MS Leisure Company, a subsidiary of The Dolphin Company, has agreed to end shows featuring 56-year-old killer whale Lolita, also known as Tokitae or Toki, at the Miami Seaquarium.
Lolita was taken from the Pacific Ocean and brought to South Florida to perform more than 50 years ago. For years, animal rights activists have said the orca should be returned to the waters where she was captured.
The Dolphin Company has announced that it has received an exhibitor’s license from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to operate the Miami Seaquarium.
The company has agreed to retire Lolita, according to a letter from the USDA (via Miami Herald). Lolita will not be visible to the public, and the Dolphin Company will no longer exhibit her Pacific white-sided dolphin companion Lii.
“If, in the future, you intend to exhibit either of these animals (including posting any image of these animals on social media with the expectation of economic benefit), or resume using this pool for exhibition purposes, you will need to apply for a new license,” wrote USDA Deputy Administrator Elizabeth Goldentyer.
“It’s a big win for Toki that she doesn’t have to perform anymore,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado. “Finally, this USDA license allows the county to close a chapter with the old operator, which has done a shoddy job and has not been transparent, and move forward with a new operator that has a different bent on how to run a marine park and treat animals.”
The Dolphin Company receives exhibitor’s license
“We have to regain people’s trust when it comes to Toki’s wellbeing,” Regalado added. “I’m a native Miamian. My generation grew up going to Seaquarium. That’s not OK anymore. We don’t want to take our kids to see the whale perform.”
In August 2021, The Dolphin Company reached an agreement with Palace Entertainment, a subsidiary of Parques Reunidos, to take over operations at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida.
“Today marks a new day for the Miami Seaquarium and all of the creatures within its care,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement from The Dolphin Company.
“The US Department of Agriculture’s report clears the way for Miami-Dade County’s approval of the Seaquarium lease transfer from Palace Entertainment to The Dolphin Company. Our shared priority remains providing the highest standard of care for all the Seaquarium’s marine inhabitants, including the beloved orca Lolita.”
“We are very excited to finally have completed the process to proceed with the operation and administration of the Miami Seaquarium,” added Eduardo Albor, CEO of The Dolphin Company.
“I also want to acknowledge and give credit to the real heroes, the people who have dedicated their lives taking care of all the animals in this unique park, including the rescued manatees, sea lions, dolphins and indeed our beloved Lolita.”
The Dolphin Company will share more information regarding its plans for the Miami Seaquarium in the coming weeks.
