His caretakers would take him on ''walks'' in the open ocean, where Keiko was taught to follow a boat with his caretakers onboard so he could experience the ocean before he would be fully released. In his new home, Keiko underwent training to have him become less accustomed to humans. Keiko's new home was a sea pen the size of a football field.
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His care became the full responsibility of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation with assistance from the Ocean Futures Society. Keiko traveled in a custom made box filled with water and ice. Keiko arrived in Klettsvík, a secluded bay in the Westman Island off of the coast of Iceland, on September 9th, 1998, after having traveled for eight hours and flown over 3,000 miles by cargo plane from Oregon. Keikos rehabilitation was successful, and the plan to return him into the wild began on September 9th, 1998, when he was flown back to his home in Iceland.
Natural elements were also added to his Oregon tank, such as crabs, seaweed, fish, and even a wave machine that simulated natural waves in the ocean.
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He also did physical exercise sessions and learned how to hunt for his own, live fish. Keikos rehabilitation process consisted of him learning how to hold his breath for long time periods, as he could only hold his breath for 3 minutes due to the shallowness of his tank at Reino Aventura. Keiko started his rehabilitation process the moment he arrived in Oregon, he needed to be in perfect health in order for him to be able to not only handle the 3,700 mile journey back home safely, but also so that he would hopefully eventually be released into the wild. However, his stay at the Oregon Aquarium could only be temporary, as the ultimate goal for Keiko was to bring him back to perfect health so he could be released into the wild. Keiko became the star attraction at the aquarium, and people from all over the country started visiting the aquarium just to see the famous whale in person. This was also Keiko's first encounter with natural seawater since he was captured in 1979.
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He gained weight, and his skin lesions started disappearing. With the help of the US Air Force and UPS, Keiko arrived to his new home in Oregon on January 7th, 1996.Īfter his arrival to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Keiko's health improved drastically. With donations from the foundation and millions of children around the world, the Oregon Coast Aquarium was able to construct a new facility specially made for Keiko, that would cater to his needs and bring him back to health. Studios to find Keiko a better home and The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, a foundation created to help Keiko find his new home, was created in 1995. The publicity from the film led to efforts by Warner Bros. Michael Jackson sent representatives to Reino Aventura in hopes that he could acquire Keiko to keep at his Neverland ranch but after learning about Keiko's declining health, he ultimately decided against it. Keiko became world famous, and his story started the movement that would eventually bring him back home.
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In 1993, Keiko was found by film-scouts and became the star of ''Free Willy'', a movie about a young boy who befriends a killer whale named ''Willy'', and frees him from a marine park. However, there was nothing Keiko loved more than interacting with humans (and cameras). The warmer water temperatures and chlorine in his pool at Reino Aventura aggravated Keiko's skin lesions and his health deteriorated.
Keiko spent 3 short years at Marineland Canada before being purchased by Reino Aventura (now named Six Flags Mexico) in 1985.
He was also bullied by the other, older killer whales at the park. It was at this time Keiko also developed skin lesions as a result of a Papillomavirus he had acquired. At Marineland, Keiko met other killer whales and began preforming in shows. After spending some time at the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium, he was quickly purchased by Marineland of Canada.
Photo provided by Ana Sainz.Īt the young age of two years old, Keiko was captured in Reyðarfjörður, Iceland in November of 1979.