Big time animal lover Anthony Marasia lives in Hawaii, but he's got beef with Miami. The 35-year old, media savy former zookeeper launched a national campaign Thursday to free Seaquarium's Lolita the killer whale. The plan: broadcast footage of the captive orca in her kiddie pool of a tank on public access television from Montana to Illinois. "It's a real heartbreaker," he says
For decades, activists have dusted off bullhorns and painted signs to protest the size of the intelligent, 38-year old killer whale's tank. It's just twice her length - almost unheard of by today's marine mammal standards. "I think Miami should be ashamed of itself," Marasia says. "The world is watching." He will splice footage from local protests with clips from Slave to Entertainment, a documentary about Lolita. Then he'll cross fingers the right people see it.
Riptide doesn't want to be a downer. We admire his ambition. But unless the guys over at Seaquarium are into obscure cable -- and dramatic, unexpected changes of heart-- Lolita's future's looking bleak.
