MIAMI — Ongoing medical issues may further hinder efforts to return an orca that was captured and sold to an aquarium in Florida, back home to Washington state.
Tokitae, also known as Lolita, has lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for the past 52 years. Tokitae is one of the last surviving orcas that were captured in Washington during the 1960s and 1970s.
In recent years, advocates, including Lummi Tribe members, have fought for her return to Washington.
According to an independent veterinary report, Tokitae continues to battle an unidentified chronic infection while showing signs of discomfort. While on antibiotics, Tokitae is active, engaged with trainers and maintains a good appetite. However, her appetite and activity level decrease, according to the report.
The report, issued Sept. 30, states near the end of the month Tokitae "experienced a period of decreased appetite and low activity."
Yet, advocates have reason to be hopeful.
Earlier this year, the Miami Seaquarium was purchased by The Dolphin Company.
"We're talking to the owners. We're at the table with the owners. They haven't said yes, she's going home. But they're at the table, they've never been at the table,“ said Raynell Morris, Lummi Tribe elder.
According to Lummi Tribe elders, Orca’s are sacred, viewed as family, or "relatives under the waves."
In August, Morris was one of two Lummi tribe elders who was granted unprecedented access to Tokitae. They performed traditional Lummi songs and prayers with no video or pictures allowed.
They said her response was unmistakable.
"When I started drumming and talking to her ... she started [moving back and forth] to the song,” said Morris. “Then when the song was over, she would look at us like, ‘I want another one.'”
Tokitae’s story has captured attention and support from around the world. To keep up with the demand for information about her health and potential release, Morris and other advocates recently launched a weekly YouTube show called TokiTV.
“We all want her to be OK, we all want her home. We want to hear she is coming home. We're ready. She's not,” said Annette Martinez, a TokiTV regular.