersized tank called the "Whale Bowl." She has not left that same pool in the 52 and a half years that have passed since. Furthermore, her mate, Hugo, died in March 1980, meaning she has not seen or communicated with another orca in 43 years. All of this is to say: she is quite literally the worst possible candidate for transfer to a sea pen.

But that doesn't seem to matter. Today, the Dolphin Company gave in to pressure from animal rights groups and the public and announced that Toki is going to be "released" to a sea pen.

It seems we learned nothing from Keiko's heartbreaking fate. At the very least, it seems that they plan to allow her to live out what little remains of her life in managed care, rather than attempting to completely release her as was done with Keiko.

I do not wish harm on Toki. More than anything, I hope this goes well, for her sake. But I, and every other animal care professional I've talked to, do not beleive it will. Toki is a geriatric animal in delicate health. She has spent half a century with extrememly minimal change in her environment, and she is going to be removed from her habitat in a sling, placed in a very large crate, driven to the airport, and flown clear across the country. Cetaceans are transported between facilities routinely, but they have to be in excellent health and are properly trained and desensitized to the process. Toki has never been transported, not once in her long life. I will be genuinely surprised if the shock of transport doesn't kill her. And if she survives the move, she is going to face a barage of pathogens she hasn't encountered in 50+ years the second she hits the water. While in an immunocompromised state due to her age and stress. Folks expect her ails to be magically cured once she's in her natural environment. Let me tell you that the opposite is true.

And if she dies, it will inevitably be blamed on her "years of captivity." No one will admit that this misguided experiment was the cause of her demise. They'll just say, "at least she died free!" Just like they say about Keiko.

And that doesn't even touch on how they plan to fund her ongoing care. Keiko was a beloved movie star, and the donations dried up shortly after he arrived in his sea pen. The general public just doesn't understand how nigh-impossible it is to "free" an animal that has spent decades upon decades in human care.

I'm terrified for Toki, and I'm terrified of the precedent this will set for other animals. I can only hope that AZA facilities with cetaceans buckle down to protect their animals from activists.

[weirdunicorn]

I am so heartbroken and angry right now…Tokitae, aka Lolita or Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, the orca at the Miami Seaquarium has died at 57 years old. As a four year old in 1970 she was VIOLENTLY captured from her pod in Puget Sound, for our entertainment. She was the last surviving orca captured in the Salish Sea, after 53 years in captivity, in what equated to a fish bowl. She lived her life in a tank that if it was you, would be like living in a bathtub. She was going home to her pod, plans were well underway to have her go to a sanctuary where she could at least see her family…her mother Ocean Sun or L25 is still alive! She's 95 years old and still kicking. Years ago someone played the L pod songs to Toki and she recognized them and went into a frenzy…she would have still recognized her mother and vice versa. But now she'll never have the chance…she was so close! My only hope for her now is that they do the right thing and send her body to the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) people of her home turf so that they can put her to rest the right way. She deserves at least that much. My heart hasn't hurt like this since Tilikum passed away, and sure, some people will say get over it, it's just an animal but no, it feels like I've lost a loved one.