Lolita Update #32
May 16, 2001

Dear Friends of Lolita~

The Mother's Day demonstration was a great success and a good time. About 30 people and as many signs paraded in front of the Seaquarium for an hour and a half on Mother's Day, demanding that Toki (Lolita) be allowed to return to her home and family, and throwing another wave of paranoia into the Seaquarium compound.

We joined Lynn Wedekind to sing her song "Tokitae" to Toki, and about every third car honked in response to our "Honk 4 Lolita," sign, including a fire truck. Ric O'Barry, the former Flipper trainer, was there with his family. We made contact with Toki supporters from way back and some new ones. All in all, we kept the drumbeat going and let them know we haven't gone away. We'll have photos of the demo on the new web site early next week. We thank everyone for all the support and letters to the Seaquarium and the Miami Herald.

The place looks more rundown than ever. The I-beams holding up the roof over the whale stadium are rusted through in places, the paint is peeling, the drains are clogged and there are cracks in the plaster around the tank. The people of Key Biscayne reportedly would like to see the SQ just go away. They're tired of the traffic and noise, the obsolete roadside attraction on their causeway, and the endless battles with the unscrupulous Mr. Hertz. There's a computer printout sign saying a new tank is being built for 2002, as there have been architect's models and elaborate descriptions of a "new tank" for public consumption for at least 15 years.

News from Iceland continues to be encouraging. Reports say three pods of orcas have come into the area around Westmanjar Island, where Keiko waits in a cove the size of twelve soccer fields, while the staff prepare a large ship for a cruise that may last all summer, or may be over much sooner, whenever Keiko locates his family members. He'll know because he'll share a vocal repertoire with them. We'll let you know what we hear, but I'd love to hear what Keiko hears!

Much is going on to help bring Lolita home and to inform and advocate for her and her family Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to help Orca Network continue this work. Thank you!