As I was taught,
from the beginning,
Qwe'lhol mechen are a relation.
They are an extension
of our family.
They wear orca regalia
and live under the waves.
But they're our relation,
from the very beginning.
They can take
their orca regalia off...
Their Qwe'lhol mechen
regalia off...
And come and walk on the land,
so they're part of who we are.
They're our kinship.
We're heading west
along the north shore
of Penn Cove,
and this is the scene
of the 1970 and 1971
Penn Cove orca captures...
right out here
in those waters
between here
and the other shore.
So this is
the exact capture location.
They were making loud noises
and thrashing the water.
Babies were being pushed away
from their mothers.
Lassoed...
netted.
That's the whole
set-up right there.
That's me, right here.
The guy in this fancy sweater.
Here's these whales.
You've just stripped them naked
of their kid.
Everything's foreign.
They're trapped.
The baby's trapped.
They can't get between
the baby and the...
And the danger.
You talk about pain?
You should see or hear
30 or 40 whales screamin'.
Hour after hour.
The entire family all...
Who knows...
90 or 100 orcas,
saw it all.
All the residents
around Penn Cove
tell us that they could hear it,
they could feel it,
they felt terrible,
but they couldn't do
anything about it.
All that trauma
happened right here.
That's... that's Lolita
before they hauled her up
on the boat.
She's all wrapped up
in net slings.
Pretty crude lookin' nowadays.
I took that photo
on the way to Seattle.
I felt like I was lookin' in...
I knew
I was lookin' in her eye...
But I thought...
we're talkin' here,
we're doin' somethin'.
Yeah, she was looking
right back at me.
I knew she was.
There wasn't any doubt about it.
She's just breathing, breathing.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Today marks 50 years
that a baby orca was brought
to the Miami Seaquarium
after being taken
from her family
in the waters
of the Pacific Northwest.
That baby orca
is, of course, Lolita.
And now, an Indigenous tribe
from her homeland
wants her back.
The Miami Seaquarium insists
that Lolita is well cared for
and that she would never
survive the journey.
Is that her stadium?
You can see
a little bit of it there.
Oh, yeah.
In behind the biggest tree.
Your People love you.
Your mother wants you home.
We're sorry,
but know we're coming.
The Lhaq'temish People...
are here.
We'll bring you home.
The Miami Seaquarium
welcomes you all
to the home of
our world-famous k*ller whales,
Hugo and Lolita.
Hugo, at 10,000 pounds,
is 23 feet long.
Lolita, 8,500 pounds,
is 21 feet long.
Together, these two whales
consume almost 300 pounds
of fish every day.
Fun, excitement,
and action-packed shows,
and, of course,
plenty of splashing water
are all to be found
at Waletco's
fabulous Miami Seaquarium.
When she was sold
to Miami Seaquarium,
their whole goal
was to generate revenue
from her performing,
so they gave her a show name.
They called her "Lolita".
I grew up with Lolita.
Uh... we're both
the same age by the way.
Both born in 1966,
but as a child growin' up
here in Miami,
one of the coolest things
you could do
was go to the Miami Seaquarium
and check out
the Hugo and Lolita show.
And I loved it,
like any other kid my age
would have.
You're looking at
these enormous sea creatures
do all these
incredible acrobatics
and leap out of the water
and splash you.
It was something. It was...
It took your breath away.
She loves it
when the trainers
enter the water with her.
She likes to pull us around,
and we swim with her,
and dive down,
and play those games.
She enjoys that a lot.
I was her trainer
from about 1987, '88
'til about 1997.
The very first time I saw her,
my first thought was,
"How can this whale
be in this small...
this is ridiculous."
So I had a lot of empathy
for her,
and I think...
that was my guiding principle,
is, like, I just had empathy,
and wanted to make sure
whatever I had to do,
that I made her life as good
as I possibly could
in the conditions that she had.
I feel like
she was a lot like me.
I'm a very patient person.
She's kind.
She's just like somebody...
describe your best friend.
Why is that your best friend?
My heart was pounding
the first time
I was in the water
with her up close.
I mean, you just...
You can't see past her face.
It's just huge.
There was a...
A Native American tribe
in the Pacific Northwest
now claiming ancestral rights
to this animal,
and they wanted this animal
back in her natal waters,
where she belonged.
I said,
"That's a hell of a story.
No one's ever told the story."
And I went to my news director.
I said,
"Hey. This is happening."
And he goes,
"Well, does it have legs?"
I said, "Well, the Lummis
are extremely powerful.
They've taken on
titans of industry,
and they've won.
There's something here."
Peanut, go home.
We are in Lhaq'temish territory.
Lhaq'temish People
were known as the survivors
of the great flood.
The Lhaq'temish People
have been here
since the beginning of time,
since Creator created us.
The land, the water, the air
is all connected with the wind.
So you have to honour
and respect
what you do has an impact...
Good or bad...
Has an impact.
I am Squil-le-he-le
Raynell Morris.
I'm a mother,
a grandmother,
an elder...
a Lhaq'temish elder,
and the matriarch in my family.
