Florida aquarium to release orca after more than 50 years in captivity
A Florida aquarium has reached a deal with animal welfare advocates to release Lolita, a 5,000-pound (2,268 kg) killer whale held in captivity for more than half a century, officials said on Thursday.
The Miami Seaquarium said it had reached a "binding agreement" with nonprofit Friends of Lolita to return the whale, who recently retired from performances, to an ocean habitat in the Pacific Northwest within two years.
Lolita, a 57-year-old orca captured in 1970 in a cove off Seattle, is also known as Toki, a name that is short for the whale's Native American name of Tokitae, the Miami Herald reported. The plan to return Lolita to her natural habitat requires federal approval, according to the newspaper.
The process to return Lolita to her "home waters" was years in the making, beginning with the transfer of the aquarium's ownership to The Dolphin Co, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference. The company later partnered with the nonprofit to provide medical care to the whale.
The Seaquarium's previous owner, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc , phased out killer whale shows in 2016. Lolita, once a top attraction at Seaquarium, was retired from shows in March 2022 after management changed hands.
"Finding a better future for Lolita is one of the reasons that motivated us to acquire the Miami Seaquarium," The Dolphin Co Chief Executive Eduardo Albor said in a statement.
The push to free Lolita gained momentum after the 2013 documentary "Blackfish" highlighted the captivity of orcas.
Animal rights advocates for years fought unsuccessfully in court to obtain Lolita's freedom after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added orcas to the endangered species list in 2015.
Killer whales are highly social mammals that have no natural predators and can live up to 80 years.
RISKIN REPORTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince Harry gets his day in court against tabloids he accuses of blighting his life
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Feds warn 2023 on track to be the worst fire season ever seen in Canada
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Canadian parents being stretched thin saving up for children's education: survey
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Ukraine dam collapse triggers emergency, Moscow and Kyiv trade blame
The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.
Multiple investigations underway after B.C. woman’s suspicious death in Australia
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
Canada's housing market sees largest improvement in affordability in four years: National Bank
Canada’s housing market saw the largest improvement in affordability in nearly four years in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from economists at the National Bank of Canada.
Torontonians making more than $236K need to save for about 25 years to buy a house in the city: report
It will take Torontonians who make over $236,000 per year about 25 years to save for a down payment on a house, according to a new housing affordability report. But, the report also notes the real estate market is seeing improvement in affordability.
5 things to know for Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Officials warn 2023 is on track to be the worst fire season ever seen in Canada, smoke and haze makes air quality poor across the country, and the federal prison service is reconsidering its decision to move Paul Bernardo to a medium-security jail.
Credit card balances increase in first quarter as mortgage market slows: Equifax
Equifax Canada says credit demand was high in the first quarter of the year while the mortgage market saw a significant slowdown.
Canada
-
Wildfire risk remains well above average across Canada this month
This season is on track to be the worst fire season Canada has ever seen and the risk of wildfires will remain well above average in most of the country throughout the summer, the federal government warned Monday.
-
B.C. officials respond to 'fear-based' rhetoric about safer supply programs
Despite "anecdotal information and allegations," there is no evidence that a prescribed safe supply of opioids is being diverted and causing increased harm and death – specifically among youth, B.C.'s chief coroner said Monday.
-
Feds warn 2023 on track to be the worst fire season ever seen in Canada
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
-
Prison service to review decision to transfer killer Bernardo to medium security
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
-
Hydro One workers killed in 2017 helicopter crash were proud employees, inquest hears
Hydro One employees killed in a December 2017 helicopter crash in eastern Ontario were remembered by their families as proud tradespeople with 'lifetimes ahead of them,' as an inquest into their deaths opened Monday.
-
Multiple investigations underway after B.C. woman’s suspicious death in Australia
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
World
-
Normandy marks D-Day's 79th anniversary, honours Second World War veterans
This year's tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy also reminds veterans, officials and visitors what Ukraine faces today.
-
Pope briefly in hospital for scheduled tests two months after bronchitis, returns to Vatican
Pope Francis went to the hospital Tuesday for tests and returned back to the Vatican, witnesses and news reports said, two months after he was hospitalized with an acute case of bronchitis.
-
Lawyer says Rep. George Santos would go to jail to keep identities of bond cosigners secret
Rep. George Santos' lawyer said Monday the indicted New York Republican would risk going to jail to protect the identities of the people who cosigned the US$500,000 bond enabling his pretrial release.
-
Vienna finds off-kilter solution to controversy over statue of antisemitic mayor
The monument to Karl Lueger, a statue of an antisemitic politician who is said to have inspired Adolf Hitler, is to be tilted 3.5 degrees to the right.
-
Ukraine dam collapse triggers emergency, Moscow and Kyiv trade blame
The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.
-
Oklahoma school board approves what would be the first taxpayer-funded religious school in U.S.
