MIAMI, FLORIDA: After 35 years under the care of the Miami Seaquarium, Li’i, a 40-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin who once shared a tank with the orca Lolita, has moved to a new home.
Li’i’s future was uncertain after Lolita’s death, but the Miami Seaquarium said that on Sunday they successfully moved the dolphin to SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas.
Li’i will live with other dolphins of his species
Li’i will live with other dolphins of the same species. “Although we will very much miss him, we feel happy to know this is the best for him,” the company said in the post.
“Thank you to all the team from Miami Seaquarium and The Dolphin Company for making this possible and thank you to all the people who always expressed their interest in Li’i’s welfare, just as we did,” the post added.
The company further said that veterinarians and trainers from both Miami Seaquarium and SeaWorld followed international procedures for the moving process.
How is the Miami Seaquarium helping Li’i adjust to his new environment?
A trainer from the Miami Seaquarium is helping Li’i adjust to his new environment and will assist SeaWorld’s staff in learning about Li’i’s needs.
He will then join other Pacific white-sided dolphins, some of whom he knew before.
“Today, we are happy to welcome a new member to our SeaWorld family,” said SeaWorld San Antonio in a Facebook post.
“SeaWorld San Antonio is one of only two places in the United States to care for his species, and our veterinary team is experienced with caring for older animals like Li’i and can provide a custom care regimen that will be in his best interest,” the post continued.
While at the Seaquarium, Li’i stayed in the same tank he once shared with Lolita before she died last month, but a former veterinarian for the dolphin, trainers and activists said any improved pool will be better than the conditions the dolphin was in.
People accuse Miami Seaquarium of delaying Li’i’s move
Dr Jenna Wallace, Li’i’s former veterinarian, told NBC 6 she worked at Miami Seaquarium for six months back in 2021, but she left because she was disturbed by the poor conditions.
“When I was employed at Miami Seaquarium, the diet for Li’i and for Toki were both cut," she said.
"This led to aggression in the pool and at one point Li’i did almost die,” Wallace recalled.
Wallace was a whistleblower for the federal investigation into Miami Seaquarium and even said places like a SeaWorld location would be a good move for the dolphin.
Some of the former trainers who talked to the publication said that dolphins are social beings so it’s important that Li’i becomes friendly with fellow dolphins.
Internet users were quick to react to the news with one saying, “The only reason you finally got your finger out your a** was because you were getting more and more bad publicity."
Another one commented, " You should be shut down!." One more wrote, “This feels like too little too late. End the cruel exploitation and captivity. Find better ways to entertain/inform (generate revenue), or close your doors!”
A user said, “This place should be shut down!” One wrote, "This is ‘better’ news and I’m thankful you did what you believe is ‘the right thing’ but it was WAY TOO late and you took WAY TO LONG to do it. I also believe public pressure forced your hand. You are still very disgraceful people. Maybe only slightly less so now. "
One more wrote, "So, all it takes for you to do something is 1M people complaining about your abuse? Every single person that works for you is absolute trash."
