top of page
  • Is "cetaceans.org" a registered non-profit?
    This website (www.cetaceans.org) is not a registered non-profit. However, you are able to make a tax deductible donation if you send a written-check through Peggy Oki's 'Origami Whales Project'. Peggy Oki is one of the primary contributors and editors of cetaceans.org. Please refer to our question/answer about tax deductible donations for more information. Instructions for doing so can be found here: https://www.peggyoki.com/activism/support The funding for this website has been provided through donations. The time and effort to create/edit the website is also donated. Your contribution is greatly appreciated!
  • How do I make a tax deductible donation?
    Origami Whales Project (founded and directed by Peggy Oki - one of the primary contributors of cetaceans.org) receives support under fiscal sponsorship as alternative to operating as a registered 501C3 non-profit. Thanks to Cetacean Society International, tax deductible donations may be made to Origami Whales Project by sending a written check. For information on where to send the check (plus the check details) please refer to Peggy's support page here: https://www.peggyoki.com/activism/support Cetacean Society International has been the fiscal sponsor of Origami Whales Project since 2006. The term “non-profit umbrella” is also used to describe sponsorship of a small NGO (non-governmental organization) by an NGO (CSI) that is a registered 501C3. A 501C3 NGO may have smaller NGOs under their “non-profit umbrella”. In return for the support, it is common for the sponsoring NGO to retain a percentage of tax-deductible donations as part of their administration fees. Cetacean Society International does not retain a percentage of the donations sent on behalf of Origami Whales Project - with the exception of donations over $250.00. The funding for this website has been provided through donations. The time and effort to create/edit the website is also donated. Your support is greatly appreciated!
  • Is the Origami Whales Project a 501C3 non-profit?
    Origami Whales Project (founded and directed by Peggy Oki) is not a registered non-profit at this time. However, Origami Whales Project receives support under fiscal sponsorship as alternative to operating as a registered 501C3 non-profit. Thanks to Cetacean Society International, tax deductible donations may be made to Origami Whales Project by sending a written check. For information on where to send the check (plus the check details) please refer to Peggy's support page here: https://www.peggyoki.com/activism/support Cetacean Society International has been the fiscal sponsor of Origami Whales Project since 2006. The term “non-profit umbrella” is used to describe sponsorship of a small NGO (non-governmental organization) by an NGO (CSI) that is a registered 501C3. A 501C3 NGO may have smaller NGOs under their “non-profit umbrella”. In return for the support, it is common for the sponsoring NGO to retain a percentage of tax-deductible donations as part of their administration fees. Cetacean Society International does not retain a percentage of the donations sent on behalf of Origami Whales Project - with the exception of donations over $250.00. The funding for this website has been provided through donations. The time and effort to create/edit the website is also donated. Your support is greatly appreciated!
  • Will Tokitae ("Lolita") be released to a seaside sanctuary soon? When will this happen?
    Activists, organizations, and non-profits have campaigned for decades to ensure Tokitae's relocation can occur. However, we can't say relocation will happen (with certainty) until an official announcement is made by 'The Dolphin Company' (owner of Miami Seaquarium). Friends of Toki (formerly Friends of Lolita) have announced they are holding a conference: “Toki: Present & Future: A Day of Listening” on December 13th at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. The conference will be livestreamed with an afternoon session open to the public. More details will be posted to the Friends of Toki website during the first week of December. Howard Garrett of Orca Network said ​​"This meeting, and improving her water quality and overall care, are the best things that have happened for Toki since that awful day in 1970 when she was torn away from her home and family. Thank you Friends of Toki" We will keep you updated on news surrounding this event. Please make sure to check out our 'Updates' page for the latest news. We keep our social media updated in regards to cetaceans, captivity (and hopeful release), and our oceans. https://www.cetaceans.org/updates You can also check out our 'Reference Articles' page for past articles regarding plans to relocate Tokitae. A lot of thought has been put in-place for a seaside sanctuary, but it will always come down to the 'owner' (The Dolphin Company) and whether or not they allow Tokitae to be released. https://www.cetaceans.org/referencearticles
  • I read that Tokitae has been ill since February 2022. How is she doing?
    In February 2022, though unconfirmed due to lack of cooperation on the part of Miami Seaquarium, reports came out stating that Tokitae had pneumonia. Since the change in ownership of Miami Seaquarium, the new owners (The Dolphin Company aka TDC) have made an agreement with 'Friends of Toki' (formed in March 2022 as 'Friends of Lolita'). Fortunately, TDC has agreed to be more transparent while allowing a mutually agreed upon independent veterinary team to visit Tokitae on a monthly basis to make health assessments including recommended treatments. There have been monthly reports shared publicly. However, none have been released for October. In early October, Miami Seaquarium publicly announced that though Tokitae's health seemed to be improving, she had significant loss of appetite. Thankfully, within a week, it was announced that her appetite was increasing. By mid-October, more news was posted by News 10 in Miami that her appetite and "more active and responsive". As of November 27, 2022 - to the best of our knowledge, Tokitae may still have an "unknown respiratory infection". Fortunately, the veterinary team has been administering a new antibiotic regime that is administered orally vs by injection into her tail fluke. As with many, we await for an updated report on how Tokitae is doing now. Quoting Peggy Oki (Founder/Director of Origami Whales Project and co-founder of cetaceans.org) "When Tokitae is recovered from the infection and deemed healthy enough, she would then more likely be moved. Note: This will also depend on approval by US government departments overseeing management of marine mammals. What would help her most at this time is to keep visualizing and/or praying for Tokitae's recovery, and being in good health very soon. I hope that the official announcement (12/13/22) will be that she is fully well, and that a sea sanctuary for Tokitae has been confirmed and will be ready for her by sometime next month. Please join me in holding that vision. Tokitae/Lolita has been an incredible warrioress of grace & inspiration to us, and needs us all to be strong for her. Please watch our "Tokitae Visualization". Introductions and orientation are presented before the actual visualization portion beginning at around 7 minutes." Please make sure to check out our 'Updates' page for the latest news. We keep our social media updated in regards to cetaceans, captivity (and hopeful release), and our oceans. https://www.cetaceans.org/updates You can also check out our 'Reference Articles' page for past articles regarding plans to relocate Tokitae. A lot of thought has been put in-place for a seaside sanctuary, but it will always come down to the 'owner' (The Dolphin Company) and whether or not they allow Tokitae to be released. https://www.cetaceans.org/referencearticles
  • What happened to Hugo?
    Tokitae was violently captured and taken from her family in 1970. For the first ten years of her captivity she had a tank-mate named Hugo. He died on March 4, 1980 after repeatedly ramming his head into the wall of the tank. This brutal, self-inflicted damage caused a brain aneurysm and his death. Two large orcas shared a small space for a decade before one of them couldn't take it any longer. Although they got along well enough, Hugo could not tolerate the tiny space and the forced performances. Tokitae remains in that same tank and continues to suffer as a result of 52+ years of captivity. We have written a blog-post about Hugo and will update it soon. For now, it's fairly short. Please feel free to read it: https://www.cetaceans.org/post/hugo-a-tribute

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

bottom of page