Endangered B.C. orca expected to be released from captivity in Miami
A decades-long fight to free a southern resident killer whale from captivity in the U.S. will soon have a happy ending.
Lolita, also known as Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut by the Lummi Nation in Washington state, is currently living at the Miami Seaquarium.
She's now 57, and was captured in the waters off the B.C. coast when she was four.
"She would've come from over there," said Eric Pittman, director of the Canadian Orca Recue Society, while pointing at the Salish Sea.
She's one of many southern residents who were scooped up from the Salish Sea in the 1970s.
On Thursday, the Miami Seaquarium, which recently came under new management, announced plans for her release.
The aquarium will work with non-profit group Friends of Lolita to transfer the orca back to B.C. waters in the next 18 to 24 months.
The relocation is partly thanks to a large donation by Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
"The story of Lolita the orca has been near and dear to my heart. I am proud – and enthusiastic – to play a role in finally returning Lolita to her native Pacific Northwest,” said Irsay in a statement Thursday.
YEARS OF CAMPAIGNING
Many groups have been advocating for Lolita to be freed for decades.
The Sacred Lands Conservancy has been pushing the aquarium's new operator to make it happen.
"The little tank she's in right now is so shallow, she can never get out of the sun," said Tahmas, president of the Sacred Lands Conservancy in Bellingham, Wash.
To the aquarium's credit, Tahmas says it is the first facility to agree to work with the conservancy.
"Bringing our sister back home and putting her back in the Salish Sea, that’s the first step in apologizing to the southern residents, that we have allowed this to happen to you," said Tahmas.
The hope is to create a large enclosed sanctuary somewhere in the waters off Vancouver Island for Sk'aliCh'elh-tenau, then put her on a plane and fly her to B.C. from Miami.
"She will be able to swim again at full speed. She will be able to maneuver. She will be able to go deep enough to where the sun is not hitting her," said Tahmas.
It's what advocates like Pittman have wanted for the marine mammal for decades.
"As we evolve, we develop more empathy for the creatures and the planet around us," he said. "And I think we have to learn from that."
The Miami Seaquarium says the orca gets "round-the-clock care" by a range of experts, including medical, nutritional and behavioural staff, and that a recent independent health assessment found that her condition "is becoming reasonably stable."
"With the support of all parties, the continued health of Lolita and approvals from the appropriate authorities, we are all committed to giving this beautiful orca a new home and a peaceful future," said Eduardo Albor, CEO of The Dolphin Company, which operates the aquarium.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.