The Future For Tokitae (Lolita)?
Tokitae (Lolita) in this photo with head above the water. Provided by the Orca Network.
Many people have read the official Miami Seaquarium USDA (click here) report about the various issues around their park. One particular segment that is taking 'The Cetacean Community' social medias by storm was the fact how the report stated how horrible Toki's living conditions were.
After reading this statement in the report, my question is what does the future look like for Tokitae, what will happen to her in the future, and what are the possibilities?Toki, a 56-year-old whale, had been maintained on a fish diet of 160 pounds that was decreased to 130 pounds by the Training Curator, over the objection of the Attending Veterinarian. The veterinary concern was that Toki historically has seasonal abnormalities in blood work and behavior and her alkaline phosphatase was quite low (indicative of overall health and nutrition status). The AV was also concerned that Toki wasn't getting enough water (as marine mammals extract water from fish for their hydration needs) and that the lack of food volume would cause her distress and agitation.
The AV also had concerns with the Training Curator dictating the incorporation of fast swims and big jumps into training sessions and shows for this geriatric whale. Toki's bloodwork was abnormal and the AV believed these behaviors could result in over-exertion and Toki becoming winded, which was actually observed by both the senior trainer and the AV. The AV also diagnosed that Toki had hit her lower jaw, likely at the lower flume/bulkhead during fast swims. Toki's medical records indicate an injury to her lower mandible on February 25th, March 10th, March 31st, April 6th and 7th of 2021. In a medical entry written on April 3rd, 2021, the AV directed the staff to not request head in entry jumps from Toki."
Predictions
As some of us wish and hope for Toki to leave Miami Seaquarium and be transported to the nearby SeaWorld Orlando or a sea pen near Washington, hence her pod is located in the Salish Sea between the coast of Canada and The United States of America. Tokitae cannot be moved to anywhere sadly.
As some of us know, Tokitae is known to have a "very tight schedule" when it comes to shows, when she wants to perform, she wants to perform, and when she doesn't want to, she doesn't want to.
Not only that, because of Toki's age, she could either:
A: Have a panic attack because of loud noises and/or her panicking due to being moved.
B: She could die during the way to SeaWorld Orlando (eta 3 hours and 16+ minutes in vehicular ride) or to a seapen (most likely to Washington/Strait of Juan de Fuca; eta, 2 days at max) due to stress.
Is this is a good idea however?
Somewhat.
Tokitae has been holding on strong to dear life for about 50+ years since her capture; however, she moving poses a risk to her health, as she stayed in the tank for far too long now and called it "home."
Who knows, maybe Katina and Nalani (at SeaWorld Orlando) could "straighten" Tokitae out because of her time schedule rule? (No offense intended)
The SRKW Pod's Horrible Condition
As of 2021, the Southern Resident Killer Whale pod is in the endangered section and has lost around 3 (4?) orcas this year. Overall, many of the orcas that died this year and the past year had died because of lack of salmon.
Is this bad for Toki?
Yes.
Now, before you start bashing me, I want to say that I 100% condemn Miami Seaquarium's wrongful actions, but I sadly believe Tokitae is better off staying at Miami Seaquarium until she dies.
Alternative Ways (In my vision)
Because SeaWorld Orlando is the only facility nearby Miami Seaquarium that holds captive killer whales in Florida, SeaWorld could possibly file a court order against Miami Seaquarium to obtain Toki and provide her the care she needs, most importantly the space she needs (still is risky because of Toki stressing out during the move).
Tokitae being shipped to a sea pen for a while, then released back to a pod that is currently endangered and is running low on food sources is an awful idea. She would be in more danger with her original home than Miami Seaquarium.
Will The SRKW Accept Her?
Now, this is the most overused topic ever on The Cetacean Community, social media. Keiko was trying to connect with the pods, but they turned him down and came back towards humans for help. Sadly, the order was made for everyone to ignore Keiko when having an encounter with him.
This question runs on my mind a lot, if they successfully find Toki's pod group (the SRKW are kind of easy to find anyways, even with a low population)? Sure, we know that she was captured from the L-Pod, but the question is, WILL the L-Pod remember her?
Most definitely not.
Keep in mind, it has been over 50+ years since Toki was captured from her pod. There would be a 0% chance of her pod even remembering her, so one thing is clear. Tokitae has a chance of being rejected from the L-Pod and coming back towards humans like Keiko did.
Closing Statement
I wanted to disclose this article to everyone to show the possibilities for Tokitae in the future. The USDA report is heartbreaking, and awful, but you know the saying, what hides in the dark, always comes to light. I got to admit, I wasn't surprised at all while reading the report, as Miami Seaquarium has a bad history and bad reputation among animal care (not as bad as MarineLand Canada, who has animals die way too much and has the audacity to bury the animals on their grounds, but that is another blog post I will cover), but this USDA report just shows that Miami Seaquarium doesn't give two craps about Toki and the rest of their animals who has to live in those terrible conditions. I also feel bad for the innocent trainers and employees who are also working there. I know they love those animals dearly, but it isn't right to work at a facility that is run by a crooked corporation, but hey, that's their decision?
Overall: Is Tokitae (Lolita)'s future looking well? Chances are slim for her.