Today more than 200 hundred activists and concerned citizens came out to the Miami SaeQuarium to demonstrate against marine mammal captivity. Lolita (aka Tokitae) has been confined to a small tank at the Miami SeaQuarium for almost 44 years. Lolita, along with other marine mammals like dolphins and sea lions are forced to perform tricks throughout the day and live out miserable lives of imprisonment.
Around the country and the world similar demonstrations were taking place at marine parks and aquariums as part of Empty The Tanks Worldwide. Empty the Tanks Worldwide was created when Rachel Carbary, a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Cove Guardian, who has traveled to Taiji, Japan to stand in opposition to the Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt for the past two dolphin hunting seasons, had an idea to galvanize people into a worldwide event focused on ending marine mammal captivity. Both a demonstration of the support for dolphin and whale freedom and an opportunity for increased public awareness and education, these events fortuitously occurred after the worldwide release of the widely-acclaimed documentary film, Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and released by Magnolia Pictures. The film focuses on the tragic death of a trainer by an orca housed at SeaWorld Orlando and shows that the captive conditions are unsafe for humans as well as unhealthy for the animals.
Below is local NBC6 news coverage of the Miami SeaQuarium demonstration.
Girl Scout Troop 371 traveled from Naples Florida to the Miami SeaQuarium to educate the public that marine mammals do not belong in captivity.
Below protestors line both sides of the Rickenbacker Causeway in Key Biscayne creating awareness for Lolita and the other marine mammals confined at the SeaQuarium.
The energy was non-stop for more than two hours, with a constant background noise of people honking their horns in show of support. Lolita and everyone else inside the SeaQuarium could hear that we were there educating the public and getting people to turn away from visiting the SeaQuarium.
We'll be back soon!