Song " Gló Sóli " Artist - Sigur Rós from the album - Takk Copy rights - EMI records Free Willy movie star The Orca Keiko in Iceland and his bodyguard Svenni Guðmundsson
I'll remember Keiko forever. He was such a sweet and gentle soul. I am glad he returned to his home ocean and did not pass away as a captive in a tank.
Ok. I must tell you all, for over 4 weeks Keiko was free. He swam from Iceland all the way to Scotland and turned around and swam to Norway. Without loosing a single kilo or pound of weight witch means he ate and fed on the that long swim. So Keiko´s Free Willy realy was free :o) And one thing no one things of. All those people trying to help Keiko back into the wild, they lost speceial times with loved once and their family´s. Like Christmas, or their brother wedding. People realy went to their limits to try to help Keiko back to the wild, and it worked.
Captive cetaceans TragicallySad The people who were helping him his trainers were themselves weights he was pretty much at the gym learning to hold his breath for more than 3 min he had 200 pound balls filled with water on his back swimming around his pen. He eventually was able to hold his breath for up to 18 min thats all they were being weights to him i saw a video on the subject called keiko journey home
Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson - Did Keiko join a pod and mate at all? He was an adult orca, so the urge to mate would have come around, so did Keiko end up being a daddy?
Keiko was a beautiful Wale and a beautiful soul. It comforts me to know that he has people around him that truly loved him (like yourself). Rest in peace, Keiko, you won't be forgotten.
Keiko had to be freed he was dying in His tank he had sunburns that they could not hide he could not hold his breath more than 3 minutes so he would of only lived a few more months in Mexico and he would of probably died as a captive orca but he lived 5 more years because of kids and people demanding and doing fundraisers to free keiko the orca he was under weight and he grew out of his tank which was meant for dolphins not orcas but now he is free in heaven
He left Mexico in 1998. He was living in a beautiful new home in Oregon and was happy and healthy there, but the idiotic moviegoers were not content. They did not bother to care that he was. www.amazon.com/Killing-Keiko-Story-Willys-Return/dp/0996077014
bruh, he didnt even know how to hunt, he couldnt join other killer whale pods because he never learnt how to communicate with them. he was released in northern (i think) waters, so it was a big change in temperature for him. freeing him was his death sentence.
@@mythicmischief He travelled over 800 miles on his own and was even bigger when he turned up in Norway, it was the years of having anti bionics in his system that gave him a week immune system when he was released. He was able to hunt on his own though
These pictures are taken in the first 2 years of Keiko stay in Iceland. Most of them on the same day, but he never got to the wild like some think, he did swim with group of Keillerwhales and died in Norway after leaving Iceland.( he was in Norway for almost his las year) But he was a true friend, with a lot of tember and a great humor, almost like a human. I miss him dearly. So many do not know all details, wich I can not go into here. But Keiko is and always will be my friend.
Did releasing him cause the pneumonia?_ I feel he may have emotionally stunted him_ to much time with humans he had imprinted on and thought he was one. Sad loss of such beautiful creature.x
@@grose2272 ! How are you. I think and it is just a guess on my part. I was not working with Keiko in Norway, but he was about 27 years old in Norway. Usualy Orcas in captivity do not get to 30 but in the wild they can get as old as us humans. An Orca around New Zealand has been spoted over 80 years. I know Keiko got medicine with his food in Iceland. I am not sure they cept on giving him medicine in Norway. The Ociean is colder in Norway then in Iceland. And mixture of his age, no anti biotics. he cought emonia that killed him.
@@daniellalima8811 He sure was happy, and me personatly do not know of any Killerwhale as lucky as him. ( If you can call a animal in captitivty lucky). Keiko was loved by his trainers and everybody who ever met him. And he felled all this love. Keiko was a smart boy. Merry christmas Daniella ♡
I'm so glad he got 5 years free from that swimming pool. Even if he only had one day free it's better than dieing in captivity. I adopted him years ago, so pleased I could help him. RIP keiko and tilikum ❤❤
Keiko was a very special killer whale that made history. He was very friendly around humans and getting along with dolphins. Its just unimaginable to see a special whale doing all of these actions that no other whale has done.
Thanks for sharing and helping keiko although I never see Keiko in person, not even his friend in real life .. when seeing such beautiful moments you had with keiko thru video, I was tearing. I felt Keiko was loved by you gentlemen who helped him. After all, who wouldn't want friends while returning home(ocean) alone ? All the moments you shared with him definitely making those who really loved him and wished him return home safely feeling peace in mind. And I believe Keiko might feel happy because he wasn't alone. Thank you so much, god bless you Kind people.
Keiko deserved a far better life than the one he got. But I'm so glad he got some happy times before he passed. Great photos, what a beautiful animal he was!
I am so thankful he had a chance to live back in the ocean! It is wonderful how you guys were able to give him freedom and still look after him and he still had the comfort of being with his human family! We can not stop fighting for others who were torn away from their family and home to perform for human pleasure. We have taken so much and done some many horrible things to animals and now we need to correct are behavior and do better than this in the future!
These pictures are taken in the first 2 years of Keiko stay in Iceland. Most of them on the same day, but he never got to the wild like some think, he did swim with group of Keillerwhales and died in Norway after leaving Iceland. But he was a true friend, with a lot of tember and a great humor, almost like a human. I miss him dearly.
I worked with Keiko in Iceland and truly miss my friend. These picture are me on a great day with a great friend, and some of them are just from a tipical day at the job. All taken on my camera, exept 5 I borrowed from my workbuddy´s. It´s hard to take a picture when you are in the ociean your self. I hope you all ENJOY the song with SigurRós "Glósóli"
I am so sad that he wasn't kept in that sanctuary/sea pen in Iceland... Unless he was accepted into a family, they should've continued on with what was setup in Iceland, they're not meant to be alone! WHy not encourage governments to give massive tax breaks to millionaires& billionaires that will help fund these types of sea pen sanctuaries? There was a billionaire helping Keikos project.. Thank you to that man for his help! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
i really love you keiko it was a great creature a pure soul It's incredible how gentle he was! He was such a sweet creature. we was grow up with keiko rest in peace keiko i really miss you first time i have been saw keiko in that movie free willy i really was crying Effect in me
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Now then, to the benefits of sea pens. They might be easier and cheaper to make larger than pools, and there is more inherent environmental stimulation in them. But as for SeaWorld’s killer whales, they will soon get pools twice as deep and far larger in surface, with natural water currents to swim against (without the noise, pollution and harmful pathogens), and a more natural environment with kelp and other environmental stimulation, in addition to the varied enrichment they already get every day. And where they are, they are safe and are much easier to keep healthy. Why release them? I’ve never really gotten an answer to this. Why release them in the first place? What’s the actual benefit to the animals? (Completely disregarding the positive effect these animals have on people, society and science, let’s only talk about the plus and minus for the animals now.) As I’ve proven all the myths about cetaceans automatically suffering in captivity are just that - myths. (Things like shortened lifespan, higher infant mortality, unsuccessful breedings, bad teeth, “insanity” and other mental conditions, causes of dorsal collapse, and so on. Just read it and then tell me I’m wrong.) The only thing we are left with is the personal feelings of some people, that “I just don’t like seeing whales in tanks”, or “they simply BELONG in the sea”, which is not an argument at all. No zoo animal belongs in a zoo, a hamster belongs in the Syrian desert and not running in an addiction-inducing wheel in an acrylic cage, a dog belongs with a pack, hunting and scavenging, not walking in leashes and eating kibble from a plastic bowl, and a horse belongs with a herd running across the open plains, not in saddles and bridles. And humans certainly don’t belong in modern society, using clothes, cars, utensils, computers, and medicine. The “belonging-argument”, is not an argument at all. Or to quote Melissa Smith (author of the blog Captive Animal Logic and countless articles on hubpages): Without evidence that the animal is experiencing poor welfare, your animals-only-belong-in-the-wild religion will be fully ignored. Some say the animals “want” to be free. As if they asked them. Keiko, as I demonstrated, didn’t want anything but human contact. The bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center can easily jump over the fences of their sea pens (even easier when the place floods, when they can just swim right out) - but they don’t. And why would they? That place is not a prison to them, if we want to be anthropomorphic, it’s more like a free lifetime hotel, with constant care, food, and fun interactions with weird two-legged land animals. What I have then heard people say, when they realize their argument was beaten, is that “the animals have been so damaged by captivity that they don’t KNOW what they want!” Oh boy… you just can’t win with some people. I have nothing to say to that, except: show me that cetaceans are in any way “mentally destroyed” by being behind walls. Because ultimately, the only difference between captivity and “freedom” is to be behind walls, and having constant human care and interactions. Show me how that, in any way, damages their minds to the point that they can’t know their own minds, and I’ll believe you, and take this blog down. Until then, this is just the opinion of some humans, who don’t know the animal’s minds. Neither do I or the people working with them, but if you know animal behavior and know an animal very well, you can tell pretty well how they are feeling. I argue that freedom is a human construct, an abstract human concept. Freedom matters to humans because we want to be able to decide our destinies. Whether to move, to work and with what, whether or not to have children, whether or not to pick up a hobby and what, what government to live under (as if we have the choice of that), and to live our lives without anyone else telling us what we can and can’t do. Non-human animals don’t do any of that. They travel in order to forage, they forage in order to survive, and they mate in order to pass on their genes (and have fun) to the next generation. What do wild whales do? They swim, they eat, they interact in complex social structures, they play, they eat some more, they rest, they poop, they interact, have sex play, and swim some more. The only thing captive cetaceans can’t do, is swim in straight lines for unlimited stretches. They don’t do any of those things I talked about humans doing. This is why I believe “freedom” only matters to humans. And the fact that a whale in the wild looks “prettier” to a human than a whale in a pool. It doesn’t mean anything to the whale. The whale cares whether it’s feeling good, not whether it’s in a pool, a sea pen, or the ocean. Please do your research...