In 1997,
I was the first Native American
appointed under
the Clinton Administration
to the White House.
The administration acknowledges
that our ancestors gave up land,
water,
natural resources,
in exchange for peace,
security,
healthcare,
and education
from the federal government.
And the United States government
has not lived
up to its agreement.
My English name is Ellie...
Ellie Kinley,
and my traditional name
is Tah-Mahs,
and I am a Lummi tribal member
from here in Washington state.
I'm a commercial fisher.
My father was a fisher
and my husband was a fisher,
and now my boys and I
run our boat.
You see that tree on Portage?
Oh, God.
There is needles in the road.
Thanks for holding.
What is it you're reporting?
Just a couple of needles
that are right
in the middle of the roadway.
Okay.
I'll let officers know.
What was your name?
Ellie Kinley.
Okay.
No problem. Thank you.
Thanks.
I have to feel
that it all ends up
going back
to the abundance of salmon,
because when we were a thriving,
healthy community,
that's what we were all doing.
We... the salmon were plentiful,
and people were making livings,
fishing.
We haven't fished sockeye
in three years,
so it's...
People have been denied
the right to...
The...
Denied being able
to make a living...
And where does that leave you?
Because it is who we are.
We're the Salmon People.
And that's what you end up with,
when Salmon People
can't catch salmon.
Our parallel journey
that we're taking
with Sk'aliCh'elh,
our... our orca.
Our fates are the same.
What happens to them
happens to us.
You guys have seen this, right?
This is the one that was taken
all the way to Miami and back,
that was part of
the totem pole journey,
to give people the story,
so that they'd have
an understanding
that she's more
than just a c*ptive whale,
she is our family.
She's related.
She's no different
than our great-grandparents,
when they got taken off
to boarding school,
and the savage
was taken out of them.
The exact same thing
happened to her.
She went off to boarding school
and she's still there.
She needs to come home.
We had a naming ceremony,
and we named her
after the village site
that she was captured at,
and her new traditional name
is Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.
She's still suffering.
Lhaq'temish People
and Qwe'lhol mechen family
are still suffering,
and I'm told,
until we heal the Salish Sea,
until we heal the salmon,
'til we heal Qwe'lhol mechen,
we won't be healed.
Ellie and I have been called
to bring her home,
bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home.
Our late chief, Tsi'li'xw,
we went and did a burning
on the beach.
That's our way
to open the communications
with Ancestor.
When Ancestor trusts you
and gives you the work to do,
you're honoured.
You do it.
Hi. I'm Robert Rose,
curator emeritus
here at Miami Seaquarium.
And I'm here
with my long-time friend,
Tokitae,
or also known as Lolita.
There's been a new call
in the last couple of months
by groups and an individual.
They're calling, again,
for her release.
Management said,
"There's no way
that we are releasing Toki.
This is her home.
It's been her home
for 50-plus years
and it will continue
to be her home
until the day she dies."
The Lummi Nation
has even gone as far to say
that she's better off dead.
I mean, really?
Better off dead?
Shame on them.
She's a corporate asset.
We don't own her,
so the reality is
we have to work
with who owns her.
Is it a dollar figure?
Is it a legal contract?
Is it that, you know,
acceptance of responsibility,
release of liability?
We need to be real and come to...
What do you need to release her?
My biggest fear is
they'll take too long
to do the right thing
and she will end up
like Hugo did.
After about 12 years
of her arrival with Hugo,
he committed suicide.
He rammed and rammed his head
to the side of the tank,
'til he had a brain hemorrhage.
She witnessed it.
She witnessed his suffering,
his trauma,
him taking his own life.
And then she watched
a crane come in
and take his lifeless body.
And then they took him to the...
the dump in Miami.
She lived through that.
I think she'll sense
the lack of his presence.
Zeiler would not disclose
where the autopsy
would be performed on Hugo,
nor where the remains
would be buried.
So Lolita will go on
with the show, so to speak?
Absolutely.
First thing in the morning,
we'll start right up again.
She has no communication
with her family.
Not one relative, for 50 years.
Can you imagine?
They're a community.
They need their mothers.
They need their...
their brothers.
And she's all alone.
When people find out
that her mother is still alive,
Ocean Sun, at 91 years old,
give or take a few years,
I think your heart melts.
I think it pulls
at your heart strings.
It-it-it...
punches your gut.
I had a conversation recently,
someone said,
"Oh, Toki's mom
probably doesn't even
remember that happening," like.
"And she's moved on.
She's probably had other calves,
like, whatever."
And I'm like,
"Are you kidding me?"
I spoke to a couple of mothers,
like, "Would you ever forget,
even into your 90s,
that your four
or six-year-old daughter
was kidnapped in front of you?
Would you forget that?
And would you ever
stop looking?"
And they were like,
through tears...
I mean, it's just so emotional.
"Absolutely not."
I feel like...
This gives me goosebumps...
Her mother's been looking
for her around the corner
every single day,
just like, "Maybe that's her."
That's heartbreaking.
