Keiko The Untold Story of “Free Willy” Star

Keiko, the orca whale that starred in the hit movie, “Free Willy” in 1993 is the only captive orca to be released back into the wild.

An award winning new documentary lets fans know what really happened to the whale once he returned to his birthplace in the waters of Iceland.

“Keiko The Untold Story” follows the orca whale from the decision to move him from unacceptable living conditions at an amusement park in Mexico City, through the two years he spent in Oregon regaining his health and finally his return to Iceland where he spent his last years in freedom.

More than a decade later, many people are still debating whether Keiko’s return to the wild was a success. Until his death in 2003 from pneumonia, the whale continued to rely on humans and was never reunited with his family.

Keiko’s experience has affected the fate of the 42 other orcas in captivity today.

Until the documentary was filmed, the last five years of Keiko’s life have been a mystery.

The documentary lets audiences decide for themselves whether the mission was a success as viewers hear from the two caretakers who stayed with the orca during his years in the wild.

“No one has told the story we’re telling,” said filmmaker Theresa Demarest. The documentary won Best Feature Documentary at the Indie Fest Film Competition 2011.

The Timeline of Keiko’s Life

Keiko was born in 1977 or 1978 in the Atlantic Ocean near Iceland. He was torn from his family at the age of 2, when he was captured by a fishing boat. Marineland in Ontario, Canada bought him in 1982 where he became a performing animal.

In 1985 Marineland sold Keiko to Reino Aventura, an amusement park in Mexico City, for $350,000. He performed for audiences for the next 14 years, while living in a pool that was made for a bottlenose dolphin. The pool was not equipped to cool it to temperatures suitable for orcas, so Keiko developed a skin disease and no other aquarium would accept him.

In 1993 Keiko, starred in the hit movie, “Free Willy” and became the center of a controversy after his fans, who were mostly children found out he was living in poor conditions in the amusement park.

The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation was founded and raised millions of dollars to relocate the orca. Meanwhile Keiko’s health began to deteriorate.

The Earth Island Institute, an advocacy group for marine wildlife started to research how to nurse Keiko back to health and return him to the wild.

In 1996 United Parcel Services (UPS) donated a plane to airlift the 7,720 pound whale to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Keiko swam in natural sea water for the first time in 14 years.

From 1996-1997 the staff worked on getting Keiko healthy and began to teach him how to hunt for live fish. Keiko gained nearly 2,000 pounds and his skin condition disappeared.

Keiko was ready by 1998 to move to a pen in the North Atlantic. On September 9, he was airlifted by the U.S. Air Force to an island near Iceland.

In early 1999 Keiko was released back into his native waters and was under the watchful eye of the Ocean Futures Society who continued his training on how to be a killer whale.

A tracking device was placed on the whale in 2000 so his caretakers could watch out for him in the open sea. Keiko was making good progress and began to interact with wild orcas.

In 2001 Keiko began spending several days in a row out in the ocean with other whales. The staff was pleased with how he physically looked when returned. It proved to them that he could compete for food with wild orcas.

By 2002 Keiko was spending weeks at a time away from his caretakers. He spent 50 days without returning to the staff for food and covered 1,000 miles.

Keiko followed a fishing boat into Norway and became a local celebrity.

December 12, 2003 The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation reported that Keiko was under the care of a veterinarian because he showed signs of lethargy. In the early evening Keiko swam to a beach where he died of acute pneumonia. Keiko was the second oldest male orca ever to have been in captivity.

Keiko The Untold Story is playing at various film festivals. There will be a screening at the First Glance Film Festival in West Hollywood at Raleigh Studios on April 9. Fans can stay posted about future screenings at Keiko The Untold Story or on Facebook.

Photo from: Keiko The Untold Story Press Kit

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Sherry S.

8:29AM PDT on May 10, 2011

Be at peace, Keiko.

send a green star

Norma V.

8:40PM PDT on Apr 30, 2011

I wonder what his quality of life was like the last few years?

Alex H.

