Free Lolita! A Whale Story

Continued from below:

Had to leave for a minute...

My problem is that people who claim themselves animal rights' activists are usually hypocritically doing so. In regard to those people who believe animals have no business being in labs or in captivity, they aren't so easy to give up the luxuries in their lives or are naively thinking they are. For example...shampoo, soap, toothepaste, ointments and medications are ALL at some stage in their making tested on animals. The only way companies can claim they do not test on animals is by purchasing a product after it has already been tested and putting their label on it. It is a Federal Law that all products that are to be put on the market for public use must be tested on animals to be deemed safe. Otherwise people would be going around sacrificing there skin, hair, teeth, etc on products There is a whole process that involves the making and testing of products for human use. Most people don't even have minimal knowledge about it. Things are changing. The future is now holding a possiblity of testing on living cells cultivated in petri dishes, which is still at some point derived from live animals.

I truly believe that people fighting for the rights of animals have the right intentions but sometimes they are ignorantly and righteously doing so. It frustrates me that people feel the need to think and feel on behalf of these animals without really taking into consideration the magnitude of their responsiblity to do so.

Lastly flpantherlady7, I'd like to educate you on the difference between fact and opinion. Fact is reality where opinion is judgement.

In regard to stating that the website www.miamiseaprison.com is all " facts, nothing but facts" shows your blissful ignorance and naive way of thinking. The following statement, among many others, are simply opinion based...and I might add making a mock of the animals they claim to be so strongly figthing for.

"Watch these beautiful animals make complete fools of themselves under the hot Florida sun"-www.miamiseaprison.com

That is tragic way of depicting support and concern for those animals....in my opinion....yes I clarified...OPINION.

Regardless if you read this or not flpantherlady, you still need to be corrected...I won't even go into the serious grammar or mispellings of your comments, the majority of which aren't making much sense.

Again you are using your narrow-minded views and thoughts to try and make statements that presume how right you are.

First and foremost if you paid actual attention to anything I stated then you will recall my first statement in my original comment stating that I do not agree with taking animals out of the wild to use for entertainment purposes.

Next, again feeling as though you are the only one in the world that deserves to have an opinion or at least indicate that your's is the only right opinion, this discussion is all about people's opinions and presumably those that are "for" and "against." Therefore making a statement claiming that someone who is a "fan" of aquariums doesn't have a place in this discussion really embellishes your narrow mind. Oh, and i never made any claim whether I was for or against aquariums but just so you know....I am all for giving a home to animals that cannot survive on their own in the wild and taking that opportunity to educate the public in a way that teaches conservation and knowledge of animals and their evnironment. Whether it be a zoo, aquarium, sanctuary, etc.

intrigued808: Thanks for the attack, but it doesn't irk me in the least bit. I am used to know it alls in this part of animal rights work, and you are just one of many. I beg to differ, MiamiSeaprison.com is not based on opinion, but on facts collected over many, many years. One of the founders is Ric O'Barry, ex-Flipper trainer and now an activist for freeing these wonderful animals. I guess he knows nothing either. May I ask how you know I know nothing about anyone's expertise when you know nothing about me? To being with, I was living in Miami when Lolita arrived, so you can be sure I know a lot more about this situation than a lot of others. You are not teaching me anything about cats and dogs, in fact that is a truly ridiculous comparison. Whales, dolphins, and any oceanic mammal do not belong in captivity, they are not made for tanks. Don't assume things, and if you are as smart as you want people to think you are, then you what comes after those two words. It's easy to spot a "fan" of aquariums as soon as they open their mouths, I don't think this is the place for you. And Orky, I know only too well the frustration you feel, I am involved with those still in the wild as well as those that are "incarcerated". It is not an easy fight, but we can never give up, for them. Don't bother snapping back "intrigued808", I won't be back here to read anymore of your nonsense.

Again I ask: Bubbles the Pilot Whale has been in captivity for over 50 years currently residing at Sea World in San Diego.
Why is there no "Free Bubbles" campaign with celebrities? Is it because pilot whales don't look "sexy" or Hollwood doesn't have an interest?
There are species of dolphins that has gone extinct: "The baija" - The Yangtze River Dolphin in China.
The "Vaquita" - Gulf of California porpoise is down to 150 individuals.
You are wasting money and effort on another "Free Willy" fiasco when there are whales, dolphins, porpoises in danger of going extinct. now.