Jessica DeMatty ! Rely must tell this, first of all I was never his trainer. Those pictures are taken just after his arrival to Iceland from Oregon, and becourse some death threads on Keiko´s life, I was hired as his bodyguard. And just between me and you I agree with alot of the things you said.
Humans with no hearts. How can any wanting to harm this gentle giant. Killer whales are one of my favorite animals. I had opportunity meeting one I felt so sad after that that say I would never support captivity.
i agree. he should never been captured.. but think about it. if he never had then maybe we would still be allowing capture of them. Thank you Keiko for showing us all what it was like to be in captivity. Without you we would have had no idea. Thank you for changing me. I love you and miss you! RIP
Keiko was loved by so many who never got a chance to meet him. He was so gentle & so beautiful. I am thankful that he did get a chance at a normal life. I just really hope he didn't die alone out there, I hope someone was with him.
So much so...that he was depressed..wouldn't eat..had to be hand feed every days... ran away from orcas...saught out human attention..so much so a law had to be put into place to stop people from approaching him... constantly returned to his pen everytime he was lead out to sea... was fed anti boitics every day in the frozen fish he was fed.... was attacked by wild orca... rejected by his mother.... to the point the main handler of the free willy trust.... aka the person that pushed for his release wrote a book killing keiko... But oh ofc he was in the ocean..he must have been happy..no one bothered not once to think about maybe because he was conditioned a certain way from a young ag that he liked humans... that he wanted to be with humans..that he missed his trainers...that he missed what he was use to...hence the starving him self out in the ocean... Just because you put an animal back to where it once came from 20 years down the line doesn't mean that animal is the same animal that was taken from it... Keiko died miserable and alone.. but yes by all means make yourself feel better by saying he was free... because to the people that were with him every day until he died... said he was happier in captivity...
He could've died in captivity, and died just like any other captive orca. Yes, he was very human oriented, as was Luna, a somewhat similar story. But do any of the dolphins look happy in their pools? How happy Kieko was when he was first introduced to his Oregon home... while I can definitely say you bring up very valid points, like how things can be insanely different over the course of 20 years, it's better to do the best you can for a good cause, rather than look at the negatives. Whatever happened happened, and his story is inspiring people to free the dolphins out of marine parks. If Kieko was happy in captivity (Which is hard to tell, because you can see he loves people, but he also loved the ocean...), these dolphins are not. Basically, even if stories and such like this are false hopes, they still inspire people to make it real. As real as possible. I'm pretty sure if instead of the headline "Kieko is Free", it was "Kieko, the whale from Free Willy, died in his tank in Mexico." It would have had an entirely different outcome. For better or for worse.
I thank God I grew up with the generation that saw Keiko return to his natural habitat. "Free Willy" was a movie I watched all the time as a little kid in the 90s, and I still love it after over 20 years. It hurt me knowing Keiko died, but he died a free orca nevertheless.
Wow this is incredible. really applaud to the effort and understanding for all people involved in releasing him back to the wild. Keiko also overcame tremendous obstacles to "enjoy" his last few years in the wild, where he belonged. He looked healthier even in Seattle and his majesty showed in the wild. Killer whales can survive alone in the wild, but they will not be sharing the knowledge and intelligence of his kin pod. This is such inspiring and a success story about rehabilitating a captive killer whale, and we should start the releasing program for Kilikum from the SeaWorld. Seaworld kills!
I ❤you Keiko, thank you for blessing us .....I am sorry for what humans did to you, it was wrong! I hope you had some joy swimming free!!! we owed you so much more!!! ❤❤❤❤ LaLa
It's always been my dream or in bucket list to do this with an orca specially Keiko. RIP for Keiko even he has been for years but we still miss him best whale ever!
I think what you, and the huge group of people attempted to do for Keiko was an amazing, inspirational, and undoubtedly enormous undertaking. You may not have gotten the end result that you had envisioned, but Keiko was living in a natural, healthy environment free to do anything that a wild orca could. Keiko's gentleness, sweetness, intelligence, and loyalty made him a uniquely special soul. I have had the same breed of dogs all my life, and I have come to learned that the personality and temperament within the same breed can vary greatly. Just like Keiko, and Tilikum (to no fault of his). One question that I have is, did Keiko contract the pneumonia when he was caught under ice as mentioned in Keiko the Untold Story?
No, there was never any ice, he was 29 years old, and Orcas usily only get 23-26 in captivity. But he was in a fjord in Norway after swimming all the way from Iceland to Scotland then turning around and swimming to Norway, he did this all in 3 weeks and did not loose a pound, witch means he ate on the way. We worked together for over year but I was only his bodyguard, ( from Seashepard and other like them) becose he got death threats. But we were rely good friends, I did not see him for 3 years, but when I got out to the baypin he greeted me like a family member, he remembered me and we did a dive and swim together. Best regards.
That's good to know that Keiko didn't forget you. But they said that he died at 27 not 29. I wish that freedom could have been possible for Tilikum, also from Iceland , but he died as a prisoner at SeaWorld in Orlando , Florida.
Aww! Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson **THANK YOU so much for sharing Beyond** I am in tears.... = ( This posting is absolutely Beautiful! In each picture I could easily observe the Love that was shared between you two! I truly can see the deep friendship connection the two of you had together! I know that I cannot say anything to change or make you feel any better. Yet please know how sorry I am for this loss! Such an unfair deep sadness. So sorry that you are no longer with your sweet kind loving friend ~Keiko** he was an amazing endlessly loving friend to you. I could see in the photos how much he really did care about you! Very far I AM So sorry about EVERYTHING that Keiko went through to be allowed to live with a small ability to breathe again. Sveinbjorn..Incredibly in felt...(in these pictures)...Showing through both you & Keiko an extremely "special formed closeness"! Your pictures ARE Showing >>> **Forever connection** that I truly understand how intense you obviously are & always will carry deep inside your heart! Please know your friend was & always will be with you ~ Countlessly~ Most loving without any question.. You will always have 'Keiko's **Unconditional Love** Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson I AM So SORRY For your Loss! God Bless!
Keiko's release was not a failure. He was doing fine, he died of pneumonia, which wasn't a consequence of being a captive orca released into the wild. (it's actually fairly common among wild orcas) He interacted with other orcas and was able to feed himself perfectly fine even when swimming long distances. The main thing that set him apart was that after release, he was still overly friendly with humans. (even letting kids pet him and ride on his back)
Keiko's release what a complete failiure. His death doesn't make it a failiure. The fact he did NOT join up with a pod and he didn't really hunt for himself (snatching already dead or stunned fish long after Orca's had passed doesn't count as hunting). We don't know if pneumonia that killed him, the HSUS and Free Willy Keiko Foundation refused to autopsy him.
StarlightPrism He didn't fulfill ANYTHING of what a marine mammal should fulfill, in order to be released. He was not healthy, he could not integrate with other whales, and he could not let go of his attachment to humans (he could just as well have ended up like Luna; sliced up by a propeller, since he wanted to be so close to humans). NOAA’s requirements for deeming an animal releasable: “Important questions to be addressed include (my bolding): 1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild? 2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild? 3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies? 4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes? 5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?” Orcas are absolutely dependent on a social unit, and Keiko was released alone, without any positive interactions with wild whales beforehand. He could not integrate with them. “To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.” Keiko had breathing problems long before he was released, and it’s what ultimately killed him. “Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.” He only had humans for company, he showed no signs of being able to integrate with wild whales, and once released, went straight back to humans. “Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.” He had a papilloma virus which could endanger wild populations. So, again, in what ways exactly was Keiko’s release a success?He died just a year after his full release, and he only spent a few weeks without people (while swimming to Norway). He was 26 years old!!!
