From Orca Network Lolita Update #107
Four Pacific white-sided dolphins now in the tank with Lolita, and two more could be on the way to join the crowd. The tank is only 35 feet by 80 feet by 20 feet deep, with a medical pool behind the platform that is only 12 feet deep.
Here’s the first person report (the source shall remain anonymous to allow re-entry):
I went to the SQ today to hand out flyers and check on Lolita. They are now keeping her with 4 Pacific white-sided dolphins, the 2 that are normally there along with 2 that they are “borrowing” for breeding purposes. I couldn’t get the attendant to tell me where the other 2 are from, but Lolita now has NO access to the medical pool because she doesn’t get along with the 2 new dolphins. I also learned that another white-sided dolphin that is usually kept with her is removed because she is pregnant, but once she gives birth and is cleared she and the baby will also be held with Lolita, along with the other babies if they are conceived. That means their is a potential of having 6 dolphins in her tank with her within the next year. She seemed very somber today though she came up to me again. I swear she knows what we are trying to do for her. The attendant also told me that Hugo (the young male orca captured in Puget Sound in 1968 who died in 1980) died of a brain tumor (cancer) and didn’t commit suicide, I found that amusing because according the the MMIR (Marine Mammal Inventory Report), the cause of death is clearly stated as a “aneurysm cerebral artery.” He also let us know that no hurricane preparation is taken by the SQ, so all the animals stay exactly where they are now in the event of a hurricane. I know we knew that but hearing it form an employee is sad.
White-sided dolphins tend to travel in groups of a hundred or more, and range for hundreds of miles in their natural habitats. Crowding four, or six, dolphins together in that tiny tank with Lolita is unethical and irresponsible for the dolphins and for Lolita. In the 1970′s Hugo bashed his head against the wall of the tank several times. He broke the viewing window twice, once nearly slicing off the tip of his rostrum, which was stitched back in place.
PLEASE CONTACT APHIS AND THE USDA telling them about this blatant display of cruelty. Lolita’s tank is illegally sized when she is in it by herself and now she must share it with 4 dolphins without having access to her medical pool.
Filed under Action, Dolphins, Lolita, News, Seaquarium by 
This is L-25, “Ocean Sun” from the Southern Resident community of Orca’s off the Coast of Washington State. She is thought to be Lolita’s mother, and had her 4-6 year old daughter taken away from her in 1970. On this Mother’s Day, Sunday May 10, 2009 we will be out to raise awareness about this tragedy and promote Lolita’s retirement into a baypen where she would be able to interact with and if she chooses to do so, rejoin her pod including her mother. Orca’s have family bonds stronger than some humans, staying with their mother’s and families their entire life. Bring Mom and celebrate this Mother’s Day together protesting for Lolita to be able to someday return home to her mother, instead of being isolated in her tiny concrete tank. This demo is held in conjunction with Orca Network. (www.orcanetwork.org)
WHAT: Protest for Lolita’s Retirement
WHEN: Sunday May 10, 2009
WHERE: In front of the Miami Seaquarium
TIME: 12:00-2:00PM
BRING: Motivation and people : ) We have signs, etc.
For more info contact Shelby @ 412-983-0994 or shelby@savelolita.com
www.savelolita.com
This is Lolita’s tank from above, far from her home.
Filed under Seaquarium by
Lolita in jail
Tomorrow we will be following our schedule of monthly demo’s for Lolita’s retirement in front of the Miami Seaquarium from 12 (Noon) until 1:30/2 PM. I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces this time around and will have flyers to distribute to all that show up so you can hand them out where you live! Remember Lolita needs all of our help and support and the more people that come out the bigger the impact we have on educating people about her conditions at the Miami Seaquarium. Summer is coming along with the blistering sun she will experience without any cover, hurricane season is quickly approaching. The Seaquarium doesn’t have any emergency plans or places to take its animals in the event of a strong hurricane. So come out and support this demo, along with Lolita’s retirement so she won’t have to spend another summer alone in her potentially dangerous tank!
Any Questions? Feel Free to contact Shelby at 412-983-0994 or shelby@savelolita.com
Thanks for helping Lolita!
Filed under Lolita, Miami Attractions, News, Seaquarium by
Perchance to Dream is a seven minute animation by Lauren Kimball about Lolita’s life and what she thinks about when the crowds leave and she is all alone in her tiny tank. Lauren won the South Beach Animation Festival with her animation and is featured in an article at http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/128965280
Be sure too look for Lauren and Perchance to Dream at upcoming animation festivals, worldwide.
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The Humane Society of the United States has taken an active stand against marine mammals in captivity, now we must get them to use their power to fight for Lolita’s retirement. Please take a couple minutes to send them a comment on the contact us page, featuring marine mammals at http://www.hsus.org/contact_us/marine_mammals.html and read the page they have about marine mammals in captivity. It is very informative and educational if you don’t know much about the perils of marine mammals in captivity.