In response to flpantherlady7's comment:

Again someone making themselves look extrememly ingnorant by stating things that you have no real knowledge about. You're commending someone for thier expertise when you have no actual knowledge of what his expertise is. Your blissful ignorance claims the website miamiseaprison.com contains "nothing but facts" when the majority of the statements on the website are opinion's of certain events....lets try next time to actually know the meaning of the word fact before throwing it around so much.

Now my question to you, do you now have or ever have had a pet...dog, cat, mouse, gerbil, bird, lizzard, etc.?

Before cats and dogs became domesticated over thousands of years they were too wild and free. How is that different? Dogs are highly intelligent animals with very similiar cognition patterns as marine mammals. I am really tired of people so eager to make statements and claims on Lolita's behalf..."deserve thier freedom" when they are being nothing but hypocritical in their own lives and have no business saying anything on that whale's behalf.

posted by wmsonr@verizon.net Having been a friend of Howard Garrett and his wife Susan Berta for years, I know they have dedicated their lives to orcas. Their continuing battle to free Tokitae is an inspiration to us all. Female orcas in the wild can live to be 100, males into their 60's. So think of a captive orca having a lifespan of less than half that of a free one. Reports of Lolita's tank indicate that she is living in unsuitable conditions, yet the Hertzes have for years shown an inability to accept the truth of the cruelty to t his intelligent mammal.

Friends: Lolita, as much as her tank mate(s), deserve their freedom. These are not pet dogs or cats, these are wild and intelligent animals. This fight to free her has been going on for many, many years, at this time in her life, with all her confinement caused illness, she could never survive a trip to Puget Sound. What is needed is a plan to retire her to a MUCH larger tank where she can spend what little time she has left with room to swim, which in her life she really has not had the opportunity to do. If you want the facts, and nothing but the facts, please visit MiamiSeaprison.com, which is dedicated to ALL these wonderful animals kept prisoner by the owner, Arthur Herman Hertz, CEO, and the parent company, Wometco Enterprises Inc.
Dr.Mukhametov, I highly commend you for your most knowledgeable comments, it is truly refreshing to have someone with your expertise comment on such an important and contraversial issue. It is truly sad that there are so many out there who choose to close their eyes and ears to the truth, and instead choose to believe that it is "educational" keeping these incredible animals in captivity. How true it is to be blissfully ignorant.
"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."
Albert Einstein

Its beyound cruel keeping that poor whale in that tank its inhumain

Friends: Lolita, as much as her tank mate(s), deserve their freedom. These are not pet dogs or cats, these are wild and intelligent animals. This fight to free her has been going on for many, many years, at this time in her life, with all her confinement caused illness, she could never survive a trip to Puget Sound. What is needed is a plan to retire her to a MUCH larger tank where she can spend what little time she has left with room to swim, which in her life she really has not had the opportunity to do. If you want the facts, and nothing but the facts, please visit MiamiSeaprison.com, which is dedicated to ALL these wonderful animals kept prisoner by the owner, Arthur Herman Hertz, CEO, and the parent company, Wometco Enterprises Inc.
Dr.Mukhametov, I highly commend you for your most knowledgeable comments, it is truly refreshing to have someone with your expertise comment on such an important and contraversial issue. It is truly sad that there are so many out there who choose to close their eyes and ears to the truth, and instead choose to believe that it is "educational" keeping these incredible animals in captivity. How true it is to be blissfully ignorant.
"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."
Albert Einstein

Lolita has been allone for almost 28 years she has not scene anouther orca scence 1980 what the seaquerium is doing to her is Inhumain its Beyound animal cruelty

If we need to capture these animals for learning purposes, why can't they be kept for a limited time and then re-introduced to their pods? Why do they have to live out their lives in enclosed spaces and do trained repetitive movements day after day?

Can you activist explain why you don't show any concern for the Pacific White Sided Dolphins that share Lolita's tank? Seems that if you want to release Lolita...wouldn't you want to also release her tank mates?

Also there is another animal that has been in captivity longer than Lolita. Bubbles the Pilot Whale has been in captivity for over 50 years currently residing at Sea World in San Diego.
Why is there no "Free Bubbles" campaign with celebrities?

Let me tell you this Doctor Mukhametov. I work in the entertainment industry and Hollywood only gets involved in causes that makes them look good. The bottom line...they are mostly in it for the money.