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Aside from his behavior and learning history making the odds stacked against him from the beginning, he was never healthy. He had a contagious papilloma virus which could affect wild whales (it never completely went away), and he had pneumonia every winter in Iceland and Norway. But if we had a much better candidate, could they be released? My instant (and amateur) opinion is “of course”, if you had the right candidate. We don’t. You’d need a whale brought up, from birth, with as close to zero human contact as possible, never fed directly in the mouth, never having strong, positive relationships with humans, never taught to approach humans or man-made objects, very good with other whales (and certainly not an adult male; the least likely candidate to be accepted by a strange pod), and completely physically healthy, to name a few. As so “happens”, the United States have regulations in place (as dictated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act), on how to release marine mammals, and which animals can’t be released. Release requirements for marine mammals “Important questions to be addressed include: 1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild 2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild? 3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies? 4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes? 5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?” “To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.” (Keiko was not doing this, he was sick.) “…behavioral requirements for release include demonstration of normal breathing, swimming, and diving with absence of aberrant (i.e., abnormal) behavior, auditory (Morgan is hearing impaired), and/or visual dysfunction that may significantly compromise survival in the wild and/or suggest diseases of concern.” “Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.” (My bolding: This is the most immediate concern with all cetaceans in human care. You have to undo a lifetime of positive interactions with people. Make them forget all of that.) “Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.” Releasable: Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean has attained sufficient size and age to be nutritionally independent. b) Cetacean is not a female with calf. c) Cetacean is not a geriatric animal and not compromised due to age related conditions. d) Cetacean was not exposed to captive or domestic animals during rehabilitation. Behavioral Clearance a) Cetacean breathes normally, swims and dives effectively. b) Cetacean does not exhibit aberrant behavior, auditory, or visual deficits. c) Cetacean demonstrates appropriate foraging ability. Then four points about stranding that I will not include here.) Unreleasable: History a) Cetacean has been in captivity for more than two years or is otherwise too habituated and counter-conditioning techniques have been unsuccessful. b) Cetacean stranded previously on one or more occasions. c) Cetacean was part of a NMFS permitted research project, potentially being handled more frequently, and circumstances preclude its suitability for release. Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean is nutritionally and socially dependent (neonate and young nursing calf without foraging skills). b) Cetacean is geriatric and exhibiting other medical and/or behavioral abnormalities. Behavioral Clearance a) Exhibits abnormal breathing, swimming, diving, or other aberrant behavior that may compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by a disease of concern to wild marine mammals. (Keiko, being the only example, never dived as deep as the wild whales.) b) Exhibits auditory or visual dysfunction that would compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by an ongoing disease process of concern to wild marine mammals. c) Unable to capture and consume live prey. d) Demonstrated inability to avoid predators. “For animals deemed “Non-releasable,” and with the concurrence from the NMFS Regional Administrator, the animal can be permanently placed in a public display or research facility or euthanized.“ This is what rescued marine mammals are judged against, whether they will have a chance out there or should live out their lives in human care. It’s what Tilikum was judged against, when he was moved from Sealand to SeaWorld, there was a discussion on whether he could be released (if he was deemed releasable, SeaWorld would have been forced to do so), but it was decided not to. (More about that on my Tilikum-page above.) So there it is. If they have been in human care for more than two years, if they have documented dependency or attraction to humans, they cannot be released. And what would happen with Orkid, Kayla, Keet, Keto, Tuar, Skyla, Adán, Kalia, Amaya, Tekoa, Malia, Makani and Kamea? They are all crosses between ecotypes, they are “invasive species” everywhere. They don’t belong anywhere, and would never be allowed to be put into the sea. Several of them would be separated from their “pure” mothers and siblings. What would happen to Corky? The only Canadian whale left. Would you take her away from the pod where she has had a stable position for almost 30 years, the only true family she’s ever known, to put her in a sea pen for a lonely existence in a foreign environment? But what about sea pens? While some ignorant people want either full release at all costs (even the animal’s life, if need be), or eventual release, others know this is not possible but want the animals put in “sea pens”, or, to make it sound more romantic, “sanctuaries”. So let’s find out whether this actually is preferable to an existance in pools and tanks. First of all, the problem with sea pens is that the environment can’t be controlled. Animals in pools live in constantly filtered, controlled and extremely clean water. For most, it is the only things their bodies, their systems, have ever been accustomed to, and to be put in real sea water with all its pathogens (parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi) and pollution would be a real shock to their system, possibly even fatal. Add to that, water temperature. The water captive killer whales are kept in is at a constant ~56 degrees fahrenheit (~13 degrees celsius). If the whales would be put in the waters where SeaWorld is, like California, the water would be much too warm for them. And that’s assuming it would even be legal to put them there, as they are an invasive species (belonging in Iceland and Canada, these are not the same killer whales as are found around California), and there is always a risk of the pen being damaged or activists cutting the nets. What about noise? Music and cheering audiences above the water mainly bounces off the surface, while underwater noise, like boats, is known to disturb wild whales and can even disrupt their ability to communicate, forage, and locate themselves. What about rocks and sand? Nami, who lived at a sea pen in Japan for many years, had 180 lbs of rocks stuck in her intestines at the time of her death. How would safety for both trainers and animals be maintained? How will the animals be cared for? As it is, the whales are frequently taken up on dry land (medical pools with fast-rising floors) and scales for full body exams, in order to ensure their health. This would not be possible in a sea pen. And where would the trainers/care teams live? To care for the animals for the rest of their lives, they would have to live nearby, but it would have to be balanced with keeping the animals away from boat noise and pollution. Where would it be? Again, with the invasive species. Should Corky and Morgan go alone, to Canada and Norway, respectively? Will the thirteen crosses be left behind? Would Kasatka have been taken from her daughter, Kalia, and her son, Makani, because they’re crosses? Will Takara be taken from her youngest daughter, Kamea? Will mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, have to be separated to stop breeding? How many pens will have to be built? Some animals don’t get along well. In a pool complex, animals can be separated when things get tense. In a pen, they don’t have that ability. How large could it be? It’s one thing to build sea pens for bottlenose dolphins, tiny animals compared to killer whales. How would you build pens for a total of 30 killer whales (SeaWorld’s entire population, including the ones at Loro Parque)? Sea pens can’t be very deep (certainly not more than SeaWorld’s upcoming Blue World Project, which will be 50 feet or 15 meters deep), and it takes an enormous effort to keep a net (which works almost as an “underwater sail”) clean and secure. Keiko’s release project, including the sea pen (only made for one whale and roughly the size of a SeaWorld show pool, split into three smaller areas), cost over $20 000 000 in the late 1990s-early 2000s. And that was for only one whale. Who would pay for all this? When Keiko was released, he was given by Reino Aventura to one of the organizations pushing for his release. SeaWorld would not pay to build sea pens and send their whales across the planet, someone else would have to do that.
Amazing creatures ! I wish I could say the same for Great White sharks... Came face to face with one by being a follower Kayaking off the California coast with a friend which I would never do again ! It was like a SUV going under your canoe sized boat and death was tapping you on your shoulder saying do you believe in god ? I pissed on myself out of fear for the first time in my life and gained a new respect for the ocean. Its not our world its theirs !
It was fantastic news, that Keiko got the rightful justice, to be rehabilitated. It is great that this animal was released back to his native waters. Why it failed? Well this is how we continue to learn and educate ourselves better. Some will thrive others will not. There is always a chance taken. I am happy that 'Keiko' got his chance. Just remember Orcas do not belong in any tank in the first place. They are used to salt water not chlorine.
keiko probably missing his 2 lady trainor.. as the last seen video of him in 2002 appearing to be a sad keiko wanting to communicate with his old buddys.. what if his trainor came to visit him in norway he would have gained his energy back and lived longer.. 🥺🥺🥺 R.I.P gentle giant.. 😢
Stolen from his mother in Iceland, taken to a concrete tank to perform , Used for Holywood movie And released back to the wild After decades of captivity He has no idea what to do in the ocean alone thus, he died after a month of freedom. He is still living in kids hearts. Keiko R.i.P
So jealous.. .. If I could trade everything i have just to go back in time and trade places with you on that day I would! Such a beautiful animal, orcas are my obsession
It may sound 'corny', but I wish I could personally thank each and every person that worked tirelessly to help free Keiko. . .including you. If any captive animal deserved their freedom, it was Keiko and I'm so glad he got the chance. Although I couldn't help thinking he may have been lonely judging from things I've seen and read. Not that that should've kept you from trying to free him, but it's sad to know he was probably wanting attention. When you learned of his death, what went through your head (mind)?
+Chris Kavanagh Not everybody know this, but Keiko was free for almost 3 weeks. He swam from Iceland to the coast of Scotland, with a pack of Killer whales. But he turned around and found his way past Faroee islands and all the way to a fjord in Norway and I think you know the rest of the story. But he was free there as well no barriors and no cages.
Sorry for the long time in replying, but I have a question if you don't mind on your comment regarding Keiko "swimming with a pack of Killer Whales from Iceland to Scotland." From what I understand, which may be wrong, Keiko never really interacted with the other Killer Whales he encountered. I either heard or read that the 1st encounter Keiko swam towards them, then broke off and went the opposite way. . They even told of 1 encounter that might have been "aggressive" toward Keiko and he used the boat as protection. What is the truth in all this? Did he befriend other whales as you said, or just follow them around? PS: Wanted to also thank you for this video. It's one of my favorites on youtube. So glad you took those pics (or video).
Sorry for a rely late reply, I thought you might have seen the answer to this in other coment . As you may know Keiko was originaly captured on the south coast of Iceland. So they thought they might be able to find his family, cose Killerwhales live in pods and each have their own languages . That is the reason Keiko took shelter under the boat at that moment you metioned . It is their beleve ( the trainers ) they found a pod who took him well and with them he staid for that long swim from Iceland almost to Scotland. He swam so fast away from Iceland with that pod of Killerwhales that the boat they were using was not fast enough to follow them. So they relied on the satellite transmitter on his dorsofin, but they cept loosing the signal, so they do not know what he did other than he ate and swam all that distance. And why he came alone to Norway, maybe he got home sick. But he was free for a while.
