SEATTLE — A Washington Congress member wants the last surviving Southern Resident orca in captivity to be moved from her tank in Miami before hurricane season picks up in Florida.
Rep. Suzan DelBene wrote a letter urging officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to explore all available options, both short and long term, to ensure Tokitae's safety.
“This includes consideration of whether Tokitae should be moved, at least on a temporary basis, to a more suitable location until any plans to bring her to a more permanent location can be solidified and the necessary permits obtained,” a trio of lawmakers wrote.
DelBene, who represents parts of King and Snohomish counties, was joined by Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Nicole Malliotakis of New York in urging action. They cited the impacts of a 2017 hurricane on Tokitae's enclosure as evidence another storm might pose a danger to the orca.
"We all want what is best for Tokitae, and she should not be made to endure (or fail to survive) another hurricane season in the Whale Stadium, given the risks a major storm poses to the structural integrity of her enclosure," the representatives wrote.
For more than 50 years, Tokitae has been living in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium. The 57-year-old Southern Resident orca was violently captured from the Puget Sound in 1970.
In 2021, Miami Dade County deemed her arena to be an "unsafe structure" due to corrosion and issued a repair or demolish order.
On March 30, 2023, Miami officials, the Seaquarium, and Friends of Toki announced that Tokitae, who performed under the name Lolita in Miami, will be released. Tokitae’s new corporate owners - the Dolphin company - made history by signing a pledge agreeing to the orca’s return to Washington waters.
KING 5 has reached out to "Friends of Toki," which has been helping coordinate her move, for an update on where that process stands.
The journey home
The plan to return Tokitae to Washington was developed under the guidance of Charles Vinick and the Whale Sanctuary Project. Here’s how it could work.
First, Tokitae would be coaxed into a custom-made stretcher and lifted out of her aquarium with a crane, into a small container filled with ice water.
From there Tokitae would go onto a cargo plane for a six-hour flight to the Bellingham airport.
Next, Tokitae would be loaded onto a barge to transport her to ancestral waters in the Salish Sea.
There she’d be put into an underwater sea pen at a private location.
She’ll receive round-the-clock medical care, security and feedings. She’s expected to live in that sea pen for the rest of her life.
“She is active, she is responsive, she’s just full of life, and she has demonstrated a will to live that frankly, almost no other whale has ever demonstrated," Vinick said. "Her veterinarians today have said she’s healthy enough for a transport, she can certainly be in a new environment."
Vinick’s team is already working to secure approval for Toki’s release from several federal authorities. If approved- those helping fund the move say she could be home by the end of 2023, but only if she remains in good health.
In May, KING 5 took an in-depth look at Tokitae's journey, from capture to potential relocation. Read the in-depth reporting here or watch the full report: