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[♪♪♪]

[aquarium trainer voice speaking, indistinct]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

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.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[whales communicating]

[whales communicating]

[♪♪♪]

[whales communicating]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Howard Garrett] 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.

[whales communicating]

Babies were being pushed away from their mothers.

[whales crying]

Lassoed...

...netted.

[Terry Newby] 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'.

[whales crying]

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.

[reporter] 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.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] Is that her stadium?

You can see a little bit of it there.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] Oh, yeah.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] 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.

[drumming continues]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[announcer] The Miami Seaquarium

welcomes you all

to the home of our world-famous killer 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Marcia Henton] 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.

[applause]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Louis Aguirre] 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."

[dog barking]

Peanut, go home.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] 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.

[phone ringing]

[dispatcher] Thanks for holding. What is it you're reporting?

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] Just a couple of needles

that are right in the middle of the roadway.

[dispatcher] Okay. I'll let officers know.

What was your name?

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] Ellie Kinley.

[dispatcher] Okay. No problem. Thank you.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] 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 captive 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[reporter] 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?

[Zeiler] Absolutely.

First thing in the morning, we'll start right up again.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] She has no communication

with her family.

Not one relative, for 50 years.

Can you imagine?

[♪♪♪]

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] They're a community.

They need their mothers.

They need their...

their brothers.

And she's all alone.

[Louis Aguirre] 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.

[Marcia Henton] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[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.

[reporter] Now, the world's most famous whale

was to become the first captive killer whale

to be returned to the wild.

[Charles Vinick] 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.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] 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.

[♪♪♪]

[reporter] We begin tonight with a Local 10 exclusive--

a dire outlook

about the health

of the famed killer 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.

[Anonymous] 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.

[Louis Aguirre] What this source says

that's so alarming

is that the Seaquarium

fired Toki's long-time vet of 23 years last summer...

[Anonymous] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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.

[reporter] 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."

[Louis Aguirre] 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.

[reporter] 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.

[GPS voice] One kilometer.

Take a slight right turn onto Myrtle Avenue.

[man] I hope she shows up.

I hope she shows up, too.

She's coming.

[Anonymous] 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?

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] Why are you telling me all this?

[Anonymous] 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...

[crying]

...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.

[Charles Vinick] 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.

[crying]

I do get that.

There's a whole other side.

Sorry.

I lived it with Keiko.

[reporter] New at 11 o'clock,

Keiko the killer 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.

[Louis Aguirre] 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.

[reporter] Lolita, or Toki, as she's also known,

she'll no longer perform at the Seaquarium--

that's the marine park in Miami.

[Deborah Souverain] 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.

[♪♪♪]

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] 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.

[Charles Vinick] 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."

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] We are passing Miami Seaquarium.

There are a few more cars in the parking lot today

than there was on Friday.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] And there's no shade.

There's no shade in her aquarium.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] Nope.

I mean, the heat alone on my arm right now,

what it's got to be doing to her.

[sighs]

I don't even feel comfortable being here.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] No, I don't. It's sad.

It's heavy.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[laughs]

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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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.

[reporter] New day, new promise

[reporter] New day, new promise

from the new owners of Miami Seaquarium.

[Mayor Daniella Levine Cava] 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.

[Renato Lenzi] 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?

[Pritam Singh] Um, are we off the record?

No.

[laughing]

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.

[reporter] 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.

[reporter] Just say it on record.

-It's much easier. -Right. Right. Right.

On the record.

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[♪♪♪]

[Lolita communicating]

-Hello. -Hello.

[Charles Vinick] I have video of her.

[Lolita communicating]

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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[phone ringing]

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[phone ringing]

[Simon Schneider] How was she doing today?

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[Simon Schneider] Okay.

And so what--

what-- what procedure were they attempting?

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[Simon Schneider] Okay.

[Pritam Singh] So as soon as I hear from him,

if he hasn't already called you, I will.

[Simon Schneider] 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.

[female reporter] We have sad developments

at Miami Seaquarium,

where it appears

Lolita is now being watched around the clock

as her health continues to decline.

