Jim Irsay, the billionaire, has an ambitious plan to save a massive killer whale named Lolita is gaining momentum. Lolita has spent the last 53 years in a small enclosure at the Miami Seaquarium and is now set to be flown across the US to her original home in the Pacific Ocean. The $20 million project is funded by Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.
Lolita, or Tokitae, will be loaded into a glass tank and transported to the airport by truck before being flown 2,700 miles to Seattle. From there, she will be released into a 15-acre netted area in Puget Sound, where her pod still resides. The hope is that she will reunite with her mother and live out the rest of her life in her natural habitat. Animal activists, including the group “Friends of Toki,” are leading the effort and expect the move to occur within 18 to 24 months.
Let me make my position clear, this is the most brilliant idea that Jim Irsay has ever had. Contract dispute with your star running back that is starting a conversation among all running backs across the league for being underpaid? Be a good guy and save the whale. This stunt should be taught in every PR class till the end of time. Jim Irsay is exactly the type of billionaire I would be, own a football team, and go on random sidequests saving large aquatic mammals.
Also, this is a crazy ambitious plan to FLY A WHALE from Miami to Seattle. I’m not a marine biologist, but through my reasonable thought process, I do not think that whales are supposed to be in the air. To be fair, Lolita might be the first whale to ever fly and that is good for her. Might not make up for the 53 years she spent in a glorified swimming pool while tourists look at her, but it sure is a start.
We also need to discuss the fact that Jim Irsay just offered 20 MILLION DOLLARS to save this whale he probably has never met. I think that automatically makes him an ally in the ocean so if he ever wants to do a submarine tour to the Titanic, he’s got the ocean on his side. Good for you Jim Irsay. Now go ahead and #PayJonathanTaylor.