She's still
in that same little cement tank.
It's falling apart.
It's an old tank.
It's an old park.
We needed a plan
that would hold up
with scientists,
with biologists,
with federal agencies,
with state agencies,
on what is A to Z
to get her home?
One of our key partners
is Charles Vinick.
It's not hard to capture whales.
Certainly traumatic for them,
but how difficult was it to do?
Not very difficult.
What I think
we've learned over time,
what I personally
had the experience to learn,
with Keiko,
the "Free Willy" whale,
is how hard it is
to put one back.
Now, the world's
most famous whale
was to become
the first c*ptive k*ller whale
to be returned to the wild.
I think
the work we did with Keiko
informs a lot of the decisions
we have made
about how to build a sanctuary,
where to place a sanctuary,
and even the fact
that sanctuaries
are more what are appropriate
for whales
that are in captivity.
So here's the Lummi reservation.
We're right here.
When she gets released
from her Miami home,
our hopes is to put her here
in the Salish Sea,
and there's several areas
that would be fine
for a enclosure,
but we're really hoping
for East Sound here.
As the crow flies,
from my dock on in
to East Sound,
it's only eleven miles
away from us.
Just getting her
back into the Salish Sea,
and the water's cold.
We begin tonight
with a Local 10 exclusive...
A dire outlook
about the health
of the famed k*ller whale,
Lolita.
Calvin and Nicole,
I got the sad news
early this morning...
One source telling me
that, late last night,
the Seaquarium has placed Lolita
on a 24-hour watch.
What that means
is that her health
has rapidly declined
to such a state,
they now have to watch her
round the clock.
She's sinking a little bit.
She's kind of slow.
She's not very attentive.
That's not her.
Something...
Something's wrong with her.
What this source says
that's so alarming
is that the Seaquarium
fired Toki's long-time vet
of 23 years last summer...
I bet she'll die
in the next six months.
Like, I give her
maybe six months at best.
I don't think
she's going to make it
that much longer.
Didn't that sound lovely?
Have you heard the term
"24-hour watch", Jeff,
in New York?
- Yeah.
- You have.
- Normal.
- That's normal.
Yeah. Yeah. When...
When an animal
is starting to crash,
or if you're...
If you're really worried
about an animal,
or if you have
a pregnant animal,
and you have concerns,
you're put on a 24-hour watch.
I mean, it seems to me
like she may have been
on 24-hour watch
for quite a long time now.
Keep checking in
with your sources
and see if you can
get anything new,
or confirm anything
that Louis said on his report.
We don't have authority.
They have authority.
So, because this is
a personal request
to the mayor...
Get it out.
We still have
some daylight back there.
Okay. Love you.
Bye.
We're trying
the very best we can
to get to whoever we can,
to try to get this care
for her right away.
And what is your biggest worry
right now about her?
Is that the reports
are true enough,
that she's not well,
that she's hurting,
and she's not getting
the care she needs to heal.
That's number one right now.
Every time they go to the public
or they go to the press,
it's the same MSQ song.
She was ill.
She's better.
We love her.
You know, thank you for her...
You know, your concern,
but she's doing well now.
And we are feeling encouraged
with her improving blood work.
She is interacting
with her trainer.
She is interacting
with her toys.
She is eating.
In a written statement,
the Seaquarium said,
"Toki's unprecedented longevity
speaks to the quality care
she receives.
She continues to exhibit
normal behaviours
and activity levels
and has maintained
a good appetite."
The Seaquarium was not open
to my requests for interviews,
even though I wanted to sit down
with management
and just talk about this
to get their thoughts on this.
They were...
They never granted me
an interview.
They never granted me
permission
to go on park grounds.
They would release statements
when it was appropriate
and they wanted to respond
to a story,
but it was always
extremely terse,
and that was it.
Again,
the big headline here tonight
is that Lolita's health
has declined so rapidly
that the Seaquarium
has now placed her
on a 24-hour watch.
We'll, of course, monitor this
and bring you any updates
as soon as we get them.
Good Lord. Yeah.
My brain's about to explode.
Wow. I don't even know
what to say about that.
Yeah.
We gotta...
we gotta get down there.
I'm goin' there,
back to my old stomping grounds,
and see if I can
weasel my way in to...
to see her.
It's all I have right now.
You know,
I just want to be with her
and talk to her,
and let her know
I'm not leaving again.
I did that once
and I still carry
some guilt about that.
Like, I walked away from her.
I feel like I deserted her.
So, um, the big message
I got from everybody is...
no seeing the whale.
I don't think
that's gonna happen.
And the whale trainers
are sequestered off over there,
and that's it.
They've got her hidden away
and I can't see her.
It was very hard
to walk right by that stadium.
I just know I'm tantalizingly
within reach of seeing her,
and I couldn't...
I couldn't do it.
You know, it's as if
she has been...
like Bugs Bunny
sawed around the stadium,
and, like,
just removed it from...
from everything...
It's like she doesn't exist.
And, um... that's...
that's just gotta stop.
She's there.
You can't hide a whale.
You know.