[male reporter] And according to the Seaquarium,

the longest-living orca in captivity

no longer seems to have an appetite.

[female reporter] 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.

[Marcia Henton] 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?

[sighs]

[line ringing]

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.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Simon Schneider] 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.

[Pritam Singh] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Louis Aguirre] 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.

[♪♪♪]

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Jim Irsay] Hello. Hello.

[Jim Irsay] 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.

[Jim Irsay] 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.

[applause]

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.

[photographer] Big smiles!

-Please hold. -Thank you.

Can I ask you a couple of quick questions?

[Jim Irsay] 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.

[reporter] 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.

[indistinct conversation]

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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] What do you think?

[sighs]

I think this is the day we've all dreamed about...

for her.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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.

[rain pelting]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Lolita communicating]

[Louis Aguirre] 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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] It's a big day for us, too.

Right.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] How's our girl?

Where is she?

Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] Hello, Sk'alich'elh-tenaut.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] Sk'alich'elh-tenaut.

So good to see you.

[Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley] How beautiful.

[Hy'oltse Shirley Bob] Wow, she's showing off.

[laughing]

[laughing]

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.

[Hy'oltse Shirley Bob singing a traditional song]

[singing]

[singing]

[singing]

[singing continues]

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] 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--

[telephone ringing]

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.

[Simon Schneider] I guess we'll follow you over there.

[Pritam Singh] Yeah. Yeah.

[Simon Schneider] Would you just be walking?

[Pritam Singh] Yeah.

[female speaker] ...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.

[female speaker] ...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.

[applause]

[phone buzzing]

Hi, Charles.

I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

[loud background singing]

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.

[Simon Schneider] How are you doing?

What do you do, you know?

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[protesters chanting]

-Hello. -Hi.

[sobbing]

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...

[Tony Hillaire] Sorry.

...to check me out,

but we're still doing the work, right?

[Tony Hillaire] 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.

[Tony Hillaire] 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.

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] 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.

[Tony Hillaire] Yeah. Absolutely.

I think...

that's kinda the next step here.

[Hy'oltse Shirley Bob] You're a strong woman

and you're gonna get better.

-Yeah. -Okay?

Yeah. Love you.

[Hy'oltse Shirley Bob] I love you, too.

[Tony Hillaire] Love you.

-Bye. -Have a good day tomorrow.

-Thank you for-- -Thanks, everyone.

Love everybody.

-Bye. -Bye.

My People.

[Sarah Sharkey Pearce] It's gonna happen in a good way.

Yeah, it will.

Oh, I gotta try to get up.

Oh...

[woman] Hello?

Good. Hello. Welcome.

[Gus] So what's going on today, love?

I can't quit throwing up, and now there's nothing.

[Gus] You haven't been able to hold anything down at all?

That's concerning.

Yeah. We need to get you to the hospital. Okay?

[Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris] Okay.

[woman] ...25 now.

Oh, thank you.

Can you stay?

[EMT] 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.

[siren wailing]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[phone rings]

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.

[Linda] Oh, I know.

It's worked out.

[Linda] Oh... oh...

oh, my gosh.

I am so sorry to hear this news.

Well...

ancestors called her home, Linda.

[Linda] Yeah. That's right.

That's right.

Yes, they did.

I'm gonna get her home.

[Linda] I know you are.

I know you are.

[Linda] Now, how do we get you home?

I'm goin-- I'm gonna go with her.

[Linda] Okay. You are?

-Yeah. -Yeah.

[Linda] You say that with great determination.

Yeah.

I am going with her.

[ceremonial drumming]

[drumming]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[singing a traditional song]

[song continues]

[song continues]

[song continues]

You're home.

[♪♪♪]

It's just so hard to believe that's her.

And she knows.

She knows we tried.

We tried everything.

[TV playing, indistinct]

And hug you.

[singing traditional song]

[all joining in singing]

[singing and drumming]

[singing and drumming]

[singing and drumming]

[singing and drumming]

[speaking in Indigenous language]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]