Comment: In response to Mr. Arthur Hertzt, orcas are not pets. No matter how long Lolita has been imprisoned, she will never fully acclimate to being confined to a small tank in comparison with her natural habitat. It is extremely arrogant for humans to think that we are the only ones who can be rehabilitated back into our own societies. Orcas are the mammals most closely aligned with the same thinking process of human beings. It is a reasonable conclusion to me and my fellow colleagues of aquatic science and marine biology, that this magnificent creature has willed herself to live based primarily on the hope of freedom and reconnection to her natural family. This mammal is not part of your family; she was forcibly removed from her natural habitat and she has her own family waiting for her. Your ignorant speech about Lolita being content in such a confining environment is frivolous. It appears your main concern is monetary profit. You have already amassed over one hundred million(100,000,000 ) dollars from her forced captivity. How much more do you want? We, the leading scientists in this field of study, concur that the abuse of solitary confinement to this mammal needs to cease. We don't believe any animal deserves to be confined for the rest of their life in such conditions. Mr. Hearst, with all due respect, you are a greedy man. My colleagues and I 100% support the Hollywood community who have spoken out on this issue.

Dr.Mukhametov

Russia

let the whale go. why does man have to have it all. maybe the whales should keep us in a pool and make us perform for the sea creatures. it is and always willbe about the money.. GREED!

It's a nice thought to leave animals in their natural habitat, but the cold hard truth of the world is mans selfish spread across the land. Cities are building out more and more instead of redeveloping or going up. We polute the oceans as if no one lives there, acting as though we are the most important beings this plant has ever seen. Lolita and all the others wrongfully taken from the seas are paying a harsh price for the pride of man, but we must remain rational and understand that she cannot be released into the ocean at this stage in her life as though she had never left the open seas. Now we need to ban together and find a way to improve her life as it is so that she can find a natural way to live more like a whale. If a larger, deeper tank was provided and then add ...slowly other aquatic animals for her to share her environment with would be a greater gift then putting her on a cross country trip(which she may not survive due to stress) and into an ocean she has no skills to survive in. Please push for a better home. In a larger, deeper tank with others wouldn't it be nicer to see her just swimming then performing? Remember, freedom is ideal but is it practical ? We need to be responsible and do the best the way things are.

A landscape (or ocean) barren of facts is a fertile environment for anthropomorphic fantasies. The story, in this case, puts Lolita under the potentially deadly self-delusion of a Hollywood endorsed animal do-gooder. The irony is that???under Mr. Gattett???s plan???Lolita still doesn???t have a choice, since he???s determined what is in her best interests. Maybe, if Hollywood hadn???t written Keiko???s happily-ever-after ending, he???d still be with us toady. And now they want to help Lolita?

I had to send the comment in two entries due to size cap. Both comments below are in response and directed to Dr. Musthaveglasses...oops I mean Dr. Mukhametov.

In response to Dr. Mukhametov's comment:

First, I am assuming that you are referring to Mr. Andrew Hertz in your comment where you stated his name incorrectly, "in response to Mr. Arthur Hertzt" and also called him "Mr. Hearst." I think it is extremely irnoic Dr. Mukhametov how incistent you are about anthropomorhisizing for Lolita from Mr. Hertz calling him ignorant, while you are clearly and ingnorantly doing so yourself. You have no way of knowing that Lolita "has willed herself to live based primarily on the hope of freedom and reconnection to her natural family."

You are surprisingly naive to think that your studies, all of which I presume had to be on captive orcas in order to closely monitor and record such data needed in any findings of which you allegedly claim , can in any way know how an animal thinks, feels, or wants. That is simply impossible at this day and age. Until we are clearly able to communicate with these animals and have the defined measure of asking them...then we simply DON"T KNOW and don't have any authority (regardless of stature, credentials, studies, or plain arrogance) to claim to know so. I seriously doubt that you have the awesome power to speak for all colleagues in the aquatic science and marine biology field. I can speak for myself, and I have no agreeance with your thoughts and feeltings in regard to Orcas or Lolita. You are also severely incorrect in stating that "Orcas are the mammals most closely aligned with the same thinking process as human beings." I might ask you, how in the world did you obtain that theory? Did you conduct the research necessary to come up with those findings yourself? Either way, I can guarantee those findings weren't from a study of wild "free" Orcas.