Less than a week after her death and mere months after the announcement of her imminent return home, the shock of the passing of the Miami Seaquarium’s lone killer whale still hasn’t worn off for those who have been rallying for her freedom for decades.

The captive orca known as Lolita captivated audiences from around the world, but some of her biggest admirers reside near her home waters in the Pacific Northwest. She is also known as Tokitae, which means “bright day, pretty colors” in the Chinook language, and was most recently given the name Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut by members of the Lummi Nation, who consider her to be their family.

“Toki was my hero,” said Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Whidbey-based Orca Network. “She showed me what courage and patience mean. My mission was always to see her returned to her familiar home where she was born and raised. And she was my mentor who modeled grace and compassion for all no matter how hard her life was.”

On Friday, the Miami Seaquarium announced the death of the 57-year-old orca, following two days of her exhibiting serious signs of discomfort. Her care team reported that she died from renal failure.

“I’m not a doctor, but I didn’t know that was possible,” Garrett said. “The necroscopy will tell us what happened.”

He added that less than a week before she died, the veterinarians all reported that she was in good health, full of vim and vigor and racing laps around her pool.

On Aug. 8, 1970, a group of men led by Ted Griffin used explosives and fear from boats and airplanes to drive a large family of Southern Resident orcas into Whidbey Island’s Penn Cove and ensnare them in nets. The sole survivor was sent to the Miami Seaquarium, where she was named Lolita and forced to perform until her retirement in 2022.

“She was somebody,” said Freddie Lane of the Lummi Nation. “She was one of our abducted children, just like the children in boarding schools.”

The Lummi term for orca is qwe’lhol’mechen, which means “our relations under the waves.”

“They are the people that live under the water,” Lane said. “They’re not animals. They are flesh and blood human beings, underneath.”

In a recent Seattle Times article, Griffin said he had no regrets about the captures.

“It was really a horrible example of exploitation and greed, overcoming any kind of empathy or feelings,” Garrett said.

Though plans were in motion to return the famous killer whale to her home in the Salish Sea, they didn’t happen soon enough. Earlier this year, the Miami Seaquarium announced that it had formed an agreement with Friends of Toki, a Florida nonprofit group, to transport the orca back to her native waters. The announcement was bolstered by the support of Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.

Since 1995, Garrett has worked tirelessly to drum up support for bringing Toki home and has continuously counteracted the unfounded notion that she might not survive outside of captivity. While opponents of freeing her claimed that she was weak, geriatric and would be shocked by the cold, dark ocean, Garrett countered that the calls she makes unique to L pod prove that she remembers who she is and where she was born.

“If Toki came home, it would be a statement that all captive orcas are allowed to go back home to the ocean,” he said.

He last visited Tokitae in 2018, when the Lummi Nation led a cross-country Tokitae Totem Pole Journey to Miami in order to raise awareness about the captive orca’s plight. It was around then that she was given the name Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, after the ancient indigenous village of Sk’ali located in Penn Cove.

Members of the Lummi Nation had been hoping to create a spacious sea pen in the Salish Sea for Tokitae to receive care and food upon arriving home to the Pacific Northwest.

A glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon when The Dolphin Company became the new owner of the Seaquarium, and CEO Eduardo Albor joined in the relocation efforts. But in the end, Toki’s move was stuck in the permitting phase, according to Garrett.

On Saturday night, Garrett and his wife Susan Berta, co-founder of the Orca Network, led a vigil for Tokitae in Whale Bell Park in Langley that drew about 150 attendees who paid their respects. The event was livestreamed in conjunction with a vigil held at the same time in Miami.

Members of the Langley City Council held a moment of silence for Tokitae at their meeting Monday night. Council members shared how they felt impacted by her passing. Many of them spoke about the hope her return symbolized.

“It was just such a crashing of the dreams of just picturing Tokitae beginning to reexplore the Salish Sea,” Councilmember Craig Cyr said. “I had the images in my mind, and it just all went ‘poof.’”

In a social media post, the Orca Network pointed to the presence of a “superpod” of J, K, and L pods that arrived to the west side of San Juan Island on Thursday. Garrett said it was a major event for socializing among the Southern Residents and believes it may have been their way of welcoming their captive relative home.

“It’s pretty hard to deny the synchronicity of that,” he said.

He plans to shift his focus to salmon restoration efforts, which are important in sustaining the remaining population of Southern Resident orcas, who need more food to survive.

As for Tokitae’s remains, Albor has committed himself to accompanying her home. Garrett said she may be brought to the Lummi Nation for a ceremony, which he hopes to attend.

Lane said Raynell Morris, a Lummi elder who flew out to Florida, is working to bring back Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s remains.

“When she’s home, we’ll be at peace,” he said. “We’re going to let her rest. But we’ll keep up our fights, for the rights of nature.”

In a press release, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell advocated for the return of Tokitae’s remains to the Pacific Northwest.

“My office has been in communication with the Administration to urge them to work with Tribes to ensure their voices are heard and ceremonial rights are protected,” she said Saturday.

A celebration of life ceremony is open to the public at noon to 3 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 27 at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island. Lane, who plans to attend, said it will likely be the first of many remembrance events.

Killer whales not snagged in nets during the 1970 Penn Cove capture stayed near captured kin until the last one was hauled away on a truck.

Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, co-founders of the Orca Network, spoke during the vigil held for Tokitae in Langley Saturday night. (Photo provided by Orca Network)

Since her capture in 1970, Tokitae had resided at the Miami Seaquarium, where she performed until her retirement in 2022. (Photo provided by Orca Network)

Since her capture in 1970, Tokitae had resided at the Miami Seaquarium, where she performed until her retirement in 2022. (Photo provided by Orca Network)

Since her capture in 1970, Tokitae had resided at the Miami Seaquarium, where she performed until her retirement in 2022. (Photo provided by Orca Network)