he looks like he had just as much love for all of you as you did for him ! this is one of the greatest animals we have and we need to do everything in our power to keep them safe and well in the wild !! you all should be very very grateful for the time you got to spend with him !! millions of people were devestated when he passed away .... especially me !! God bless you all !🙏
You are so blessed to have had a chance to be with this incredible animal and he also is blessed to have you and his life.it would be a dream come true for me.God bless you
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Aside from his behavior and learning history making the odds stacked against him from the beginning, he was never healthy. He had a contagious papilloma virus which could affect wild whales (it never completely went away), and he had pneumonia every winter in Iceland and Norway. But if we had a much better candidate, could they be released? My instant (and amateur) opinion is “of course”, if you had the right candidate. We don’t. You’d need a whale brought up, from birth, with as close to zero human contact as possible, never fed directly in the mouth, never having strong, positive relationships with humans, never taught to approach humans or man-made objects, very good with other whales (and certainly not an adult male; the least likely candidate to be accepted by a strange pod), and completely physically healthy, to name a few. As so “happens”, the United States have regulations in place (as dictated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act), on how to release marine mammals, and which animals can’t be released. Release requirements for marine mammals “Important questions to be addressed include: 1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild 2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild? 3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies? 4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes? 5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?” “To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.” (Keiko was not doing this, he was sick.) “…behavioral requirements for release include demonstration of normal breathing, swimming, and diving with absence of aberrant (i.e., abnormal) behavior, auditory (Morgan is hearing impaired), and/or visual dysfunction that may significantly compromise survival in the wild and/or suggest diseases of concern.” “Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.” (My bolding: This is the most immediate concern with all cetaceans in human care. You have to undo a lifetime of positive interactions with people. Make them forget all of that.) “Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.” Releasable: Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean has attained sufficient size and age to be nutritionally independent. b) Cetacean is not a female with calf. c) Cetacean is not a geriatric animal and not compromised due to age related conditions. d) Cetacean was not exposed to captive or domestic animals during rehabilitation. Behavioral Clearance a) Cetacean breathes normally, swims and dives effectively. b) Cetacean does not exhibit aberrant behavior, auditory, or visual deficits. c) Cetacean demonstrates appropriate foraging ability. Then four points about stranding that I will not include here.) Unreleasable: History a) Cetacean has been in captivity for more than two years or is otherwise too habituated and counter-conditioning techniques have been unsuccessful. b) Cetacean stranded previously on one or more occasions. c) Cetacean was part of a NMFS permitted research project, potentially being handled more frequently, and circumstances preclude its suitability for release. Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean is nutritionally and socially dependent (neonate and young nursing calf without foraging skills). b) Cetacean is geriatric and exhibiting other medical and/or behavioral abnormalities. Behavioral Clearance a) Exhibits abnormal breathing, swimming, diving, or other aberrant behavior that may compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by a disease of concern to wild marine mammals. (Keiko, being the only example, never dived as deep as the wild whales.) b) Exhibits auditory or visual dysfunction that would compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by an ongoing disease process of concern to wild marine mammals. c) Unable to capture and consume live prey. d) Demonstrated inability to avoid predators. “For animals deemed “Non-releasable,” and with the concurrence from the NMFS Regional Administrator, the animal can be permanently placed in a public display or research facility or euthanized.“ This is what rescued marine mammals are judged against, whether they will have a chance out there or should live out their lives in human care. It’s what Tilikum was judged against, when he was moved from Sealand to SeaWorld, there was a discussion on whether he could be released (if he was deemed releasable, SeaWorld would have been forced to do so), but it was decided not to. (More about that on my Tilikum-page above.) So there it is. If they have been in human care for more than two years, if they have documented dependency or attraction to humans, they cannot be released. And what would happen with Orkid, Kayla, Keet, Keto, Tuar, Skyla, Adán, Kalia, Amaya, Tekoa, Malia, Makani and Kamea? They are all crosses between ecotypes, they are “invasive species” everywhere. They don’t belong anywhere, and would never be allowed to be put into the sea. Several of them would be separated from their “pure” mothers and siblings. What would happen to Corky? The only Canadian whale left. Would you take her away from the pod where she has had a stable position for almost 30 years, the only true family she’s ever known, to put her in a sea pen for a lonely existence in a foreign environment? But what about sea pens? While some ignorant people want either full release at all costs (even the animal’s life, if need be), or eventual release, others know this is not possible but want the animals put in “sea pens”, or, to make it sound more romantic, “sanctuaries”. So let’s find out whether this actually is preferable to an existance in pools and tanks. First of all, the problem with sea pens is that the environment can’t be controlled. Animals in pools live in constantly filtered, controlled and extremely clean water. For most, it is the only things their bodies, their systems, have ever been accustomed to, and to be put in real sea water with all its pathogens (parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi) and pollution would be a real shock to their system, possibly even fatal. Add to that, water temperature. The water captive killer whales are kept in is at a constant ~56 degrees fahrenheit (~13 degrees celsius). If the whales would be put in the waters where SeaWorld is, like California, the water would be much too warm for them. And that’s assuming it would even be legal to put them there, as they are an invasive species (belonging in Iceland and Canada, these are not the same killer whales as are found around California), and there is always a risk of the pen being damaged or activists cutting the nets. What about noise? Music and cheering audiences above the water mainly bounces off the surface, while underwater noise, like boats, is known to disturb wild whales and can even disrupt their ability to communicate, forage, and locate themselves. What about rocks and sand? Nami, who lived at a sea pen in Japan for many years, had 180 lbs of rocks stuck in her intestines at the time of her death. How would safety for both trainers and animals be maintained? How will the animals be cared for? As it is, the whales are frequently taken up on dry land (medical pools with fast-rising floors) and scales for full body exams, in order to ensure their health. This would not be possible in a sea pen. And where would the trainers/care teams live? To care for the animals for the rest of their lives, they would have to live nearby, but it would have to be balanced with keeping the animals away from boat noise and pollution. Where would it be? Again, with the invasive species. Should Corky and Morgan go alone, to Canada and Norway, respectively? Will the thirteen crosses be left behind? Would Kasatka have been taken from her daughter, Kalia, and her son, Makani, because they’re crosses? Will Takara be taken from her youngest daughter, Kamea? Will mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, have to be separated to stop breeding? How many pens will have to be built? Some animals don’t get along well. In a pool complex, animals can be separated when things get tense. In a pen, they don’t have that ability. How large could it be? It’s one thing to build sea pens for bottlenose dolphins, tiny animals compared to killer whales. How would you build pens for a total of 30 killer whales (SeaWorld’s entire population, including the ones at Loro Parque)? Sea pens can’t be very deep (certainly not more than SeaWorld’s upcoming Blue World Project, which will be 50 feet or 15 meters deep), and it takes an enormous effort to keep a net (which works almost as an “underwater sail”) clean and secure. Keiko’s release project, including the sea pen (only made for one whale and roughly the size of a SeaWorld show pool, split into three smaller areas), cost over $20 000 000 in the late 1990s-early 2000s. And that was for only one whale. Who would pay for all this? When Keiko was released, he was given by Reino Aventura to one of the organizations pushing for his release. SeaWorld would not pay to build sea pens and send their whales across the planet, someone else would have to do that.
Now then, to the benefits of sea pens. They might be easier and cheaper to make larger than pools, and there is more inherent environmental stimulation in them. But as for SeaWorld’s killer whales, they will soon get pools twice as deep and far larger in surface, with natural water currents to swim against (without the noise, pollution and harmful pathogens), and a more natural environment with kelp and other environmental stimulation, in addition to the varied enrichment they already get every day. And where they are, they are safe and are much easier to keep healthy. Why release them? I’ve never really gotten an answer to this. Why release them in the first place? What’s the actual benefit to the animals? (Completely disregarding the positive effect these animals have on people, society and science, let’s only talk about the plus and minus for the animals now.) As I’ve proven all the myths about cetaceans automatically suffering in captivity are just that - myths. (Things like shortened lifespan, higher infant mortality, unsuccessful breedings, bad teeth, “insanity” and other mental conditions, causes of dorsal collapse, and so on. Just read it and then tell me I’m wrong.) The only thing we are left with is the personal feelings of some people, that “I just don’t like seeing whales in tanks”, or “they simply BELONG in the sea”, which is not an argument at all. No zoo animal belongs in a zoo, a hamster belongs in the Syrian desert and not running in an addiction-inducing wheel in an acrylic cage, a dog belongs with a pack, hunting and scavenging, not walking in leashes and eating kibble from a plastic bowl, and a horse belongs with a herd running across the open plains, not in saddles and bridles. And humans certainly don’t belong in modern society, using clothes, cars, utensils, computers, and medicine. The “belonging-argument”, is not an argument at all. Or to quote Melissa Smith (author of the blog Captive Animal Logic and countless articles on hubpages): Without evidence that the animal is experiencing poor welfare, your animals-only-belong-in-the-wild religion will be fully ignored. Some say the animals “want” to be free. As if they asked them. Keiko, as I demonstrated, didn’t want anything but human contact. The bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center can easily jump over the fences of their sea pens (even easier when the place floods, when they can just swim right out) - but they don’t. And why would they? That place is not a prison to them, if we want to be anthropomorphic, it’s more like a free lifetime hotel, with constant care, food, and fun interactions with weird two-legged land animals. What I have then heard people say, when they realize their argument was beaten, is that “the animals have been so damaged by captivity that they don’t KNOW what they want!” Oh boy… you just can’t win with some people. I have nothing to say to that, except: show me that cetaceans are in any way “mentally destroyed” by being behind walls. Because ultimately, the only difference between captivity and “freedom” is to be behind walls, and having constant human care and interactions. Show me how that, in any way, damages their minds to the point that they can’t know their own minds, and I’ll believe you, and take this blog down. Until then, this is just the opinion of some humans, who don’t know the animal’s minds. Neither do I or the people working with them, but if you know animal behavior and know an animal very well, you can tell pretty well how they are feeling. I argue that freedom is a human construct, an abstract human concept. Freedom matters to humans because we want to be able to decide our destinies. Whether to move, to work and with what, whether or not to have children, whether or not to pick up a hobby and what, what government to live under (as if we have the choice of that), and to live our lives without anyone else telling us what we can and can’t do. Non-human animals don’t do any of that. They travel in order to forage, they forage in order to survive, and they mate in order to pass on their genes (and have fun) to the next generation. What do wild whales do? They swim, they eat, they interact in complex social structures, they play, they eat some more, they rest, they poop, they interact, have sex play, and swim some more. The only thing captive cetaceans can’t do, is swim in straight lines for unlimited stretches. They don’t do any of those things I talked about humans doing. This is why I believe “freedom” only matters to humans. And the fact that a whale in the wild looks “prettier” to a human than a whale in a pool. It doesn’t mean anything to the whale. The whale cares whether it’s feeling good, not whether it’s in a pool, a sea pen, or the ocean....So no keiko was not "enjoying his freedom"
So people are seriously against "rehab" As an anti-cap I think this bond is beautiful. He's wild, they were just having some fun :). Keiko was such a magnificent animal being how gentle he was. You can't hang out with an animal and not want to play with it, you just can't! The rehabilitation of Keiko wasn't a failure, believe it or not. He survived for two years in the wild, but then died of pneumonia, who knows what caused it. Was there anytime in this video Keiko looked unhappy, or that he wanted to kill him? No. he enjoyed the company. He wasn't "forced" to do tricks or do waterworks with the guy, he was doing it voluntarily. Don't jump to conclusions! :)
Orlxndo If he was still alive I would have loved to have spent time with Keiko too! He would have definitely become my friend too, I would have made a special trip out to Norway to see him too ☺ This is a lovely video. Btw did he remember any tricks from the Free Willy movie??
this is making me cry right now because i am going to be a seworld trainer and it is just sad to wath a a friend that i did not know but i knew her in my heart and if anbody is listening to this please do because it is truly beautiful and if any body want to lean mo about keiko please go to keiko the untold story it is really moving touching and captvating thank you rest in peace my best friend
I saw him in Newport, Oregon at the aquarium. He was performing, and he loved doing that. Keiko died of lonlieness, and a broken heart, and you all know it... What you guys did, even with the best of intentions, was like kicking out the family dog. Keiko loved people, and there was no going back to the wild.
