Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
In June 2022, former animal trainer Phil Demers shared aerial footage above the Miami Seaquarium, a Florida tourist attraction where a lonely killer whale was forced to live in a tiny tank and perform for audiences for half a century.
“We flew a helicopter above the Miami SeaQuarium to witness their lone orca Lolita’s living conditions, since her pool is completely cut off to the public,” Demers posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “WOW. Her suffering is immeasurable. She’s just wasting away in the blistering sun. We gotta get her out of there!”
This was just one video clip Demers shared of Lolita, then the oldest orca in captivity and also known by her indigenous name Tokitae or “Toki.” She died in August before her planned release into ocean waters.