Lolita (orca)

Lolita
Lolita performing in 1998
Other name(s)Tokitae
Toki
Sk'aliCh'ehl-tenaut (Lummi nation)
Speciesorca (Orcinus orca)
Sexfemale
Bornc.1966
DiedAugust 18, 2023(2023-08-18) (aged 56–57)
Miami Seaquarium, Miami, Florida, United States
Years active1970–2022
Known fororca who lived at the Miami Seaquarium for 53 years
Weight≈7,000 lb (3,200 kg)
Named afterTitular character in Nabokov's novel Lolita

Lolita, also called Tokitae or Toki for short, (c.1966 – August 18, 2023), was a captive female orca of the southern resident population captured from the wild in September 1970 and displayed at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. She was retired from performing and taken off public display in 2022, and subsequently died in August 2023. At the time of her death, Lolita was the second-oldest orca in captivity after Corky at SeaWorld San Diego.

In March 2023, the Seaquarium announced that plans were being made for Lolita to be moved to a pen in the Salish Sea for the remainder of her life. On August 18, 2023, Lolita died from renal failure after exhibiting signs of distress over the prior two days.