Tokitae

two elder women in woven cedar hats lean on the railing as they admire the whale they consider their lost daughter swimming in a tank full of bright blue chlorinated water. The whale's body is halfway out of the water as she shows off with a jump called a spy hop. She is mostly black with white eye patches and white chin and chest.

‘Resident Orca’ film shows Lummi elders’ quest to bring captured whale home to the Salish Sea

Bellamy Pailthorp

The documentary tells the story of the last southern resident killer whale held in captivity, and the efforts of two Lummi women to bring the orca home to a net pen sanctuary.

Keiko, the star of the movie “Free Willy,” swims in his new sea pen at Heimaey, Iceland, on Sept. 11, 1998. An ambitious plan announced last week to return a killer whale, held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium. But it also called to mind the release of Keiko, who failed to adapt to the wild after being returned to his native Iceland and died five years later.

Environment

Caregivers: Returning orca Lolita to Northwest is risky

The Associated Press

An plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed. But it also called to mind the release of Keiko — the star of the movie “Free Willy” — more than two decades ago.

In this 1970 photo by Wallie Funk, orca whales are held captive near Whidbey Island. Seven of the dozens of whales captured, including Lolita, who has been performing stunts for Miami Seaquarium for the past four decades, were sold to marine parks.

Environment

52 years after capture, orca Lolita may return to Puget Sound waters

The Associated Press

More than 50 years after the orca known by her stage name ‘Lolita’ was captured for public display, plans are in place to return her from the Miami Seaquarium to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest.

Environment

Miami Seaquarium ending shows with aging orca Lolita

The Associated Press

The new owners of the Miami Seaquarium will no longer stage shows with its aging orca Lolita under an agreement with federal regulators. The 56-year-old orca was initially named Tokitae when it was captured five decades ago in Puget Sound.

In this file photo from 2006, a young girl watches through the glass as a killer whale passes by while swimming in a display tank at SeaWorld in San Diego. That park ended its controversial and long-running killer whale show in January 2017.

Environment

Members of Lummi Nation will sue to 'repatriate' captive orca from Miami Seaquarium

Bellamy Pailthorp

UPDATE: 10:45 p.m.: This story and its headline have been updated to clarify that the lawsuit will be filed by two individual members of the Lummi Nation,…