Lolita jumps high into the air. Then, crash! She dives back into her tank. Waves of water spray toward a spellbound audience. Lolita the killer whale has lived in this tank for 45 years and performed shows. Is it time for Lolita to retire?

Many people think so. And it’s not just because Lolita is getting old. When killer whales live in the open sea, they have miles and miles of space in which to move. They dive hundreds of feet deep every day. But Lolita lives at the Miami Seaquarium. The narrowest parts of Lolita’s tank measure only 35 feet wide. The deepest parts only go 20 feet down. Some people call it a “whale bathtub.”

The mayor of Miami Beach and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) consider the tank far too small. It’s time, many say, for Lolita to be free. They want to release Lolita into a cove in the sea. The project will take a lot of work. Workers plan to net the cove off. That may protect Lolita from sea dangers she isn’t used to. Trainers will have to teach Lolita to catch live fish again.

The retirement plan will cost lots of money. What if the project doesn’t work? What if Lolita can’t get used to sea life again? For now, Lolita is staying in the tank. Will her supporters win the battle?