Freedom ahead, sea in sight: Orca Lolita is set free

Written by Katrine Ida Olsson, coordinator at Dyrenes Alliance Slagelse

Do you know those moments when the world just stops for a second? At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes, then I was overwhelmed with joy when I saw the headline that Lolita the orca—a surviving legend if you’ve followed the story of orcas in the entertainment industry—is finally being freed after 53 years. She’s going home to the sea!

From orcas to all animals: Every being deserves freedom

My first street activism was for orcas. Their tragic stories—from being torn from their mothers in the open ocean to imprisonment in sad, monotonous, and often lonely concrete pools—were the very first things that made me hit the streets handing out flyers. Despite many people’s tireless and generous efforts for captive orcas, victories have been scarce, so Lolita’s liberation fills me with immense joy and hope both for her and the animal rights movement.

“A friend replied to one of my posts, saying it wasn’t really worse for those couple hundred whales than for the millions of pigs raised in Denmark. He meant it to help me relax. Thankfully, it had the opposite effect.”

Before I discovered Dyrenes Alliance I was inspired by orca life stories to make flyers and hand them out at Copenhagen Airport. My involvement with orcas led to videos from the Faroe Islands and the grind hunt showing up on my Facebook feed, which naturally shocked me and sparked numerous angry posts. A friend responded to one, saying the suffering of those few hundred whales wasn’t worse than that of millions of pigs bred in Denmark. He meant to calm me, but it had the opposite effect. It opened my eyes to animals I rarely thought about, and soon after I found Dyrenes Alliance, where for the first time in my life I met others just as passionate about animals’ right to freedom as I was.

Signs of progress in the animal rights movement

Now I’m filled with bubbling joy on Lolita’s behalf and grateful that she was part of what got me involved, and that progress is happening. Small steps, but it’s so crucial that we see them—those victories. It will be incredible for Lolita to experience the ocean again. And most likely, she will reconnect with her family since they still visit Puget Sound. I’ll let this thought energize me for new activism..

However, with Lolita’s release there is a serious risk she could die before preparations are complete for her and the new sea pen—something that will take 18-24 months. She is 57 years old (wild female orcas usually live 50–80 years, but captive orcas rarely live past their 20s). Her death during this time would be a strategic disaster for freeing other orcas, but for Lolita’s sake, I think it’s worth it. She deserves it, even if it’s only one day in the ocean again.

Some will point out the huge costs to make this happen. That money could save far more animals with simpler needs or fund campaigns inspiring people not to eat animals. That’s true. But most of Lolita’s release will be funded by a single millionaire, so it’s not money that would otherwise go to animal rescue. Lolita’s fight is a classic example of how it’s easier to stay committed and invest heavily when fighting for one individual you know, rather than a faceless mass. So however or whoever it takes to get you involved—use it. Even if this fight frees just one individual animal, it sparks debate and opens many eyes to the abuse of others.

Lolita’s victory proves that nothing is impossible if we don’t give up.

Maybe Lolita’s release won’t change the world, but it will change the world entirely for her. With that thought, I raise my glass and toast Lolita’s victory, which is also a win for animal rights in general and for all the activists who have fought for years in many ways to achieve this. Thanks to the street demonstrators, online activists, lawyers, professionals, negotiators, and donors who have all fought for freedom for so many years. Lolita’s victory shows nothing is impossible if we don’t give up. Public opinion is turning—we’re moving forward!

This post expresses the author’s own views.