Lolita, the beloved killer whale who's spent the past five decades at the Miami Seaquarium, died Friday after a sudden illness, officials said.
The orca, also known as Toki or Tokitae, passed away from what's believed to be a renal condition, the Seaquarium said.
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"Over the last two days, Toki started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort, which her full Miami Seaquarium and Friends of Toki medical team began treating immediately and aggressively," the Seaquarium said in a statement. "Despite receiving the best possible medical care, she passed away Friday afternoon."
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Lolita's death comes days after the Seaquarium had said she was improving and experiencing stable health as they were preparing her for her return to her home waters in the Pacific.
Officials had said Lolita was "eating well," which included up to 115 pounds of salmon, herring, capelin and squid each day, and had been swimming laps, playing with toys and soliciting attention from her trainers.
The Seaquarium announced it will be closed Saturday in the wake of her death.
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Lolita’s pool had received more than $500,000 in improvements including new chillers, filter media, an ozone generator to replace chlorine and numerous regulators and pumps, officials said.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she was "profoundly saddened" to learn of Lolita's sudden passing.
"Our shared goal has been to increase transparency, create accountability, and strengthen collaboration at the Miami Seaquarium for the benefit of the animals in their care," Levine Cava said in a statement. "We were proud of the immense progress made over the last 12 months, from the successful transfer of ownership of the Miami Seaquarium to The Dolphin Company, the unprecedented collaboration with the Friends of Toki, and the most recent announcement of her relocation to the wild. Our collective wish was to see Toki in her native waters and we are heartbroken to learn of this sudden loss."
The Seaquarium had announced in March that plans were underway to move Lolita to an ocean sanctuary in Washington state within the next two years.
Lolita was taken from the waters of Washington state in 1970 when she was about four years old. She’s estimated to be around 57 now, and is one of the oldest killer whales in captivity.
The now 7,000-pound orca was sold to the Seaquarium not long after her capture.
Puget Sound orcas were put on the endangered species list in 2005, but captive animals were excluded from protection.
Protesters with PETA and other animal rights groups gathered outside the Seaquarium following the news of Lolita's death, holding signs that read "Captivity killed Lolita" and "Lolita deserved to be free." They chanted "Shame on you" as a tractor-trailer that presumably held the orca's body drove by.
For years, animal rights activists have said Lolita should be moved back to her home pod in Puget Sound, saying her pool at the Seaquarium is much too small. But the park has said previously that Lolita's habitat exceeds the minimum requirements established by the Animal Welfare Act regulations.
"Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family," the Seaquarium's statement read. "Those who have had the privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit."
