Lolita Update #51
4th Annual Mother's Day Demonstration
May 14, 2002

Dear Friends of Lolita~

May 14, 2002

The obsolete abusement park Miami Seaquarium was rocked once again Sunday. The fourth annual Mother's Day demonstration succeeded in letting Miami know that there is a better alternative for Lolita than incarceration in concrete. Orca Network, The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF), and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in the person of Ric O'Barry, altogether around 30 demonstrators, carried banners for two hours in front of the Seaquarium.
At the same time, two members of ARFF went into the whale show, and at the quietest moment of the show just before Lolita screams out loud on cue, they displayed their Free Lolita shirts and began educating onlookers about Lolita's ability to return home to rejoin her family. One of the two educators, Tim Gorski, was roughed up, his arm sprained and bruised as he was pushed down stairs. A complaint was filed with the County police and legal help has been contacted. The Seaquarium general manager, Andrew Hertz (son of owner Arthur Hertz) paid a visit to at least one TV station in an unsuccessful attempt to view ARFF's videotape of the incident that led to the police report. Stay tuned. Click here for Seaquarium ejects 'Free Lolita' couple, (Note: link no longer exists) the Miami Herald story, filled with Seaquarium misinformation. While we didn't go into the Seaquarium to visit Tokitae (Lolita) on this trip, we received reports from friends who did go in to check on Toki on Saturday. Reports were that she looked bored and withdrawn, and the most surprising news is that 3 of the 4 Pacific White-Sided dolphins that used to share her tank are now missing. So it appears that 3 dolphins have died, leaving only one dolphin & Toki in the tiny tank under the hot Miami sun. For more info. & photos on our Mother's Day Demonstration at the Seaquarium, as well as a new action alert about planned orca captures off Russia and news about Springer, the young orca in the Vashon ferry lane, check out our website. Thanks to all who attended, wrote letters or offered their support - this is a long & continuing struggle, but an important one!

Regards,

Howard Garrett
Susan Berta

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!