FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. — One year after Tokitae died in captivity those who were fighting for the orca's release honored her legacy Sunday.
Tokitae was captured in 1970 by the Salish Sea Southern Resident Orca Community and sold to the Miami Seaquarium at around four years old. After her capture, the orca was held at the Seaquarium in Miami where federal officials found her health was declining in poor living conditions.
Tokitae, also known by the Lumni Nation name, Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut, and stage name Lolita, died at the age of about 57. The Lhaq'temish, also known as Lumni Nation, considered her "qwe lhol mechen," or relative under the water, according to Jay Julius, former Chairman of the Lummi Nation.
The Lummi Nation honored Tokitae's life Sunday at the Lime Kiln State Park Lighthouse.
"Their families mirror our families," a woman at the event said. "Their need for salmon mirrors our need for salmon. They’re our relatives that live under the water. Remember and respect them.”
Tokitae's cause of death was revealed to be the worsening of renal disease and pneumonia due to old age, according to an autopsy report released by Miami Seaquarium last year.
The report indicated that Tokitae's death was due to the progression of multiple chronic conditions, including some that were age-related. Chronic cardiac valvular disease may have contributed to Tokitae's lung disease, while ongoing inflammation led to kidney disease, the autopsy detailed.
According to a 2021 USDA report, Tokitae was fed "poor quality" rotten food, had dirty water in her tank and her trainers "disregarded veterinary instructions," forcing her to perform despite having injuries.
According to Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, female orcas live on average for 46 years, with a maximum of 80 to 90 years. Male orcas live an average of 30 years, with a maximum of 50-60 years.
In March 2023, an agreement was reached by new corporate owners, the Doplin Company, to send Tokitae back to Washington, where she would have spent the rest of her life in the 7,000-square-mile Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary.
Tokitae was held in captivity for over 50 years. At the time of her death, she was living in an 80-foot-long by 35-foot-wide tank. Tokitae measured about 22 feet in length. For five decades, she performed two to three times a day. She stopped performing in 2022 and a team of independent veterinarians started taking care of her.
After her death, the Lumni Nation decided on her cremation and to bring her ashes home by plane.