March 26, 2015 - Key Biscayne, Florida, United States - Trainers perform with killer whale, Lolita, at Miami Seaquarium.
March 26, 2015 - Key Biscayne, Florida, United States - Trainers perform with killer whale, Lolita, at Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, Florida on March 26, 2015. The 49 year-old orca, in captivity since 1970, is the subject of the 2003 documentary, "Lolita: Slave to Entertainment". Beginning June 1, 2015, trainers have been prohibited from performing in the water with Lolita after the marine attraction was fined $7,000 by OSHA in 2014 for letting trainers work with Lolita without proper protection. On July 20, 2015, animal rights groups including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sued the aquarium in federal court alleging the marine park violates the Endangered Species Act by keeping its lone orca whale in an unlawfully small and shallow tank without companionship and adequate protection from the sun. The suit proposes that Lolita be removed to a sea pen under a retirement plan that would more closely mimic her natural Pacific Ocean environment. (Paul Hennessy/Alamy)
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Photo credit: © Paul Hennessy / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: animal, biscayne, court, entertainment, florida, key, killer, lawsuit, life, lolita, marine, miami, ocean, orca, osha, peta, rights, seaquarium, states, tourism, trainers, travel, united, vacation, whale