This is Miss Hadjer from Constantine Algeria, to all of u, hi... I have always loved Willy in the film, even cried and later i learnt his true name was Keiko, and this CZcams recommended video breaks my heart, I know death is a big truth in life but can't believe this beautiful baby is dead, I have always wished I was the child who played with him in the movie, I don't know if this CZcams channel is the boy in the movie Willy or not, but if this is you, greetings of peace to you and to everyone here, let me tell u, u r so very lucky and even blessed, one of my biggest dreams ever was meeting Keiko...., Anyway, To me, wild animals must be left in wild, we, trying to go against nature is actually a big proof we are ignorants ans selfish, yes I love animals, all animals and been all my life dreaming about getting a big house and having animals of all species living with me, but actually I wouldn't deprive them their natural feeling of belonging to wild, it runs in their bloods, living in extremely big spaces like oceans, seas or forest is despite all the dangers outside, all the starvation, fights they may go through sometimes is their happiness, and keeping a wild animal in cages, pools or whatever it is called breaks my heart and does upset me more than anyone can ever think, well, Mr lucky, the young handsome actor , grown man now. Thank you for letting us now, and thank you all for loving Keiko, and caring this much, something lifts the spirits though.
It´s in Klettsvík, in a bay on a island on the south coast of Iceland, called Vestmannaeyjar. Keiko was captured not far from the island, and stayed there for almost 6 years.
I just got done watching Keido's story. :,( I was hoping that he would still be alive then i watched this and found out that he died. D: Now I really want to cry.
I grew up watching the movies and loved him so much he is the reason why orca's are my favorite animal today,I had learned they live to be 80 years old and i remember when he was freed and i had thought he was still alive since i learned how long they can live for tonight,And then i see this video and learn he is Dead!!! i had just gotten hope too!! Noooo Why did he have to die!! and then he gets captured again!! i wish he was not captured to begin with he might still be alive today
cant that pen in iceland be used to help current captive orcas?. I know its still not free like in the ocean but its far better than those marine tanks.
I miss you Keiko, I loved him as a child in "Free Willy" and I will love him always. He lived for 5 years almost 6 out in the wild. He died not in a tank but his home waters with dignity. I believe they prolonged his life by taking him out of Mexico. Keiko was a whale who you could not help but love. We sadly became his family when he should have had a wild one. That was Keiko's only fault. R.I.P. Keiko "The Lucky One"
Vielen Dank für die tollen Aufnahmen. Ich würde so sehr gerne mehr sehen. Aber es existiert nicht wirklich viel im Netz. Mir fehlen Video's. Ich will noch mehr erfahren.
You're a very lucky man, I wish I could have a relationship with an orca like that. Please help set the other orcas free before they die, you have proven that they can go back into the wild unlike what SeaWorld and others have to say. They're such beautiful animals and they don't deserve the treatment they're receiving. It's great to know that some humans actually care unlike some of the others.
He looks like he was a joy to be with. I wish I could have met him. Thank you and everyone else who helped him back to the wild.
Addie please watch the youtube video of Luna the Whale. It's heart wrenching.🐳🐋🐳🐋
@@texaspride3557 Luna is my favorite :D ! 🐬🖤⚪
He didn't want to be in the wild. He definitly deserved to get the chance but he really just wanted to be around people
I'll remember Keiko forever. He was such a sweet and gentle soul. I am glad he returned to his home ocean and did not pass away as a captive in a tank.
It's incredible how gentle he was! He was such a sweet creature.
Ok. I must tell you all, for over 4 weeks Keiko was free. He swam from Iceland all the way to Scotland and turned around and swam to Norway. Without loosing a single kilo or pound of weight witch means he ate and fed on the that long swim. So Keiko´s Free Willy realy was free :o)
And one thing no one things of. All those people trying to help Keiko back into the wild, they lost speceial times with loved once and their family´s. Like Christmas, or their brother wedding. People realy went to their limits to try to help Keiko back to the wild, and it worked.
How did you doing waterworks with Keiko help him when he was supposed to be learning to be a wild whale?
Captive cetaceans TragicallySad The people who were helping him his trainers were themselves weights he was pretty much at the gym learning to hold his breath for more than 3 min he had 200 pound balls filled with water on his back swimming around his pen. He eventually
was able to hold his breath for up to 18 min thats all they were being weights to him i saw a video on the subject called keiko journey home
+Captive cetaceans
Those pictures were taken just after he arrived in 1998.
Your food comment. Skip to 13:50 please.
Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson - Did Keiko join a pod and mate at all? He was an adult orca, so the urge to mate would have come around, so did Keiko end up being a daddy?
Such an amazing creature! Miss him and Luna, two gentle souls
Me to I cry like a baby when when they passed away. 😭🥺
Keiko was a beautiful Wale and a beautiful soul. It comforts me to know that he has people around him that truly loved him (like yourself). Rest in peace, Keiko, you won't be forgotten.
Keiko is just so special. I'm glad he died free like he was meant to. Bless him for giving us a wonderful movie to remember.
Keiko had to be freed he was dying in His tank he had sunburns that they could not hide he could not hold his breath more than 3 minutes so he would of only lived a few more months in Mexico and he would of probably died as a captive orca but he lived 5 more years because of kids and people demanding and doing fundraisers to free keiko the orca he was under weight and he grew out of his tank which was meant for dolphins not orcas but now he is free in heaven
He left Mexico in 1998. He was living in a beautiful new home in Oregon and was happy and healthy there, but the idiotic moviegoers were not content. They did not bother to care that he was. www.amazon.com/Killing-Keiko-Story-Willys-Return/dp/0996077014
bruh, he didnt even know how to hunt, he couldnt join other killer whale pods because he never learnt how to communicate with them. he was released in northern (i think) waters, so it was a big change in temperature for him. freeing him was his death sentence.
@@mythicmischief he was released in Iceland for an exact answer
@@mythicmischief He travelled over 800 miles on his own and was even bigger when he turned up in Norway, it was the years of having anti bionics in his system that gave him a week immune system when he was released. He was able to hunt on his own though
These pictures are taken in the first 2 years of Keiko stay in Iceland. Most of them on the same day, but he never got to the wild like some think, he did swim with group of Keillerwhales and died in Norway after leaving Iceland.( he was in Norway for almost his las year) But he was a true friend, with a lot of tember and a great humor, almost like a human. I miss him dearly. So many do not know all details, wich I can not go into here. But Keiko is and always will be my friend.
Your truly blessed to have known him. RIP KEIKO
Did releasing him cause the pneumonia?_ I feel he may have emotionally stunted him_ to much time with humans he had imprinted on and thought he was one. Sad loss of such beautiful creature.x
@@grose2272 ! How are you. I think and it is just a guess on my part. I was not working with Keiko in Norway, but he was about 27 years old in Norway. Usualy Orcas in captivity do not get to 30 but in the wild they can get as old as us humans. An Orca around New Zealand has been spoted over 80 years.
I know Keiko got medicine with his food in Iceland. I am not sure they cept on giving him medicine in Norway. The Ociean is colder in Norway then in Iceland. And mixture of his age, no anti biotics. he cought emonia that killed him.
@@sveinbjorngudmundsson
Olá vc acha que ele viveu bem os seus últimos anos?
Gostaria de saber pois ele merecia toda felicidade do mundo e liberdade
@@daniellalima8811 He sure was happy, and me personatly do not know of any Killerwhale as lucky as him. ( If you can call a animal in captitivty lucky). Keiko was loved by his trainers and everybody who ever met him. And he felled all this love. Keiko was a smart boy.
Merry christmas Daniella ♡
I'm so glad he got 5 years free from that swimming pool. Even if he only had one day free it's better than dieing in captivity. I adopted him years ago, so pleased I could help him. RIP keiko and tilikum ❤❤
So great to hear, love and light to you Ashley. Stay save.
@@sveinbjorngudmundsson you too x
Keiko was a very special killer whale that made history. He was very friendly around humans and getting along with dolphins. Its just unimaginable to see a special whale doing all of these actions that no other whale has done.
I have never seen a killer whale do things like this it's just sooo lovely!😍😍🤗🤗🤗😘
He died free. All orcas should be. RIP Keiko and u are a LEGEND AND INSPIRATION TO ALL THOSE IN THE MARINE WORLD.
Rest in Peace my friend Svenni and Keiko, you are now reunited in Heaven.
Thanks for sharing and helping keiko although I never see Keiko in person, not even his friend in real life .. when seeing such beautiful moments you had with keiko thru video, I was tearing. I felt Keiko was loved by you gentlemen who helped him. After all, who wouldn't want friends while returning home(ocean) alone ? All the moments you shared with him definitely making those who really loved him and wished him return home safely feeling peace in mind. And I believe Keiko might feel happy because he wasn't alone. Thank you so much, god bless you Kind people.
Keiko was very blessed. A big thank you to those who helped him back into his natural habitat.
Keiko deserved a far better life than the one he got. But I'm so glad he got some happy times before he passed. Great photos, what a beautiful animal he was!
He was was such a beautiful, magnificent wonder. I can only dream of having that kind of relationship with an Orca.
I am so thankful he had a chance to live back in the ocean! It is wonderful how you guys were able to give him freedom and still look after him and he still had the comfort of being with his human family! We can not stop fighting for others who were torn away from their family and home to perform for human pleasure. We have taken so much and done some many horrible things to animals and now we need to correct are behavior and do better than this in the future!
These pictures are taken in the first 2 years of Keiko stay in Iceland. Most of them on the same day, but he never got to the wild like some think, he did swim with group of Keillerwhales and died in Norway after leaving Iceland. But he was a true friend, with a lot of tember and a great humor, almost like a human. I miss him dearly.
