Submitted by Orca Network.

Orca Network’s Langley Whale Center will celebrate the opening of their new “Toki’s Legacy” interactive exhibit on Saturday, Aug. 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 105 Anthes Avenue in Langley, Washington. The exhibit, made possible by a grant from the Washington Maritime Heritage Foundation, tells the story of Tokitae/Lolita/Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, a whale from the critically endangered Southern Resident orca population who was captured in Penn Cove in August of 1970 and survived in captivity for 53 years before her death in 2023.

“Toki’s story is worth telling by itself, because she had such a remarkable spirit and ability to draw together people from all walks of life to work toward her release, throughout her lifetime,” said Orca Network Co-Founder and President Howard Garrett. “But what makes this exhibit really special is how it tells the bigger picture of her story, from the relationship of Salish people to the Southern Resident orcas, to Toki’s L-pod family members who still make their home in Pacific Northwest waters, to the salmon and ecosystem that tie us all together.”

The new exhibit features an interactive display that allows Langley Whale Center visitors to explore all aspects of Tokitae’s family, life and home waters, in addition to artifacts from the Penn Cove capture. Another element of the exhibit is in place on the Washington State ferry Tokitae, named for the whale. Passengers will find a mural of Tokitae by artist Kaarina Makowski in the passenger cabin of the vessel, in addition to educational panels about Tokitae, her family and the impact of the orca captures in Puget Sound in the 1960s-70s.

That impact was significant; nearly one-third of the Southern Resident orca population was taken to marine parks and aquariums during what is known as the “Capture Era,” resulting in a loss of genetic diversity that is among the challenges faced by Toki’s surviving family.

“The exhibit explores the vital connections between orcas, salmon, and the people of the Northwest,” said Garrett. “Toki’s Legacy is a growing community of people celebrating her family’s unique vocal and behavioral culture, working together to strengthen these connections, to help her family grow to a healthy population once again.”

Langley Whale Center is a program of Orca Network. Admission is free. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round. For more information, please visit www.orcanetwork.org.