It's just
the stupidest thing ever.
One kilometer.
Take a slight right turn
onto Myrtle Avenue.
I hope she shows up.
I hope she shows up, too.
She's coming.
Okay, so,
there's probably gonna be
a lot of questions you have.
I'm gonna say,
"Not that one. Not that one."
That's fine.
That's fine.
So, can you tell me about Toki?
When did you first meet her?
I've known her
for almost three decades now.
Mm-hmm.
With Toki, one of the things
that we all agreed on,
the most important thing,
was consistency for her.
We noticed that
any time there was a change,
whether it be a sound,
her environment,
an animal,
a person...
it wasn't positive.
It was December of 2020
when the management
for Toki changed.
Her feeding structure,
her husbandry,
everything that we all worked
and strived for years,
for decades,
to keep consistent,
they changed for the worst.
They started lowering her food,
and at the end of the day,
they would make the decision
just not to feed her anymore.
And because
we had cameras in the park,
I mean, some of us could see,
she would still show up
at the end of the night
waiting for the food.
They kept saying,
"No, she doesn't want to eat.
She doesn't want to eat."
When you let a facility
like this
get away with things,
they're not learning
good animal welfare.
They're learning
how to get away with it.
That pool
has deteriorated so much
that it's really like
a condemned building.
There is no best
for Toki anymore.
There is
what is the least worst
for Toki?
Why are you telling me all this?
I know what happened
to Toki's world.
I left saying the truth.
I got fired for probably
telling the truth.
And I'm still gonna
tell the truth.
I just want to feel...
like I always
tried my best with her.
And even when I wasn't by her,
I always tried at least
for the truth
to come out about her.
We really don't know
what is happening
on a daily basis now
at the Miami Seaquarium.
Where does the story go
if she dies?
The first thing
that comes to my mind
is...
how do Raynell and Ellie
end up feeling about that?
Because of all of the people
who have been involved in this
for decades,
they will feel
a kind of family grief
that I think
will be harder for them.
That may seem cold,
but I think that's true.
I do get that.
There's a whole other side.
Sorry.
I lived it with Keiko.
New at 11 o'clock,
Keiko the k*ller whale
died earlier today in Norway.
His caretakers say
Keiko died suddenly
Friday afternoon,
after the sudden onset
of pneumonia.
He started showing signs
of weakness
and loss of appetite Thursday.
Veterinarians
gave him antibiotics,
but it wasn't apparent
how sick he was.
He died just 24 hours later.
When you're that close
to any animal,
but particularly to whales
and orcas,
that...
when I end up speaking about
the death of a whale,
it always brings Keiko...
because he was
my responsibility.
Major changes are coming
to the Miami Seaquarium.
Commissioners have agreed
to transfer the famed park
over to new operators.
At issue here
is the transfer
of the Seaquarium's
operating lease
from its current owners,
Palace Entertainment,
and its Spanish parent company,
Parques Reunidos,
that recently sold it
to the Mexican-based
The Dolphin Company.
We're actually very happy
to have the Seaquarium
go to someone else
that will do better.
And it presents
a critical opportunity
for greater accountability,
oversight
and scrutiny of this facility.
All in favour, say aye.
- Aye.
- Any opposed?
None.
Let the record reflect.
Lolita,
or Toki, as she's also known,
she'll no longer perform
at the Seaquarium...
That's the marine park in Miami.
Guests will not be permitted
to see her
while they visit the park here.
Now, as far as going
beyond that,
we'll have to wait and see.
A gentleman,
who goes by the name
of Pritam Singh,
just this week,
has come aboard our team
and is willing to purchase
Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's release,
which is all
a little bit overwhelming
when it's something
you've been fighting for
and working for
for many years.
It's just the worry
that what happens to her
is what is in our plan.
What is truly different now
is the stars aligning.
The timing...
this wouldn't happen if the...
if Miami Seaquarium
weren't changing hands.
I mean, it's a number of factors
that are all
coming together at this moment.
So thanks for coming.
I'd like to ask
that everybody agree
to keep this confidential,
so everybody's...
"I swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,
and not tell anybody
this truth," right?
- Yeah.
- Okay. Good. Thanks.
Because this is
pretty delicate stuff,
but it's what we wanted,
because the issue here was...
How do we get involved
in the process of being able
to help care for Lolita?
So yesterday afternoon,
I got a letter.
I had sent a letter.
I think you've all seen
the letter I sent to Mr. Albor,
and yesterday afternoon
at two o'clock,
this is what I got back
from him.
"Hello, Pritam.
Thank you for your letter
and your interest
in the well being
of our beloved Lolita,
under the Miami Seaquarium care.
I would like to understand
what you have in mind
and propose we meet in person
to talk about this."
The top person,
the decision-maker,
the owner of The Dolphin Company
is Eduardo Albor.
Nothing happens
without his check mark.
So that really is
what we were hoping for...
Let's meet
and try to sort this out,
and figure out
how we can work together.
I do have an ask.
You know,
we have come a long way.