I worked with Keiko in Iceland and truly miss my friend. These picture are me on a great day with a great friend, and some of them are just from a tipical day at the job. All taken on my camera, exept 5 I borrowed from my workbuddy´s. It´s hard to take a picture when you are in the ociean your self.
I hope you all ENJOY the song with SigurRós "Glósóli"
Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson he was special
Yes he was would love so so so very much to have ment him why did he die I'm crying now thinking about his life
I am so sad that he wasn't kept in that sanctuary/sea pen in Iceland...
Unless he was accepted into a family, they should've continued on with what was setup in Iceland, they're not meant to be alone!
WHy not encourage governments to give massive tax breaks to millionaires& billionaires that will help fund these types of sea pen sanctuaries? There was a billionaire helping Keikos project..
Thank you to that man for his help!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
i really love you keiko it was a great creature a pure soul It's incredible how gentle he was! He was such a sweet creature. we was grow up with keiko rest in peace keiko i really miss you first time i have been saw keiko in that movie free willy i really was crying Effect in me
this video shows that all orcas in captivity can be free and are a lot happier. Just by these pics you could tell he was happy being there
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Now then, to the benefits of sea pens. They might be easier and cheaper to make larger than pools, and there is more inherent environmental stimulation in them. But as for SeaWorld’s killer whales, they will soon get pools twice as deep and far larger in surface, with natural water currents to swim against (without the noise, pollution and harmful pathogens), and a more natural environment with kelp and other environmental stimulation, in addition to the varied enrichment they already get every day. And where they are, they are safe and are much easier to keep healthy. Why release them? I’ve never really gotten an answer to this. Why release them in the first place? What’s the actual benefit to the animals? (Completely disregarding the positive effect these animals have on people, society and science, let’s only talk about the plus and minus for the animals now.) As I’ve proven all the myths about cetaceans automatically suffering in captivity are just that - myths. (Things like shortened lifespan, higher infant mortality, unsuccessful breedings, bad teeth, “insanity” and other mental conditions, causes of dorsal collapse, and so on. Just read it and then tell me I’m wrong.) The only thing we are left with is the personal feelings of some people, that “I just don’t like seeing whales in tanks”, or “they simply BELONG in the sea”, which is not an argument at all. No zoo animal belongs in a zoo, a hamster belongs in the Syrian desert and not running in an addiction-inducing wheel in an acrylic cage, a dog belongs with a pack, hunting and scavenging, not walking in leashes and eating kibble from a plastic bowl, and a horse belongs with a herd running across the open plains, not in saddles and bridles. And humans certainly don’t belong in modern society, using clothes, cars, utensils, computers, and medicine. The “belonging-argument”, is not an argument at all. Or to quote Melissa Smith (author of the blog Captive Animal Logic and countless articles on hubpages): Without evidence that the animal is experiencing poor welfare, your animals-only-belong-in-the-wild religion will be fully ignored. Some say the animals “want” to be free. As if they asked them. Keiko, as I demonstrated, didn’t want anything but human contact. The bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center can easily jump over the fences of their sea pens (even easier when the place floods, when they can just swim right out) - but they don’t. And why would they? That place is not a prison to them, if we want to be anthropomorphic, it’s more like a free lifetime hotel, with constant care, food, and fun interactions with weird two-legged land animals. What I have then heard people say, when they realize their argument was beaten, is that “the animals have been so damaged by captivity that they don’t KNOW what they want!” Oh boy… you just can’t win with some people. I have nothing to say to that, except: show me that cetaceans are in any way “mentally destroyed” by being behind walls. Because ultimately, the only difference between captivity and “freedom” is to be behind walls, and having constant human care and interactions. Show me how that, in any way, damages their minds to the point that they can’t know their own minds, and I’ll believe you, and take this blog down. Until then, this is just the opinion of some humans, who don’t know the animal’s minds. Neither do I or the people working with them, but if you know animal behavior and know an animal very well, you can tell pretty well how they are feeling. I argue that freedom is a human construct, an abstract human concept. Freedom matters to humans because we want to be able to decide our destinies. Whether to move, to work and with what, whether or not to have children, whether or not to pick up a hobby and what, what government to live under (as if we have the choice of that), and to live our lives without anyone else telling us what we can and can’t do. Non-human animals don’t do any of that. They travel in order to forage, they forage in order to survive, and they mate in order to pass on their genes (and have fun) to the next generation. What do wild whales do? They swim, they eat, they interact in complex social structures, they play, they eat some more, they rest, they poop, they interact, have sex play, and swim some more. The only thing captive cetaceans can’t do, is swim in straight lines for unlimited stretches. They don’t do any of those things I talked about humans doing. This is why I believe “freedom” only matters to humans. And the fact that a whale in the wild looks “prettier” to a human than a whale in a pool. It doesn’t mean anything to the whale. The whale cares whether it’s feeling good, not whether it’s in a pool, a sea pen, or the ocean. Please do your research...
Jessica DeMatty ! Rely must tell this, first of all I was never his trainer. Those pictures are taken just after his arrival to Iceland from Oregon, and becourse some death threads on Keiko´s life, I was hired as his bodyguard.
And just between me and you I agree with alot of the things you said.
How could someone put death threats on this beautiful Orca🐳🐳
Because of him being close to humans and being to friendly and eating fish in the bay they wanted him died
Humans with no hearts. How can any wanting to harm this gentle giant. Killer whales are one of my favorite animals. I had opportunity meeting one I felt so sad after that that say I would never support captivity.
Utter bs
i agree. he should never been captured.. but think about it. if he never had then maybe we would still be allowing capture of them.
Thank you Keiko for showing us all what it was like to be in captivity. Without you we would have had no idea. Thank you for changing me.
I love you and miss you!
RIP
Keiko was loved by so many who never got a chance to meet him. He was so gentle & so beautiful. I am thankful that he did get a chance at a normal life. I just really hope he didn't die alone out there, I hope someone was with him.
It doesn't matter who was there when he died. All that matters is that he died free.
So much so...that he was depressed..wouldn't eat..had to be hand feed every days... ran away from orcas...saught out human attention..so much so a law had to be put into place to stop people from approaching him... constantly returned to his pen everytime he was lead out to sea... was fed anti boitics every day in the frozen fish he was fed.... was attacked by wild orca... rejected by his mother.... to the point the main handler of the free willy trust.... aka the person that pushed for his release wrote a book killing keiko... But oh ofc he was in the ocean..he must have been happy..no one bothered not once to think about maybe because he was conditioned a certain way from a young ag that he liked humans... that he wanted to be with humans..that he missed his trainers...that he missed what he was use to...hence the starving him self out in the ocean... Just because you put an animal back to where it once came from 20 years down the line doesn't mean that animal is the same animal that was taken from it... Keiko died miserable and alone.. but yes by all means make yourself feel better by saying he was free... because to the people that were with him every day until he died... said he was happier in captivity...
He could've died in captivity, and died just like any other captive orca. Yes, he was very human oriented, as was Luna, a somewhat similar story. But do any of the dolphins look happy in their pools? How happy Kieko was when he was first introduced to his Oregon home... while I can definitely say you bring up very valid points, like how things can be insanely different over the course of 20 years, it's better to do the best you can for a good cause, rather than look at the negatives. Whatever happened happened, and his story is inspiring people to free the dolphins out of marine parks. If Kieko was happy in captivity (Which is hard to tell, because you can see he loves people, but he also loved the ocean...), these dolphins are not. Basically, even if stories and such like this are false hopes, they still inspire people to make it real. As real as possible. I'm pretty sure if instead of the headline "Kieko is Free", it was "Kieko, the whale from Free Willy, died in his tank in Mexico." It would have had an entirely different outcome. For better or for worse.
Keiko died very young. If they kept him captive he wouldn't have died or if they even didn't capture him from the first time too.
I thank God I grew up with the generation that saw Keiko return to his natural habitat. "Free Willy" was a movie I watched all the time as a little kid in the 90s, and I still love it after over 20 years. It hurt me knowing Keiko died, but he died a free orca nevertheless.
Do you know what I REALLY LOVE about Keiko? Keiko is VERY gentle towards people.
rest in peace keiko you are missed
Wow this is incredible. really applaud to the effort and understanding for all people involved in releasing him back to the wild. Keiko also overcame tremendous obstacles to "enjoy" his last few years in the wild, where he belonged. He looked healthier even in Seattle and his majesty showed in the wild. Killer whales can survive alone in the wild, but they will not be sharing the knowledge and intelligence of his kin pod. This is such inspiring and a success story about rehabilitating a captive killer whale, and we should start the releasing program for Kilikum from the SeaWorld. Seaworld kills!
Wish they would have for Tilikum
These pictures are incredible, thank you so much for sharing. He was a remarkable animal, will forever miss him.
this makes me so sad. love you Keiko
Rest in eternal peace with Keiko dear Sveinbjorn Gudmundsson 🐳🪽🌊🤍
I ❤you Keiko, thank you for blessing us .....I am sorry for what humans did to you, it was wrong!
I hope you had some joy swimming free!!!
we owed you so much more!!!
❤❤❤❤ LaLa
This is really beautiful, and nice to know. Thank you. Keiko was amazing!!!!
It's always been my dream or in bucket list to do this with an orca specially Keiko. RIP for Keiko even he has been for years but we still miss him best whale ever!
this just brought tears to my eyes,Keiko's story was sad,i wish there was a happier ending for him
I remember the day he died 😟 it was on the news and my gramma call and told me that he had passed. I cried my eyes out 😭💔 I loved him dearly
almost 10years he passed away and still feel sad about that :(
I think what you, and the huge group of people attempted to do for Keiko was an amazing, inspirational, and undoubtedly enormous undertaking. You may not have gotten the end result that you had envisioned, but Keiko was living in a natural, healthy environment free to do anything that a wild orca could. Keiko's gentleness, sweetness, intelligence, and loyalty made him a uniquely special soul. I have had the same breed of dogs all my life, and I have come to learned that the personality and temperament within the same breed can vary greatly. Just like Keiko, and Tilikum (to no fault of his).