A state school board in Oklahoma voted Monday to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state's attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional.
Politics
-
Poilievre threatens to filibuster budget bill if Liberals don't meet demands
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
-
Prison service to review decision to transfer killer Bernardo to medium security
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
-
Pride events in Canada facing higher security costs, feds offer $1.5M
The federal government will be providing up to $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, as advocates call for all political parties to take part.
Health
-
Using melatonin for sleep is on the rise, study says, despite potential health harms
More and more adults are taking over-the-counter melatonin to get to sleep, and some may be using it at dangerously high levels, a study has found.
-
Canada facing critical shortages of leukemia and thyroid cancer drugs
Canada is currently facing a critical shortage of drugs used to fight thyroid cancer and a form of leukemia.
-
Premiers need to keep talking about the health-care crisis: medical associations
The Canadian Medical Association and 14 other organizations representing health workers are urging premiers to keep health care at the top of the agenda at their next meeting in July.
Sci-Tech
-
Experts say Ottawa's 'right to repair' consultation should prioritize consumer rights
Those in favour of creating a federal right to repair law say the government should avoid shaping such legislation according to the wishes of special interest lobbyists as Ottawa gets set to launch consultations on the issue.
-
Apple unveils a US$3,500 headset as it wades into the world of virtual reality
Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination
-
Sonic boom heard over Washington is a rare sound with a rich history
People living in and around the Washington on Sunday experienced a rare, if startling, sound: A sonic boom.
Entertainment
-
Hollywood actors guild votes to authorize strike, as writers strike continues
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted Monday evening to authorize a strike if they don't agree on a new contract with major studios, streamers and production companies by June 30.
-
Matt Mays, Classified among N.S. musicians to perform at wildfire recovery concert
Several Nova Scotia musicians will hit the stage in Halifax on Friday night to raise funds for people affected by recent wildfires in the province.
-
'Jerry Maguire' star Cuba Gooding Jr. faces start of civil trial in rape case
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. faces the start of a civil trial Tuesday on accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago, an encounter that he contends was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant.
Business
-
Stock market today: Global stocks mixed on concern about U.S. economy weakening
Global stock markets were mixed Tuesday after a report that showed growth in service industries is slowing stoked concern the U.S. economy is weakening.
-
Experts say Ottawa's 'right to repair' consultation should prioritize consumer rights
Those in favour of creating a federal right to repair law say the government should avoid shaping such legislation according to the wishes of special interest lobbyists as Ottawa gets set to launch consultations on the issue.
-
Australian central bank boosts cash rate to 4.1 per cent with 12th hike
Australia's central bank on Tuesday lifted its benchmark interest rate for a 12th consecutive time, to 4.1 per cent, and warned further rises could follow.
Lifestyle
-
Kiefer Sutherland’s whisky brand raises more than $100,000 for N.S. wildfire relief efforts
A whisky brand co-founded by actor Kiefer Sutherland says it has raised more than $100,000 for relief efforts related to the ongoing Nova Scotia wildfires.
-
Blind Paralympian teams up with scent-trailing dog to find missing people
Jessica Tuomela is a swimmer and triathlete, and has been on the podium at the Paralympics, but says the feeling returning a missing person home safely is no comparison.
-
'Barbie' movie's pink paint splurge led to global shortage, production designer says
Creating the perfect backdrop for the upcoming “Barbie” movie required so much pink paint that it led to a global shortage, according to its production designer.
Sports
-
Golden Knights take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 7-2 win over Panthers
Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and started an early blitz that chased the NHL's hottest postseason goalie, and Adin Hill continued his stellar play as the Vegas Golden Knights seized control of the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers to take a 2-0 series lead Monday night.
-
Jim Hines, 1968 Olympic 100-meter champion who became NFL receiver, dies at 76
Jim Hines, the 1968 Olympic 100-meter champion who later went on to be an NFL wide receiver, has died. He was 76.
-
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina calls Russian opponent 'brave' following French Open win
Tennis player Elina Svitolina called her opponent, Russian Daria Kasatkina, a 'brave one' following the Ukrainian’s upset win on Sunday.
Autos
-
Ontario commits to cover 1/3 cost of Stellantis deal, Ford urges feds to close deal
Ontario has committed to paying a third of the cost to save a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., premier Doug Ford said Thursday.
-
Alonso's long wait for 33rd F1 win goes on after disappointing Spanish GP
The prospect of Fernando Alonso ending a decade-long wait for his 33rd Formula One win in front of tens of thousands of fans at his home race proved too good to be true on Sunday.
-
Verstappen wins Spanish GP from pole for 40th career victory
Max Verstappen had warned that his Red Bull team was good enough to win every single race of the Formula One season. On Sunday he took one more step toward that ambitious sweep by easing to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