Is there an opportunity,
either today or tomorrow,
just a small group, no press...
can just go pray with her?
Um...
I would be reticent
to try to reach out to anybody
on any of that.
I mean, we're...
We're literally, you know,
today is Friday, right?
If we're gonna
meet with him on Wednesday,
we're five days away
from actually being able
to walk in the door
and start the real process.
Anyone who looks at this,
this is a win-win-win.
Win for her, win for us,
win for him.
Win for all of those people
who care about her.
What Pritam Singh
brings to the table
is his negotiating experience,
is his political savvy,
in Florida...
In particular, in Miami.
It's scary,
because when you have a partner,
you're inviting someone else
to the table.
We've all heard lots of reports.
It's good, it's bad,
it's terrible.
You know.
It's rotten fish
and blah-blah-blah.
A tank that's too small
and she's being mistreated.
The problem is nobody knows...
Because nobody
except the current owner
has that information.
The only way to get in
is to ask...
And the only way to ask
is to ask politely.
I think it's incumbent on us
as human beings
when we see a situation
where there's suffering,
and there's something
I can do about it...
It's not really optional.
It's something I have to do.
We are passing Miami Seaquarium.
There are a few more cars
in the parking lot today
than there was on Friday.
It's heavy driving by there,
isn't it?
It's heavy.
I kinda, in my mind,
told her we were coming.
There's the water.
Just feel how hot the sun is.
And there's no shade.
There's no shade
in her aquarium.
Nope.
I mean, the heat alone
on my arm right now,
what it's got
to be doing to her.
I don't even feel comfortable
being here.
No, I don't. It's sad.
It's heavy.
Usually, water is refreshing,
but it wasn't the way
our water feels.
It wasn't good.
You feel that in here,
like, a...
pulling on your heart...
and hurt for her.
And you know,
I'm a mom and a gramma,
and I want to fix it.
I want to heal her.
I want to comfort her.
It's just hard,
and I just...
I can't wait for the day
when we get to bring her home.
We know she's safe
in the Salish Sea.
She has shade.
She has cold water.
She has good food.
This greenhouse here
is where I grew up
and went to kindergarten
through high school.
There were six of us kids
and it was just a lot of fun.
Really good memories.
And this is the Catholic church
that's been here for decades
and decades and decades.
I was raised Catholic.
My mother
was also raised Catholic,
so she felt like
that was the best route
for us kids to be able to,
you know, learn and work
and be educated
in the western world,
where my father was brought up
traditionally in Sea Island,
and was a Black face.
But we didn't know that
until I was an adult.
You know, we were brought up
to do the right thing,
say the right thing,
behave the right way.
And my mom ironed the hell
out of our clothes with starch,
so, you know,
they didn't bend very good.
And it wasn't until I was older
when I realized
it's really part of
who we are as Indian People
to have the Indian in us
and to identify with it
like my dad did.
And as I get older,
I do more and more
of the cultural work,
and moved over
to the Lhaq'temish
way of understanding
who you are,
where you come from,
and how you live.
How will it feel for you
when she's back in the water?
It'll be a...
a sense of hope for her,
hope that now she can go on
and continue her journey
the way she wants.
Free.
Choices are hers to make.
She can swim in the skies,
she can spy up,
she can do what she wants.
New day, new promise
from the new owners
of Miami Seaquarium.
A critical and long-overdue
opportunity for true partnership
and greater accountability.
We're here this afternoon
to announce that
The Dolphin Company
has agreed to allow
a third-party veterinarian
on site.
Lolita will soon receive
additional care
from an outside veterinary team,
helping our community
to move one step closer
towards our shared goal
of her ultimate care.
We're extremely excited
to bring a new wave
of transparency
and we have agreed
under the leadership
of Mayor Cava
to establish
an independent team of experts
that will come to the park
and work with our in-house team
and our existing
independent group of experts
that already
collaborate with us.
Is your group's goal
to have the whale moved?
Um, are we off the record?
No.
I mean, just tell me
on the record
what you can you tell me, first,
if you don't mind.
Well, uh, you know,
the first step here is to...
you know,
see what her health is.
Yeah.
I mean, no matter
what anybody's intentions
or non-intentions
or anything else
going in the future...
is you have to do
the first step.
If you want to say anything...
We've got all these people...
If you want to say anything
off the record...
- No, no. No.
- Let me give you my card.
I thought that was
a pretty good...
Pretty good explanation
of what you were saying.
I mean, that was pretty much
what I would say on the record
or off the record.
Just say it on record.
- It's much easier.
- Right. Right. Right.
On the record.
We're going over
to visit the Miami Seaquarium
and we're going to see Toki.
There's a general consensus,
I mean, as you know,
that she should never have been
in that tank.
Agreed. 100%.
But nobody
at the Miami Seaquarium today
did it.
And nobody, certainly,
from The Dolphin Company
or from Friends of Toki
or anybody else
had anything to do
with her being in that tank.
Okay.
- Hello.
- Hello.
I have video of her.
I think today was
an exceptionally successful day.
