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WDC2023-007 NMLC Release (16)

Seal Rescued in Marshfield Released Back Into The Wild

For Immediate Release, May 31, 2023 PLYMOUTH, MA - A young male grey seal that...

Norway ups whale kill numbers and removes whale welfare protections

The whaling season in Norway has begun on the back of disturbing announcements from the...
Image taken from an unmanned hexacopter at >100ft during a research collaboration between NOAA/SWFSC, SR3 and the Coastal Ocean Research Institute. Research authorized by NMFS permit #19091.

Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect...
Hysazu Photography

WDC and Conservation Partners Continue to Seek Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas

On Friday, April 21st, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will determine whether the petition...

Freedom One Step Closer for Orca Lolita, Held Captive for 44 Years

Today’s announcement from the United States Government’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to include the captive orca, Lolita (also known as Tokitae) in the Southern Resident orca Distinct Population Segment (DPS) is welcomed by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. Today’s ruling officially recognizes Lolita, who is currently held at Miami Seaquarium, as a member of this critically endangered population in the Pacific Northwest.

Lolita was taken from the Southern Resident population on August 8, 1970, in the infamous Penn Cove roundup.  More than 80 orcas were captured that day, with 12 taken into captivity and sold to various facilities, and at least five dying in the process.  Lolita is the last surviving Southern Resident in captivity, and has been held in Miami for the last 44 years.

 The Southern Resident orcas were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005. By finalizing this decision, the NMFS is finally officially adding Lolita to the family that she has always been a part of, and removing the arbitrary exclusion of captive Southern Residents from that 2005 Endangered Species Act listing. Endangered status protects Lolita from harassment and unsuitable habitat conditions, and could be a key component in the battle to end her ongoing captivity for entertainment. This ruling also opens up the potential to release her from her confinement at the Miami Seaquarium and carry out a retirement plan that would bring her back to a more natural life in the waters of her native Northwest.

“We believe this ruling demonstrates that Lolita should now be considered a part of the conservation management strategy in place to help in the recovery of this beleaguered population, which with the addition of Lolita, now officially has 78 members.” said Colleen Weiler, WDC Rekos Orca Fellow. “Based on the legal arguments, she should not be excluded from her family’s endangered status, or the protections awarded by that status. We welcome this finding as another step closer to her going home.” 

WDC will continue conservation efforts to protect the Southern Residents in the wild; and will work with other stakeholder groups to ensure today’s decision is fully implemented and Lolita is released from her confinement at the Miami Seaquarium and granted retirement to her native waters.