Moonbeams and Starlight - A Tribute to The Orca Tokitae

8/8/2023

Moonbeams and starlight
Ocean and Sky
sometimes grow sad,
but still the stars shine

They flicker and dance,
shining their love and light to guide you,
as I do

Today marks yet another year that Tokitae has languished in abysmal conditions at the Miami Seaquarium. She is the last remaining survivor of a brutal capture on this date in 1970.

This video is a reprise from a short film I made in Tokitae's perspective 8 years ago, called Breaking Through The Clouds (you can watch here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=forOG1ma7_c).

Moonbeams and Starlight, performed by my amazingly talented friend, is a song that Toki's mother sings to her in the film. It still touches my heart and it deserves to stand on its own aside from the film.

May Toki one day soon be free of the Miami Seaquarium <3

Visit https://www.orcanetwork.org/retire-lolita for more information about her story and how you can help.

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AUTHOR

Zach Affolter is a passionate aspiring marine biologist and animal/environmental advocate.

In 2019, he graduated from Humboldt State University (HSU) with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a minor in Oceanography. Throughout his studies, he worked as the Resident Sustainability Adviser within HSU's Housing and Residence Life. In this position, he educated and inspired residents on campus about sustainability and environmental issues by hosting events, writing newsletters, creating bulletin boards, and various other means.

Before his pursuit of a degree, Zach remained active in fighting for animal rights. He petitioned his school board to remove field trips from SeaWorld in place of ones that didn't involve holding cetaceans in captivity. He also worked on Peta2's Youth Advisory Board, wrote a blog on the site For All The Animals, served as a Youth Ambassador for Earthrace and Dolphin Project, and helped to organize the Miracle March for Lolita in 2015.

Additionally, he volunteered with Earthrace and Pretoma to protect sea turtle eggs from poachers. In 2013, he also worked in the Youth Conservation Corp at Yosemite National Park to maintain trails and restore natural habitat. Throughout all of these endeavors, he continually created videos, articles, and short stories about animal and environmental rights.

Spreading love and light across the sea

Moonbeams and Starlight - A Tribute to The Orca Tokitae

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