It's now public
that we're working together,
that Friends of Lolita,
comprised of you,
the Whale Sanctuary Project,
and Pritam,
and Pritam's team,
are working together,
and it's publicly known,
and that our purpose
is to start the process
of bringing
independent veterinarians in
to assess her health
and help her going forward.
We are paving the path as we go.
Yeah.
So whatever we need
to amend and change...
We'll do for her.
Exactly.
That's, you know,
it's all for her.
- And...
- Yes.
Certainly, that has never been
the case before.
I wish you were here in person
to share it,
but you will be soon.
- Fantastic.
- Take care of yourself.
Okay. I will. Thanks.
Talk soon.
Okay. Thanks. Bye.
Take care.
This is huge.
The first step is solidified
and in place.
I have comfort and confidence
now that people
from around the world
are watching.
All eyes
are on Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.
That's comforting to me
that now The Dolphin Company
is held accountable
to a global standard
of people
that love and care for her.
They're now responsible
for her well being.
We're here now,
and when I say "we,"
it's a whole team of people
that we've brought in
who are specialists
in animal care,
have worked with orcas
in the wild,
have worked with orcas
and dolphins in captivity.
She has a chronic infection.
That's... that's why we're here.
How was she doing today?
Not great. Not great.
She hasn't been doing great,
you know,
the last couple of weeks.
The next couple of days
will tell a lot, so.
Okay.
And so what...
What... what procedure
were they attempting?
They're attempting
to give her some water,
which is a weird process
with a whale.
Um, and then they were going
to give her
some more antibiotics,
and, hopefully, get the...
Get the...
Get the infection down, so.
They're probably doing
the procedure now,
is my suspicion,
because I called Charles
and he didn't answer me.
Okay.
So as soon as I hear from him,
if he hasn't already called you,
I will.
Okay. That sounds great.
Thanks, Pritam.
- All right.
- Okay.
Thanks, sir. Bye-bye.
So I just flew over...
the whale stadium,
and...
man, it looks bad in there.
There's probably
six or seven people.
They have her in
the small portion of the tank
and they've got
the water drained out
so that they can
stand in there with her,
and it looks like
they're giving her
intravenous drugs.
And I'm not sure
if they're trying
to tube feed her or something,
but it looks dire.
We have sad developments
at Miami Seaquarium,
where it appears
Lolita is now being
watched around the clock
as her health
continues to decline.
And according to the Seaquarium,
the longest-living orca
in captivity
no longer seems
to have an appetite.
And just within the last hour,
we were able to speak in person
with the general manager
of the Miami Seaquarium.
He said as of right now,
Toki is not herself.
He says she is lethargic,
she does not want to eat,
and she is making it
difficult for them
to give her that medicine
at this time.
They are concerned.
B side of the pool,
where the bulkheads are in,
means she's not in good shape.
They've locked her in there
for medical reasons
and she'll stay in there
until she starts eating
on her own,
is what it looks like.
It would be
one of the biggest crimes
in the universe
if, after all of this, we...
we don't get her
back to open water or...
or a sanctuary,
someplace out of there.
After all of this,
we can't let that happen.
So that's just clinging
to that, you know?
Hello?
Hey, I... I just...
Just heard from Mike
as I hung up from you,
with a text,
that they got four herring
into her this morning.
So... so that's the first,
and she's looking
food-motivated,
and she's moving around.
Yes. Yeah. It's huge.
So it's four herring,
and that's just terrific.
I mean, she's taking herring.
Yesterday she, you know,
looked at a herring
and moved away from it.
So today she's taking it.
It's huge.
Here you go.
Here you go.
Here you go.
There you go.
Over here.
Yeah. How are you?
Yes.
How are you today?
How are you today?
How are you today?
Okay.
Yeah.
There you go.
She is recovering
from a serious illness,
but they do not know
what caused it.
But she's improving
and they're looking
for her lab work
in the next couple of weeks
to return to normal.
This shows proof
that she has the ability
to recover and become strong...
Strong enough for transport.
So what happens next?
The powers that be
will decide that.
Um...
we truly appreciate
the next step being...
clearing her to come home,
actually having
a release of her saying,
"Okay. She's yours.
She's healthy enough."
Because once that happens,
that triggers everything else.
She seems to be doing
as well as could possibly
be expected at this point.
Financially, you know,
we're at three quarters
of a million dollars right now
in the last seven months.
It's going to cost,
I don't know,
a hundred, $120,000 a month
to take care of her.
And I'm paying for that
personally with my family
and so I don't have the time
or the financial ability
to go and deal with
what's going to have to deal
with moving her.
If there are other people
who want to take on that task,
we should all work together,
and we'll be part of it.
We believe there are
wealthy people
that believe
she should be brought home,
that would make
capital contributions
to bring her home.
We don't believe funding
is an issue at all.
But time is.
She's already been over there
52 years.
We do know what it will take.
We do know the cost.
It's achievable.
It's doable.
It'll be.
It'll happen for her.
I'm more of a basketball fan
than I am a football fan,
so I had no idea
who Jim Irsay was.
