An Orca named Lolita - Part 5 - Why won't they let her go?

August 3, 1:44 PMPuget Sound Marine Life ExaminerCarole May

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Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and
Orca Network appeal for Lolita's release

Why won’t they let Lolita retire?

The Miami Seaquarium has had a few offers to release Lolita. One of these was for a million dollars. They have refused. Why? She makes them money. Want to see them change their minds?  Don’t buy a ticket. Refuse to pay money to see Lolita and the other marine mammals that are kept in captivity.

What do you see?
Just what do you see at the Miami Seaquarium?  You see an orca who has been forced to perform to be fed.  She obeys a hand signal. The whistle blows, and she eats.  How pathetic for a creature so majestic.

What are people saying?
I did some googling just to see what people were saying about their visits and experiences at the Miami Seaquarium.  Most felt it was a total rip off. Many stated that they only stayed a short while and then left as they were so disgusted. 

 Here are a couple of quotes:

•  "I would call this a definite rip off. It was expensive but worthless. It was a dirty place; poor customer service; there was not much to see; sea mammals are confined to tiny spaces - A VERY SAD PLACE.  My husband and I were shocked at how little space the sea mammals had...it was disturbing. NEVER go and waste your money on this place.”
• “First of all it is the dirtiest park that I have ever been to, and I've been all over the United States. When I walked in I looked at my boyfriend and asked him "Are they serious?" It Is THAT bad. From that moment on things got worse. Once you stroll around the paths coming off the entrance you get to the whale "stadium". I could not believe how small this tank was, it blew my mind. I found an employee walking around the tank and asked her "why is the tank so small?" and she responded "because it was built for when she was a baby." I later learned that the tank is the oldest in the world and illegal by government standards for housing an orca.” 

To have the experiences described above, this is what you will pay:

General Admission - $35.95 
Children (3 to 9) - $26.95
On top of this you must add Florida tax of 7% plus they charge $8.00 just to park your car!

If the Seaquarium was truly interested in educating people about the orcas and other marine mammals, they could set up an iMax theater and show the wonderful documentaries that have been produced on the orcas. These films speak of the orca society, their culture, and their language and are beautifully photographed by some amazing photographers.

In the words of famed oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau 

For more info: 

Go to An Orca named Lolita - Part 6 - Free Willy?  Why not free Lolita?

The "An Orca named Lolita" series on this website

Orca Network

Save Lolita

The Center for Whale Research