One question that I have is, did Keiko contract the pneumonia when he was caught under ice as mentioned in Keiko the Untold Story?
No, there was never any ice, he was 29 years old, and Orcas usily only get 23-26 in captivity. But he was in a fjord in Norway after swimming all the way from Iceland to Scotland then turning around and swimming to Norway, he did this all in 3 weeks and did not loose a pound, witch means he ate on the way.
We worked together for over year but I was only his bodyguard, ( from Seashepard and other like them) becose he got death threats. But we were rely good friends, I did not see him for 3 years, but when I got out to the baypin he greeted me like a family member, he remembered me and we did a dive and swim together.
Best regards.
That's good to know that Keiko didn't forget you. But they said that he died at 27 not 29.
I wish that freedom could have been possible for Tilikum, also from Iceland , but he died as a prisoner at SeaWorld in Orlando , Florida.
Margui622 Tilly also died of pneumonia, which was caused by a rare drug-resistant bacteria. R.I.P Tilly :(
What beautiful pics of a beautiful friendship!!! I wish I'd have know him.......he's truly one of my heroes.....thnx for posting this......
It really looks as though keiko is almost smiling in some of these shots!!!.......Great photos,thankyou.
Aww! Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson **THANK YOU so much for sharing Beyond** I am in tears.... = (
This posting is absolutely Beautiful! In each picture I could easily observe the Love that was shared between you two! I truly can see the deep friendship connection the two of you had together! I know that I cannot say anything to change or make you feel any better. Yet please know how sorry I am for this loss! Such an unfair deep sadness. So sorry that you are no longer with your sweet kind loving friend ~Keiko** he was an amazing endlessly loving friend to you. I could see in the photos how much he really did care about you! Very far I AM So sorry about EVERYTHING that Keiko went through to be allowed to live with a small ability to breathe again. Sveinbjorn..Incredibly in felt...(in these pictures)...Showing through both you & Keiko an extremely "special formed closeness"! Your pictures ARE Showing >>> **Forever connection** that I truly understand how intense you obviously are & always will carry deep inside your heart! Please know your friend was & always will be with you ~ Countlessly~ Most loving without any question.. You will always have 'Keiko's **Unconditional Love** Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson I AM So SORRY For your Loss! God Bless!
Keiko est un orque extraordinaire! Son histoire est captivante! Jamais j'oubliais Keiko xxx Danielle
Keiko's release was not a failure. He was doing fine, he died of pneumonia, which wasn't a consequence of being a captive orca released into the wild. (it's actually fairly common among wild orcas) He interacted with other orcas and was able to feed himself perfectly fine even when swimming long distances. The main thing that set him apart was that after release, he was still overly friendly with humans. (even letting kids pet him and ride on his back)
Keiko's release what a complete failiure. His death doesn't make it a failiure. The fact he did NOT join up with a pod and he didn't really hunt for himself (snatching already dead or stunned fish long after Orca's had passed doesn't count as hunting). We don't know if pneumonia that killed him, the HSUS and Free Willy Keiko Foundation refused to autopsy him.
StarlightPrism He didn't fulfill ANYTHING of what a marine mammal should fulfill, in order to be released.
He was not healthy, he could not integrate with other whales, and he could not let go of his attachment to humans (he could just as well have ended up like Luna; sliced up by a propeller, since he wanted to be so close to humans).
NOAA’s requirements for deeming an animal releasable:
“Important questions to be addressed include (my bolding):
1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild?
2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild?
3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies?
4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes?
5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?”
Orcas are absolutely dependent on a social unit, and Keiko was released
alone, without any positive interactions with wild whales beforehand. He
could not integrate with them.
“To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.”
Keiko had breathing problems long before he was released, and it’s what ultimately killed him.
“Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.”
He only had humans for company, he showed no signs of being able to integrate with wild whales, and once released, went straight back to humans.
“Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.”
He had a papilloma virus which could endanger wild populations.
So, again, in what ways exactly was Keiko’s release a success?He died just a year after his full release, and he only spent a few weeks without people (while swimming to Norway). He was 26 years old!!!
StarlightPrism it was the best time in his life! Freedom.
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Aside from his behavior and learning history making the odds stacked against him from the beginning, he was never healthy. He had a contagious papilloma virus which could affect wild whales (it never completely went away), and he had pneumonia every winter in Iceland and Norway. But if we had a much better candidate, could they be released? My instant (and amateur) opinion is “of course”, if you had the right candidate. We don’t. You’d need a whale brought up, from birth, with as close to zero human contact as possible, never fed directly in the mouth, never having strong, positive relationships with humans, never taught to approach humans or man-made objects, very good with other whales (and certainly not an adult male; the least likely candidate to be accepted by a strange pod), and completely physically healthy, to name a few. As so “happens”, the United States have regulations in place (as dictated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act), on how to release marine mammals, and which animals can’t be released. Release requirements for marine mammals “Important questions to be addressed include: 1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild 2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild? 3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies? 4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes? 5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?” “To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.” (Keiko was not doing this, he was sick.) “…behavioral requirements for release include demonstration of normal breathing, swimming, and diving with absence of aberrant (i.e., abnormal) behavior, auditory (Morgan is hearing impaired), and/or visual dysfunction that may significantly compromise survival in the wild and/or suggest diseases of concern.” “Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.” (My bolding: This is the most immediate concern with all cetaceans in human care. You have to undo a lifetime of positive interactions with people. Make them forget all of that.) “Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.”
Releasable: Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean has attained sufficient size and age to be nutritionally independent. b) Cetacean is not a female with calf. c) Cetacean is not a geriatric animal and not compromised due to age related conditions. d) Cetacean was not exposed to captive or domestic animals during rehabilitation.
Behavioral Clearance a) Cetacean breathes normally, swims and dives effectively. b) Cetacean does not exhibit aberrant behavior, auditory, or visual deficits. c) Cetacean demonstrates appropriate foraging ability. Then four points about stranding that I will not include here.) Unreleasable: History a) Cetacean has been in captivity for more than two years or is otherwise too habituated and counter-conditioning techniques have been unsuccessful. b) Cetacean stranded previously on one or more occasions. c) Cetacean was part of a NMFS permitted research project, potentially being handled more frequently, and circumstances preclude its suitability for release. Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean is nutritionally and socially dependent (neonate and young nursing calf without foraging skills). b) Cetacean is geriatric and exhibiting other medical and/or behavioral abnormalities. Behavioral Clearance a) Exhibits abnormal breathing, swimming, diving, or other aberrant behavior that may compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by a disease of concern to wild marine mammals. (Keiko, being the only example, never dived as deep as the wild whales.) b) Exhibits auditory or visual dysfunction that would compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by an ongoing disease process of concern to wild marine mammals. c) Unable to capture and consume live prey. d) Demonstrated inability to avoid predators. “For animals deemed “Non-releasable,” and with the concurrence from the NMFS Regional Administrator, the animal can be permanently placed in a public display or research facility or euthanized.“ This is what rescued marine mammals are judged against, whether they will have a chance out there or should live out their lives in human care. It’s what Tilikum was judged against, when he was moved from Sealand to SeaWorld, there was a discussion on whether he could be released (if he was deemed releasable, SeaWorld would have been forced to do so), but it was decided not to. (More about that on my Tilikum-page above.) So there it is. If they have been in human care for more than two years, if they have documented dependency or attraction to humans, they cannot be released. And what would happen with Orkid, Kayla, Keet, Keto, Tuar, Skyla, Adán, Kalia, Amaya, Tekoa, Malia, Makani and Kamea? They are all crosses between ecotypes, they are “invasive species” everywhere. They don’t belong anywhere, and would never be allowed to be put into the sea. Several of them would be separated from their “pure” mothers and siblings. What would happen to Corky? The only Canadian whale left. Would you take her away from the pod where she has had a stable position for almost 30 years, the only true family she’s ever known, to put her in a sea pen for a lonely existence in a foreign environment? But what about sea pens? While some ignorant people want either full release at all costs (even the animal’s life, if need be), or eventual release, others know this is not possible but want the animals put in “sea pens”, or, to make it sound more romantic, “sanctuaries”. So let’s find out whether this actually is preferable to an existance in pools and tanks. First of all, the problem with sea pens is that the environment can’t be controlled. Animals in pools live in constantly filtered, controlled and extremely clean water. For most, it is the only things their bodies, their systems, have ever been accustomed to, and to be put in real sea water with all its pathogens (parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi) and pollution would be a real shock to their system, possibly even fatal. Add to that, water temperature. The water captive killer whales are kept in is at a constant ~56 degrees fahrenheit (~13 degrees celsius). If the whales would be put in the waters where SeaWorld is, like California, the water would be much too warm for them. And that’s assuming it would even be legal to put them there, as they are an invasive species (belonging in Iceland and Canada, these are not the same killer whales as are found around California), and there is always a risk of the pen being damaged or activists cutting the nets. What about noise? Music and cheering audiences above the water mainly bounces off the surface, while underwater noise, like boats, is known to disturb wild whales and can even disrupt their ability to communicate, forage, and locate themselves. What about rocks and sand? Nami, who lived at a sea pen in Japan for many years, had 180 lbs of rocks stuck in her intestines at the time of her death. How would safety for both trainers and animals be maintained? How will the animals be cared for? As it is, the whales are frequently taken up on dry land (medical pools with fast-rising floors) and scales for full body exams, in order to ensure their health. This would not be possible in a sea pen. And where would the trainers/care teams live? To care for the animals for the rest of their lives, they would have to live nearby, but it would have to be balanced with keeping the animals away from boat noise and pollution. Where would it be? Again, with the invasive species. Should Corky and Morgan go alone, to Canada and Norway, respectively? Will the thirteen crosses be left behind? Would Kasatka have been taken from her daughter, Kalia, and her son, Makani, because they’re crosses? Will Takara be taken from her youngest daughter, Kamea? Will mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, have to be separated to stop breeding? How many pens will have to be built? Some animals don’t get along well. In a pool complex, animals can be separated when things get tense. In a pen, they don’t have that ability. How large could it be? It’s one thing to build sea pens for bottlenose dolphins, tiny animals compared to killer whales. How would you build pens for a total of 30 killer whales (SeaWorld’s entire population, including the ones at Loro Parque)? Sea pens can’t be very deep (certainly not more than SeaWorld’s upcoming Blue World Project, which will be 50 feet or 15 meters deep), and it takes an enormous effort to keep a net (which works almost as an “underwater sail”) clean and secure. Keiko’s release project, including the sea pen (only made for one whale and roughly the size of a SeaWorld show pool, split into three smaller areas), cost over $20 000 000 in the late 1990s-early 2000s. And that was for only one whale. Who would pay for all this? When Keiko was released, he was given by Reino Aventura to one of the organizations pushing for his release. SeaWorld would not pay to build sea pens and send their whales across the planet, someone else would have to do that.
