Tokitae's Reality

Tokitae's Reality is a poignant mixed reality experience that immerses participants in the stark confines of captivity endured by Tokitae, highlighting the urgent need for ethical treatment and release of captive marine life.

Digital Mixed Reality 3D Installation

Real world dimensions - 25' x 10' x 6'

Digital Tools:

Blender 3D (modeling)

Vectary (interactive coding & spatial audio)

Adobe Aero (location placement and experiential placement accessible through a QR code scan)

Tokitae's Reality

2023

The Capture - Penn Cove, 1970

The Capture Continued - Visualizing the Chaos

Exterior View - Treasure Island Beach Installation

Interior Perspective - Tokitae’s Tank in Mixed Reality (MR)

Trapped - Living in Captivity Since 1970

Isolation - No Contact with Her Species Since 1980

Survival - You must perform tricks for food

Tokitae's Reality: Mixed Reality Testing in a Natural Space

In 2023, I launched Tokitae's Reality, a mixed reality installation that drew attention to the life of Tokitae (Lolita), an orca held in captivity for over five decades at the Miami Seaquarium. Development and testing took place as a virtual pop-up on a beach in Treasure Island, Florida, allowing participants to experience the restricted space Tokitae endured—scaled proportionally to human dimensions—creating an intense, immersive look at the ethical issues surrounding marine captivity.

Over 50 individuals walked through a beta version of this virtual "tank" during testing on a beach in Florida, confronting Tokitae's story and the broader plight of captive cetaceans. Though Tokitae tragically passed away before her release could be realized, Tokitae's Reality continues to inspire empathy and action toward compassionate treatment and release of captive marine life.