Officials at the Miami Seaquarium are continuing to care for their killer whale Lolita as they prepare to move her to her home waters in the Pacific.
Lolita, also known as Toki or Tokitae, is experiencing stable health and improving conditions, the Seaquarium said in a news release Tuesday.
Officials said Lolita is "eating well," which includes up to 115 pounds of salmon, herring, capelin and squid each day.
She spends time swimming laps, playing with toys and soliciting attention from her trainers as they watch, work and play with her on the trainer platform.
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The Seaquarium said Lolita’s pool has received more than $500,000 in improvements including new chillers, filter media, an ozone generator to replace chlorine and numerous regulators and pumps.
Her water is slightly greenish because no chlorine is used to sterilize the pool, but the green color is healthy and caused by natural algae, officials said.
Her pool is cleaned three times each week and maintained at a temperature of 54-58 degrees. The pool and stadium are not open to the public.
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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.
In its news release Tuesday, the Seaquarium said a team is working daily to prepare her for the move.
"There are aspects of Lolita’s care and relocation that require approval by various governmental agencies. To be sure, this is a huge undertaking. No decision will be taken without expert guidance, thorough testing and research, and approvals from the appropriate authorities having jurisdiction," the news release said. "While the team assembled by Friends of Toki lead strategy and execution in regard to relocation, permits and approvals, the dedicated team at Miami Seaquarium plays an active and daily role in both caring for Lolita and preparing her for a move."
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.
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.