As if things couldn't get
any crazier, who is this guy?
Lolita, the lonely orca
at the Seaquarium,
might be going home.
The Colts' owner says,
"The Story of Lolita
has been near and dear
to my heart."
Here is the owner
of the Indianapolis Colts
who has deep pockets,
who believes that Lolita
should be taken back
to her natal waters
and live
the rest of her life out
in this natural sea pen...
And he's gonna pony up.
I just texted you.
I said, "I'm here.
I don't know where to go."
Well, the conference...
The press conference
is in that room.
Okay. Biscayne, right?
Biscayne.
Good... good morning.
Nice to see you.
Good to see you, too.
Oh, it's a great day.
Yeah. No, it's. uh...
you know, um... yeah.
It's, uh...
it's really extraordinary
that it actually
has come together,
and here we are,
and then, of course,
Jim Irsay is just
this extraordinary angel,
who literally just,
you know, we, um...
I described him yesterday
to... to Charles
as the man
who fell to Earth, right?
For us.
He just "whoosh" fell out
of the sky and here he is.
It's so extraordinary.
Hello. Hello.
Well, great to see you.
Thank you.
Good to see you, Pritam.
What's happening?
How's everyone going?
I just want
to shake your hand, Mr. Irsay.
I'm Raynell Morris.
Oh, thank you.
I'm from the tribe she's from.
Oh, beautiful.
She's representing
the whole tribe.
Thanks so much.
I want you to meet Michelle.
Michelle, where's...
This is my girlfriend, Michelle.
- Oh, hi.
- Pleasure.
She's heard about your tribe.
So we're so excited you're here.
Everyone,
thank you for being here.
You know, I'm...
I'm excited
about being part of...
Of Lolita's journey.
And we have
definitely collaboration,
where we're really excited.
It's so important
to have all you media here,
because no one knows
what's happenin'
unless you tell the story.
And hopefully, you know,
you can get a sense
of our true intention up here.
Should I...
Can you see around my hat?
- You know, I think...
- Take it off?
Okay.
Otherwise,
we just get a picture of a hat.
Right.
Beautiful.
Big smiles!
- Please hold.
- Thank you.
Can I ask you
a couple of quick questions?
Yeah. I'm payin' for it,
and you know, look it.
We... we don't know, you know?
I'm saying it's probably
somewhere between
10 to $20 million, you know?
I think.
Are you payin'
for the whole thing?
Yes. I mean, you know, I...
I am funding it.
You know,
Pritam has began the process.
Mr. Irsay, nice to meet you.
There was a tweet from you
in December
saying that you were going
to work to make this happen.
Where did that come from?
Well, you know, Michelle,
my girlfriend, and I,
we went to the movies,
and we were watching Avatar 2,
and it had the scene
with the whale, you know,
being attacked and harpooned,
and it was disturbing.
And I know James Cameron,
from both of us
knowing people that know him,
even though James...
I'm not personally
a friend of his,
but I know people
that know him, you know,
and how much him
and his wife love whales.
And so...
Oh, no.
I've got weepy shoulders.
I may have to...
stand up.
What do you think?
I think this is the day
we've all dreamed about...
for her.
You're in a funny spot today.
You're on the inside
and you're on the outside...
All at once.
I don't always see the wisdom.
I let my feelings
and my ego creep in,
but my guides and the ancestors
pull me back
to where I'm supposed to be.
And I'm not at the table today,
but I'm in the room.
I was told that
that was going to be
the pathway.
And it's almost like
history repeating itself
with any progression
for Indigenous
and Native American Peoples,
is we're not completely
in charge of our own destiny.
There's always partners
that you have to work with,
and sometimes for,
to get what's best
for your People.
It's the same here...
for her.
I'm actually
going to step outside
and talk to her for a minute.
For the first time ever,
the new owners
of the Miami Seaquarium,
The Dolphin Company,
have entered into
a binding agreement
with the non-profit
Friends of Lolita,
or Friends of Toki,
to send the 56-year-old orca
back home.
Today, we get to go in
and check on
Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.
How does it feel for you,
personally, to go in today?
Just probably
too emotional to talk about.
I'm always just so grateful
that she's had the power...
and the strength
to hold on for how long
this process has taken.
And I'm actually really excited
that you guys get to come in.
It's a big day for us, too.
Right.
How's our girl?
Where is she?
Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.
Hello, Sk'alich'elh-tenaut.
Sk'alich'elh-tenaut.
So good to see you.
How beautiful.
Wow, she's showing off.
She looks so good.
She looks so energetic
and so strong.
She seems really happy.
It's like a dream, really,
that she is gonna get
to come home with us.
But I literally feel
that she has always known
she's coming home with us.
She just wants us to hurry up.
So when you first got involved
with Toki,
what opportunity did you see?
Yeah. She should get out
of that tank,
and yeah, she should have
the opportunity
to be in her ocean.
But that's what we want.
We also gotta be careful
not to put on her
our hopes and fears.
I feel like
that's been done
so much with her.
I feel like she is this mirror
that reflects how barbaric
we were when she was taken.