5:08AM PDT on Apr 30, 2011

The story of "Keiko"encourages me to comment on the absolutely despicable treatment of an orca at "Seaworld"?named "Tillicum"?This animal should be released back into the wild to take his chances,as this would be a far more compassionate thing to do than leave him in his present situation.An animal that has killed,I believe,three people will always be treated with cruelty and deprivation because people will be scared of it.The fact that this poor creature was left "rotting"in a small pool for a year,presumably an attempt to break its spirit,is reprehensible,and sheds a very black blight against the USA and its seemingly non-existent animal welfare regulations!!!To watch a magnificent animal being forced through food deprivation,no doubt,"to perform"stupid tricks is showing human arrogance and lack of respect in its worst form,and teaches children nothing about the true value of wild animals!There is no way a dolphin or whale can be kept happy and healthy in such a deprived and caged situation.This simply should not be allowed and to my mind,these creatures are better off dead than being in any circus-style marine show.

Milinda M.

6:17AM PDT on Apr 20, 2011

Keiko R.I.P.!!! i love this whale like it was my own best friend....the first time i saw him in "Free Willy" i cried! I fell in love with whales and dolphins! After meeting him for the first time it was the most amazing experience in my life! When he was released i was smiling from ear to ear! He was the best whale ever!!!

Past Member .

10:28PM PDT on Apr 16, 2011

Releasing Keiko back to the wild after so long in captivity was at best a risk; he was used to being with humans and being cared for by them; I guess we'll never know how he felt, whether he was happy to be back in the wild, or whether he felt bereft and abandoned. RIP Keiko.

Tom S.

7:40AM PDT on Apr 12, 2011

However you voted, it is often a
hard decision on whether to prioritize
length of life, or quality of life.

9:43PM PDT on Apr 10, 2011

BTW, marine mammals, including dolphins and orcas, are not captured in the US and most other countries other than some Asian and African countries. It has been against the law since about 1985, so none can be captured or purchased from wild-caught, and are not able to be imported into the US. Those that are in the US now were captive-bred (other than Tilikum, who had been captured for a Canadian aquarium and went to SeaWorld after that aquarium closed. Also, he is not a violent orca, but has natural instincts and has never been trained to work with humans in the tank with him. At SeaWorld, trainers had never been allowed to interact with him in the water.

9:34PM PDT on Apr 10, 2011

I agree with Liv, Adam, and Bill. Keiko should have been kept at the Oregon Coast Aquarium or another large aquarium since he had been captive for so long and only 18 mos. when captured. he was too dependent on humans for food and companionship. No one has the right to say that one day of "freedom" or even 2 years was worth more than the possible 20 or more years he may have lived at a good aquarium with human and veterinary care. He was not old- only 18 when he was removed from Mexico-just a teenager. Something to consider, since Keiko had been away from the ocean for over 16 years, how do we know that he realized that he was "free" and in the ocean when he was released in Iceland? He may have just thought he was in another huge pool where he couldn't find the edge where humans usually were to feed and pet him. The time he spent in the ocean and swimming the 1000 miles until he found humans at Norway were lonely for him, and I expect very frightening since he wouldn't have known where he was and where his human friends were. The stress may have predisposed him to the pneumonia that killed him, as well as not having had an adequate diet since he wasn't capturing his own food. Fortunately, the National Marine Fisheries Service has rigid rules now and requires a permit from them to be able to release a captive marine mammal. A released mammal has to be tracked and if it isn't thriving according to their standards, it has to be recaptured and cared for the rest of its life.

Carrie Anne B.

2:11PM PDT on Apr 9, 2011

Thanks for sharing this article, glad he at least got to spend his last days back where he belonged =]

Peggy P.

3:14PM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Has anybody been to see Tillicum in Orlando, FL?
It's Free Willy all over again but I do not think there will be as happy of an ending because SeaWorld is run by some pretty greedy and corrupt "powers-that-be!!!"
I'm so sorry Keiko never found his family again but at least he had some freedom before the end!