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/what_are_the_issues/marine_mammals_in_captivity/
Cruelty-Free Places to Visit in Miami – Alternatives to visiting Miami Seaquarium:
- Historical Museum of Southern Florida: See more than a million historical photos, maps, journal pages, and antiques from old Florida. Discover this interesting state’s long and exciting past, as well as that of the Caribbean. Special events and exhibits for children and families! www.hmsf.org
- Wannado City: A theme park for children (aimed at ages 3-14) where they can do what they Wannado! Go on rides, see exciting shows, and let kids’ imaginations run wild with “real-play venues and career possibilities” in the many thrilling exhibits. www.wannadocity.com
- Everglades Safari Park and Rides: See alligators, turtles, fish, marine birds, deer, and dozens of other animals. Take a 30-45 minute Airboat ride through the famous Florida Everglades! See an educational presentation about wildlife. Stroll along a scenic boardwalk trail to view animals up close! Located just 35 minutes away from Miami, an hour from Fort Lauderdale. www.evergladessafaripark.com
- Miami Balloon Rides: Take a breath-taking hot air balloon ride over Miami, Biscayne Bay, the Everglades, and the Miami Redlands. www.miamiballoonrides.com
- Butterfly World: Largest butterfly park in the world. For over 20 years, more than 10,000 butterflies of 50+ species have been available for the public to view and interact with. Also includes a hummingbird and parrot aviary. www.butterflyworld.com
- Miami Science Museum: See more than 35 fun, interactive, educational exhibits about music, nature, art and more! Visit the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to see local animals being treated and the Planetarium to view the sky or a special laser show. www.miamisci.org
- Dolphin Mall: Miami’s largest shopping center with over 250 stores, as well as dining and entertainment venues, including several movie theaters, Dave & Buster’s and a bowling alley. Five miles west of the Miami Airport.
- Thriller Speedboat Tours: Take an exciting speedboat tour through Biscayne Bay, Port of Miami and along Miami Beach. See celebrity mansions and the Florida Lighthouse, as well as wildlife. www.thrillermiami.com
- Biscayne National Park: See birds, fish, and other amazing marine animals in their natural habitats. Take a glass bottom boat tour, kayak tour, or a scuba diving trip from this beautiful park! Visit the Park Center to go to the museum, art gallery, and educational discovery room. Located on the East end of SW 328th Street.
- Bayside Marketplace: Browse through more than 150 stands and stores, right along the ocean. Find clothing, artwork, souvenirs, snacks, jewelry and more! Nearby to 14 restaurants and outdoor entertainment! Located on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami.
- Children’s Museum: Explore 14 amazing interactive galleries (all bilingual). Exhibits include a two-story “sandcastle of dreams,” a 32-foot rock climbing wall, a kid-sized play supermarket, hospital and bank. Daily arts and crafts for the whole family. www.miamichildrensmuseum.org
- Miami Art Museum: Thousands of interesting and unique sculptures, paintings, and interactive exhibits by artists such as Ana Mendieta and Morris Louis. www.miamiartmuseum.org
- Crandon Park: Named one of the top ten beaches in the nation. Take ride on the old-fashioned carousel by the ocean, play amongst dozens of marine play sculptures, skate in the outdoor roller rink and sit by the seahorse shaped fountain. Located on Crandon Boulevard in Key Biscayne.
- Fairchild Botanical Garden: Stroll among 83 beautiful acres of plants from around the world in one of the most renowned botanical gardens. See dozens of collections such as The Rainforest and The National Palm and Cycad Collection. Take an educational, narrated (in English or Spanish) tram tour through the park. Visit the butterfly exhibit, lunch café and gift shop.
- Fruit and Spice Park: One of the only of its kind in the United States – walk among 35 astonishing acres of more than 500 rare fruits, spices, trees, vegetables and flowers. Includes gift shop, tours available. www.fruitandspicepark.org
- Gold Coast Railroad Museum: See dozens of old, historical trains – including the Ferdinand Magellan, made for President Franklin Roosevelt – and interactive educational exhibits. Take real train rides on the weekends! 12450 SW 152nd Street. http://gcrm.org/
Filed under Dolphins, Lolita, Miami Attractions, Seaquarium by
As you know Lolita needs all the help she can get. Take the time to write a small email to the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Just go to: http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/1976_supporter_inquiry_form.cfm
and select “report animal cruelty” in the drop box and tell them that Lolita is kept in an illegal sized tank at the Miami Seaquarium with two pacific white sided dolphins. Tell them that a retirement plan has been set up by The Center for Whale Research and she needs to get out of that tiny tank before it’s too late for her. Tell your friends and family to do the same!
Thank you for taking the time to help save Lolita.
