Conference: “Toki: Past and Present – A Day of Listening”

On this December day, many voices, questions and discussions will take place regarding Tokitae’s precious life. There is only one voice that truly matters and only one that needs hearing above all others.

This one voice belongs to Tokitae.

Humans have been making decisions for her for over 50 years.
Decisions that have kept her locked away in a tiny tank, all alone and in poor health.

It is time to give Tokitae the right to make decisions for herself.
Give Tokitae the right to be who she should have always been.
It is time to make decisions that will give back some of the life taken away from her.

Give Tokitae one last chance to regain some of her true nature.
Give Tokitae respect and dignity.
Retire Tokitae to a seaside sanctuary.

We may never be able to correct all wrongdoings, but the least we can do is truly listen to her and give what is rightfully hers as best we can.

Let this be the goal. Let this be what guides this conference.
Please hear her voice as she calls out to you all.

MIAMI, FL – On Tuesday, December 13th, Friends of Toki (formerly known as “Friends of Lolita”) will host the “Toki: Present and Future” Day of Listening conference, at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami. The conference will convene local leaders, residents, community and national organizations interested in the health of the orca Tokitae (aka “Lolita”), including Miami-Dade County officials and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to report on all that has been done for Toki in the last eight months by Friends of Toki and so many others, all in collaboration with The Dolphin Company; we must begin to openly talk, and listen to one another, about her future,” said Pritam Singh, founder of Friends of Toki. “For years, people who have been concerned about her future have been communicating on social media and in small groups. It is time to have these conversations more widely so that we can all understand the issues and explore the possibilities.”

Under the leadership of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County successfully oversaw the transfer of ownership of the Miami Seaquarium to The Dolphin Company. Mayor Cava also worked with both Friends of Toki and The Dolphin Company to allow an independent veterinary exam to assess the orca’s health.

“The partnership between The Dolphin Company and the Friends of Toki has led to additional veterinary care for Tokitae (“Lolita”) and marked a new era of transparency at the Miami Seaquarium,” said Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County. “This conference will generate both good will and good ideas, cementing trust through conversation with residents and stakeholders. Together, we’ll continue working to ensure the highest quality care for Toki.”

Since April, Friends of Toki and The Dolphin Company have created an unprecedented collaboration to share their expertise, personnel and resources to care for Tokitae. “Friends of Toki are very grateful to Mr. Eduardo Albor, the CEO of The Dolphin Company, for his remarkable support of all of these efforts,” added Mr. Singh.

“In these last few months, with the financial support of Pritam Singh, Friends of Toki have provided additional veterinary care for Toki, assisted in upgrading her life support systems to improve the water quality in her pool, and created an expanded enrichment plan now being implemented with our experienced staff and her Miami Seaquarium training team,” stated Charles Vinick, co-founder of Friends of Toki. “At the conference, we will present an expansive report on Toki’s health including everything that is being done to provide her with the highest quality of life we can in the circumstances in which she has lived for so many years.”

The entire conference will be livestreamed for the public and there will be a public comment session from 1PM to 3PM where everyone is welcome to come and share their ideas about Toki’s future.