Keiko the Killer Whale

Keiko the killer whale was famous for his role in the movie 'Free Willy' (1993) directed by Simon Wincer and starring Keiko, the killer whale, Jason James Richter, and Lori Petty.

Keiko, the killer whale, whose name means "Lucky One" in Japanese, was captured in Iceland in 1979. Keiko was born near Iceland in 1977 and was captured by Jon Gunnarson in 1979 and then taken to Saedyrasfnid, an aquarium in Iceland. Three years later, he was purchased by the Marineland Theme Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

At Marineland Theme Park, Keiko was trained to perform for the public. There, Keiko began to get sick, with skin lesions forming. In 1985, they sold him to Reino Aventura, an amusement park in Mexico City, for $350,000.

In 1992, Warner Brothers went to Reino Aventura to film "Free Willy", starring Keiko - the killer whale. In Free Willy, a killer whale is freed from an evil marine park owner. Publicity from the film eventually led to a feature in Life about the terrible conditions at Reino Aventura. At that time, Keiko was dying, and efforts began to find him a new home.

After 3 Free Willy movies, there were increased pressure to get Keiko a better life. Firstly, he needed to be out of Mexico, but the focus soon turned to the possibility of actually setting him free, as in the movies. The movies are "Free Willy", "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" and "Free Willy 3: The Rescue". As well, there is a documentary film available, The Free Willy Story: Keiko's Journey Home.

In 1997, it was decided to reintroduce Keiko, the killer whale, to the ocean. The location eventually chosen was Klettsvik Bay, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. It offered a fairly sheltered location close to his place of birth, and one that would be possible to enclose with a net while 'training' Keiko to live on his own.

Keiko, the killer whale, eventually died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax him back to the open sea. Keiko was 27. He died after the sudden onset of pneumonia in the Taknes fjord. He was old for a killer whale in captivity, though wild killer whales live an average of 35 years.