Filed under Seaquarium by
GO TO: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/weekend-planner/story/991571.html
and comment on how people shouldn’t support the Miami Seaquarium because of its animal abuse and dangers to people visiting! This only takes a few minutes to make a username and PW then you can comment! It will make a big difference because the Miami Herald has a lot of readers and always supports the SQ so this will be a good chance to tell them what we think.
GO TO: http://www.australiazoo.com.au/contact.php and contact the Australia Zoo requesting that Terri and Bindi Irwin join the fight to get Lolita retired back to her Pacific Northwest waters. This is a good time to contact them because this summer Bindi will be starring in Free Willy 4 where she plays a girl who gets a captive orca free in South Africa! We need lots of letters and calls showing them that we support Lolita’s retirement and they should too! So for those of you who live in Australia call them and for people elsewhere write them a small email!
Thank you in advance for taking the time to help Lolita!
Filed under Action by
Excellent excerpt from the Dolphin Project web site..
Dolphins are sound oriented. They communicate producing a large spectrum of sounds in the form of clicks and whistles. Furthermore, they constantly send out bursts of sounds of many different frequencies to explore their ocean environment. With reflected sound, called echolocation or sonar, dolphins can ‘see’ elements that are invisible for other animals — including humans — that are sight oriented, depending on reflected light for vision. This is how dolphins searching for food can easily detect a fish that is hiding under the sand. The use of sonar is as important to dolphins as eyesight to humans, and in nature they rely on their sensitive sensory sense in almost every aspect of their daily lives.
Dolphins in a tank are severely restricted in using their sonar. They can’t use it to catch live fish, as they are fed dead fish as food rewards. Neither can they put it to full use to explore their underwater world, because there isn’t much to explore in a barren, concrete tank.
Sensory deprivation is one of the most damaging aspects of keeping dolphins in a concrete tank. It’s like forcing a person to wear a blindfold for the rest of his life. This is true whether the dolphin was captured from the wild or born in captivity.
“Educational” is the buzzword most frequently used by SeaWorld to justify captive dolphin swim programs. Many of the dolphins at Discovery Cove have been confined within the walls of a concrete tank all their lives. They will never swim in a straight line for as long as they desire; nor will they ever be able to use their speed, intelligence, sonar, and sense of cooperation to catch live fish. By human design these sonic, free-ranging marine mammals, who would normally swim up to 40 miles a day, are confined to a very small space where, for the rest of their lives, they will have to satisfy a never-ending line of people demanding casual amusement. The dolphins at Discovery Cove will never know what it means to be a real dolphin, in a dolphin’s real world — the sea. Captive born dolphins are freaks that we have created for our own amusement and have no positive educational value. On the contrary, the captive dolphin swim program at Discovery Cove represents a form of bad education in that it only serves to perpetuate our utilitarian perception of nature.
Like any other business, the dolphin captivity industry is based on supply and demand: As long as there is a paying audience to sustain the huge profits of this industry, dolphins will be captured from the wild and captive dolphin breeding programs will be intensified. The dolphins at Discovery Cove were born as part of SeaWorld’s dolphin breeding program, simply because a large part of the public is willing to buy tickets to obtain a hands-on encounter with an exotic animal. It is important to understand that the economic success of places like Discovery Cove is creating a copy cat syndrome in other parts of the world: Numerous violent dolphin captures are now taking place in the Caribbean and Mexico to meet the consumers’ growing demand for a close-up encounter with dolphins.
Filed under Dolphins by
Miami Film Premiere of The Cove
Sarnoff’s Film Night Event on Tuesday, March 31st inside City Hall Chambers at 6:30pm.
Click here for directions to 3500 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133.
In the 1960′s, Richard O’Barry was the world’s leading authority on dolphin training, working on the set of the popular television program Flipper. Day in and day out, O’Barry kept the dolphins working and television audiences smiling. But one day, that all came to a tragic end. THE COVE, directed by Louie Psihoyos, tells the amazing true story of how Psihoyos, O’Barry and an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate a hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The mysteries they uncovered were only the tip of the iceberg.
The Cove, an intelligent/action/adventure/Ocean’s Eleven-like horror film wrapped around a tale of redemption and ultimate revenge – oh, and it’s a documentary.
——-
The Cove is a daring and eye-opening film that will change forever the way you look at dolphins. Not only does it point out the blatant savagery and deceit people use to slaughter these wonderful and helpless citizens of our planet, but it does so in a way which shows us that their only hope lies with us.
Every time you see a captive animal in a zoo, in a nice enclosure, with a trainer who clearly cares about it, interacting with a child who is forming a bond with the animal, you are lulled into a false sense of well being and good will. The Cove illustrates the brutal journey that leads these innocent animals to that illusion.
The Cove is a call to action that has the power to save dolphins, oceans, and ourselves.
It is Roots for dolphins.
—Richard Donner
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