Loke the Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (c.1983-2024)
Obituary
Loke passed away in November following the recent death of her son, Elelo.
Loke, a 41-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin, died at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL in late November. Loke had moved to Shedd only 15 months earlier after she and her son, Elelo, were transferred out of the notorious Miami Seaquarium to receive better care. Tragically, Elelo also passed away earlier in October.
Miami Seaquarium, where the orca Tokitae (also known as Lolita) passed away in 2023 after living 50 years at the venue in a small barren tank, has a laundry list of violations and deaths in its history of operations. It’s current owner, The Dolphin Company, is embroiled in a legal battle after county officials moved to evict the venue.
Loke lived most of her life at Miami Seaquarium after her capture off the coast of California. Her transfer to Shedd was an effort to remove her and Elelo from the “insufficient environmental conditions” in which they were living.
Dolphins cannot thrive in captivity. Concrete tanks and artificial lagoons at captive animal parks are two hundred thousand times smaller than their natural habitat. In the wild, dolphins swim more than 40 miles a day and explore diverse environments while forming close bonds with social groups. Dolphins in captivity are often observed swimming in endless circles and engaging in self-harming behaviors.
If you are interested in protecting dolphins and other marine mammals, we encourage you to avoid aquariums and other captive animal venues. Instead, visit and support wildlife heritage areas such as the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area.
You can also take action for dolphins like Loke by helping us shut down Miami Seaquarium, which continues to operate despite its eviction from Miami-Dade County.
