These disgusting facilities are far from being suitable habitat for endangered Resident Orcas, Lolita and Corky.
Lolita has been doing "hard time" in solitary confinement in this tiny, illegal prison pool at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 40 years.
Corky's pool is somewhat larger but presents an equally harmful threat to captive cetaceans, especially when imprisoned for long periods of time. SeaWorld and Miami Seaquarium allow human employees to retire after more than 40 years so why not Lolita and Corky?
Captive orcas die far too young compared to their wild cousins. This list shows only the known orca deaths at SeaWorld parks.
1. Shamu - 6 years
2. Ramu - 15 years
3. Kilroy - 11.5 years
4. Kandu - 4 years
5. Orky2 - 20 years
6. Nootka - 20 years
7. Winston - 15.5 years
8. Kandu3 - 4 years
9. Sandy - 4.5 years
10. Kona - 6 years
11. Canuck - 2.5 years
12. Frankie - 5 months
13. Kandu - 15 years
14. Kenau - 15 years
15. Gudron - 19.5 years
16. Canuck2 - 4 years
17. Kona2 - 10 years
18. Kandu5 - 12 years
19. Winnie - 24.5 years
20. Kotar - 16.5 years
21. Shawn? - 1 year
22. Kahana - 12 years
23. Nootka4 - 12 years
24. Haidi2 - 9 years
25. Samoa - 8.5 years
26. Baby Shamu2 - 11 days
27. Katerina - 10.5 years
28. Splash - 15.5 years
29. Kenau's baby died in womb
30. Samoa's baby died at birth
31. Taku - 14 years
32. Nyar - 2 years
33. No Name- - 8 days
34. Hayln - 2 1/2 years
35. Taima - almost 21 years along with her stillborn baby
36. Bjossa - 21 years
37. Haida 2's baby died in womb
38. Stillborn to Kalina
39. Stillborn to Gudron
40. Stillborn to Nootka 4
41. Kona 2's baby died in womb
42. Corky 2 had miscarriage
43. Kandu5 had stillborn
44. Unna had stillborn
45. Sumar - 12
46. Kalina - 25 years
The Miami Seaquarium also contributes to this horrible list:
47. Southern Resident Killer Whale Hugo, who died in captivity 30 years ago at the Miami Seaquairum; he was Lolita's only companion. She has since been sentenced to solitary confinement.
48. Stillborn to Lolita (reported by the St. Petersburg Times in 1973)
"There is as much educational benefit in studying dolphins in captivity as there would be in studying human beings by only observing prisoners in solitary confinement." Jacques Cousteau
Don't allow Lolita's and Corky's names to be added to these lists: Boycott the Miami Seaquarium and SeaWorld parks!
Graphic & list courtesy of Taiji Action Group/Mark Bamberry