Killer Whale Show Shelved Over Toothache

Miami Seaquarum will be a little less splashtacular after officials said the killer whale show will be temporarily closed because its star is having dental problems.

Rumors were spreading that Lolita was dead, but she just had a dentist appointment, officials confirmed Friday.

Lolita is being treated for a tooth infection, which flared up recently.

She had the same issue in 1994 and while not considered life threatening, it is serious enough to take the aging orca out of the limelight for a while.

The nearly four-ton sea mammal has been entertaining and splashing tourists and locals for 40 years so her presence will definitely be missed.

But Lolita's dental problems could also be more ammunition for activists who have been clamoring for the killer whale's release back into the wild for years.

Some argue her tank at the Seaquarium is too small for the open ocean predator, which may contribute to some of her health complications.

The tragic death of a killer whale trainer at Orlando's Sea World last year also pushed Lolita's situation back into public conscious.

For now, the South Florida icon is eating normally and taking antibiotics to fix her tooth ache. No time table has been set for her return to the stage.

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