Yeah.
And reflects how...
oh, I hate to say this,
but I'm gonna...
how greedy we are
in wanting to be shown
to be doing
the right thing sometimes.
Do you know what I mean?
Yeah. But that's why
I don't want to talk to you,
because I don't, right?
Well, I know...
I mean, that's the...
That's why I've been so reticent
is because
that's exactly what we do.
We want our name in lights
to say, "good person."
Right?
And the reason to do it...
I mean, you asked me
why I did it.
I did it because that was
a moment of obligation
and I could...
Excuse me.
Hold on a second.
Hi, Charles.
Uh... okay.
Yeah, maybe I should do that.
Uh, let me... let me...
Let me call my airplane guys up
and talk to them right now
and see if there's
any way I can get there.
Um, it's that dangerous?
And so you think
there's a distinct chance
that she could die.
Okay. All right.
Well, let me see what I can do
and see if I can get some...
let me think about it
for five minutes
and I'll call you right back.
All right. Okay.
All right. All right. Bye-bye.
All right.
Well, that's Charles.
He thinks there's a real chance
that she is not gonna survive,
and that maybe
I should go there.
She's in kidney failure
and they're hoping
that the water
that they're giving her,
and the fluids, can change that,
but they're...
But he said,
"You really should come."
Now, I'm supposed to go over
to this World Parliament thing.
I guess
we'll follow you over there.
Yeah. Yeah.
Would you just be walking?
Yeah.
the goal
of leaving our Earth
a better place
than we found it.
We are running out of time
to do the right thing.
It can seem overwhelming...
Use your outside voice
and that's all I got.
and scary.
- Outdoor voice.
- Outdoor voice.
All right.
We have caused, as human beings,
so much destruction.
But there is hope.
Absolutely, positively,
if we take action.
The question for all of us here
as everyday human beings
is "What are we going to do?"
We have a world to protect.
Let's please save this planet,
which is our motto.
Thank you.
Hi, Charles.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you.
Yeah, they told me that.
And when did she...
What time did she die?
So just a few minutes ago.
Yeah. All right.
I'll call you in a few minutes.
All right.
I'll see you in a bit.
Yeah. Bye.
Toki died.
How are you doing?
What do you do, you know?
- Hello.
- Hi.
Did you guys see
the footage of her
in the sling in the truck?
That almost threw me
over the edge last night.
Well, unfortunately,
I caught a flu bug,
and have been throwing up
since yesterday.
There's a doctor coming...
Sorry.
to check me out,
but we're still
doing the work, right?
Yeah, that's a tough one.
Yeah. It's a whole array
of emotions.
We were just like this
getting her home.
I talked to Charles, you know,
and expressing
what the tribal wishes are,
you know, to...
no more cutting.
Leave her body whole.
Well, we got a report yesterday
and they told us
that they already did it,
that it's done.
And so I...
it sounds like
they did not keep her whole.
Hopefully,
the meeting with Eduardo
and his interaction
with the university
can just make sure
that there's a...
They should just stop
what they're doing.
So I have two requests
of Eduardo.
For me to go up
to Georgia University...
Because they won't
move her from there.
She'll go from there to Lummi,
or there to wherever, right?
But I want to get up to Georgia
before the third day,
and I don't think they'll let me
in the room with her,
but I can pray
and drum outside her room.
And be the...
the one to fly back with her.
Yeah. Absolutely.
I think...
that's kinda the next step here.
You're a strong woman
and you're gonna get better.
- Yeah.
- Okay?
Yeah. Love you.
I love you, too.
Love you.
- Bye.
- Have a good day tomorrow.
- Thank you for...
- Thanks, everyone.
Love everybody.
- Bye.
- Bye.
My People.
It's gonna happen in a good way.
Yeah, it will.
Oh, I gotta try to get up.
Oh...
Hello?
Good. Hello. Welcome.
So what's going on today, love?
I can't quit throwing up,
and now there's nothing.
You haven't been able
to hold anything down at all?
That's concerning.
Yeah. We need to get you
to the hospital. Okay?
Okay.
25 now.
Oh, thank you.
Can you stay?
Just in case you feel like
throwing up, all right?
I'm going to stay here.
I'm not leaving you.
I'm not going anywhere.
Okay.
Hi, Linda.
- Hi, Linda.
- How are you?
I'm all right.
I'm still recovering.
I am.
I've been doing the work
for her,
for Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut,
either from my hotel bed,
or now in my hospital bed,
but she's coming home.
Oh, I know.
It's worked out.
Oh... oh...
oh, my gosh.
I am so sorry to hear this news.
Well...
ancestors called her home,
Linda.
Yeah. That's right.
That's right.
Yes, they did.
I'm gonna get her home.
I know you are.
I know you are.
Now, how do we get you home?
I'm goin...
I'm gonna go with her.
Okay. You are?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
You say that
with great determination.
Yeah.
I am going with her.
You're home.
It's just so hard
to believe that's her.
And she knows.
She knows we tried.
We tried everything.
And hug you.
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