Amazing creatures ! I wish I could say the same for Great White sharks... Came face to face with one by being a follower Kayaking off the California coast with a friend which I would never do again ! It was like a SUV going under your canoe sized boat and death was tapping you on your shoulder saying do you believe in god ? I pissed on myself out of fear for the first time in my life and gained a new respect for the ocean. Its not our world its theirs !
Great whites are amazing too!
It was fantastic news, that Keiko got the rightful justice, to be rehabilitated. It is great that this animal was released back to his native waters.
Why it failed? Well this is how we continue to learn and educate ourselves better. Some will thrive others will not. There is always a chance taken.
I am happy that 'Keiko' got his chance.
Just remember Orcas do not belong in any tank in the first place. They are used to salt water not chlorine.
Great video. Thanks so much for all your hard work.
Thak you for this video .you are very luck ti havê a friend line Willy...keiko....I wish could stay with him
I agree. He must have been lonely, and the wild was no longer preferable for Keiko. He was fed, he never had to hunt. His friends were human.
keiko probably missing his 2 lady trainor.. as the last seen video of him in 2002 appearing to be a sad keiko wanting to communicate with his old buddys.. what if his trainor came to visit him in norway he would have gained his energy back and lived longer.. 🥺🥺🥺 R.I.P gentle giant.. 😢
RIP Keiko
his life was abolutly sad and bad i hope you are at a better place now.. we mis you ♥
Thank you! He truly touched all our lives. Our boy
That IS living... i truly envy you my friend.. Awesome pics..
great choice of music. sigur ros ^_^ gd video. i love the bond you shared with Keiko. God bless
Stolen from his mother in Iceland, taken to a concrete tank to perform ,
Used for Holywood movie
And released back to the wild
After decades of captivity
He has no idea what to do in the ocean alone thus, he died after a month of freedom.
He is still living in kids hearts.
Keiko R.i.P
I love Keiko... truly a remarkable orca.
Thank you kindly for posting this. Keiko will always be missed but we all know he's in a better place.
Beautifully done!
So jealous.. .. If I could trade everything i have just to go back in time and trade places with you on that day I would! Such a beautiful animal, orcas are my obsession
It may sound 'corny', but I wish I could personally thank each and every person that worked tirelessly to help free Keiko. . .including you.
If any captive animal deserved their freedom, it was Keiko and I'm so glad he got the chance. Although I couldn't help thinking he may have been lonely judging from things I've seen and read. Not that that should've kept you from trying to free him, but it's sad to know he was probably wanting attention.
When you learned of his death, what went through your head (mind)?
+Chris Kavanagh
Not everybody know this, but Keiko was free for almost 3 weeks. He swam from Iceland to the coast of Scotland, with a pack of Killer whales. But he turned around and found his way past Faroee islands and all the way to a fjord in Norway and I think you know the rest of the story. But he was free there as well no barriors and no cages.
Sorry for the long time in replying, but I have a question if you don't mind on your comment regarding Keiko "swimming with a pack of Killer Whales from Iceland to Scotland."
From what I understand, which may be wrong, Keiko never really interacted with the other Killer Whales he encountered. I either heard or read that the 1st encounter Keiko swam towards them, then broke off and went the opposite way. .
They even told of 1 encounter that might have been "aggressive" toward Keiko and he used the boat as protection. What is the truth in all this? Did he befriend other whales as you said, or just follow them around?
PS: Wanted to also thank you for this video. It's one of my favorites on youtube. So glad you took those pics (or video).
Sorry for a rely late reply, I thought you might have seen the answer to this in other coment . As you may know Keiko was originaly captured on the south coast of Iceland. So they thought they might be able to find his family, cose Killerwhales live in pods and each have their own languages . That is the reason Keiko took shelter under the boat at that moment you metioned . It is their beleve ( the trainers ) they found a pod who took him well and with them he staid for that long swim from Iceland almost to Scotland. He swam so fast away from Iceland with that pod of Killerwhales that the boat they were using was not fast enough to follow them. So they relied on the satellite transmitter on his dorsofin, but they cept loosing the signal, so they do not know what he did other than he ate and swam all that distance. And why he came alone to Norway, maybe he got home sick. But he was free for a while.
Not corny at all. It's nice of you.
I was heartbroken because for a time he went off with a pod but at the end he wanted human contact when he knew he was dying.
he looks like he had just as much love for all of you as you did for him ! this is one of the greatest animals we have and we need to do everything in our power to keep them safe and well in the wild !! you all should be very very grateful for the time you got to spend with him !! millions of people were devestated when he passed away .... especially me !! God bless you all !🙏
Keiko me robó mi corazón ejemplo de bondad algo tiene este animalito con Dios
He's still there. He's still swimming in the seas of Norway. We just can't see him, that's all.
This made me cry…4 times, 4times!
Let me say thanks for helping this beautiful animal. I'm sure you'll never forget him, and I'll bet he never forgot you.
R.I.P BUDDY. Glad you got home.
Sweet!
Great way to test your firewall integrity!!!
He was such a good boy
He was a beautiful whale. I'm sure you miss him dearly.
You are so blessed to have had a chance to be with this incredible animal and he also is blessed to have you and his life.it would be a dream come true for me.God bless you
Aw, look how happy he was. I'm really happy he could enjoy his freedom again for a while.
...Keiko suffered and died..It would be murder. I understand seeing something "sad" and letting your feelings be manipulated by it but that is no excuse to make these animals suffer. Releasing them is inhumane in itself. Inarguably the most frequent call to action about captive cetaceans is to release them all - as soon as possible. Many of those who want this believe that a release to the wild will work just like it did in the Free Willy film, a whale longing to go back to his family, instantly leaping back into the ocean and swimming off into the sunset with his pod, never looking back. Others are more rational and have at least some knowledge about what it takes to release long captive animals, but may think that even if the animals die, it would be for the better. I am by no means an expert on this, I am only an amateur who loves to learn and to absorb as much information as I can. But I will try to explain whether or not this is a good idea, and what might be the outcome of such an attempt, drawing from the knowledge of animal behavior, previous releases of long captive cetaceans, as well as those of other animals. Some killer whales have been released, yes. In total, and correct me if I’m wrong, there have been eleven killer whales released back into the wild. Hyak, Florencia, Charlie Chin, K1/Taku (not to be confused with captive-bred Taku, son of Tilikum and Katina), Pender, Flores, three unnamed calves in Iceland, Keiko, and Springer. Only one of these, Keiko, had been in human care for more than twelve months. Most of them, less than a quarter of that. Hyak was never seen again, while Florencia and her grown son Charlie Chin were seen for decades afterwards. Taku left after two months, rejoined his pod and was seen for many years. Flores and her grown son Pender were kept for 55 days before they were released, and were also seen for decades. The three Icelandic whales were kept for three months, then released (all calves, roughly 1½ years old), and were never seen again. Springer was found alone and sick, only two years old and her mother had recently died. She was only kept in human care, in a sea pen, for 30 days. And the most important part - she was never fed by hand, only via a tube through which fish was sent, faces were not shown around her and voices were quiet, so she would have as little human exposure as possible. Over a very short period of 30 days. Then, a relative passed her pen, and she was released. Now, as for Keiko…Keiko was captured in 1979, as a 1-2 year old calf. Likely still nursing from his mother, just at the age when they are weaning. He was a “baby” when he last saw his birth pod and Icelandic waters. He then spent roughly five years at Marineland Ontario, where he was picked on by the other whales. In 1985, he was moved to Reino Aventura in Mexico, where he was the only killer whale for his entire stay of eleven years. The only relationships nurtured here were those with humans, and his experiences with whales at Marineland had been negative. In 1996, he was moved to Oregon, to prepare for his release. Here he was subject to questionable training that would not be helpful for his release (including teaching him to push humans off of rafts? Fun game in captivity, dangerous for both humans and whale in the wild). Two years later, in September 1998, he was moved to a sea pen in Iceland. While here, the staff (not experienced with animal behavior or killer whales) kept entering the water with him and giving him full-body rubdowns, encouraging his strong connection with humans. Eventually, a behavior team of four worked there in rotations and did what they could to try to prepare him for a life in the wild. (I say “what they could”, because human selfishness, greed and agendas got in the way of the animal’s actual well-being and chance of success.) They accomplished a lot in 1999, getting Keiko lean and fit, discouraging inactivity and encouraging movement and exercise, stopped feeding him directly in the mouth (only having him take the fish himself in the water), got him used to live (stunned) fish, and completely stopped in-water interactions with him. In early 2000, a net covering the entire bay where his sea pen was, had been constructed, and long, arduous training had taken place just to be able to get him through the gate to the new, huge enclosure - which he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to stay in his “home”, as he viewed it, but he was eventually coaxed out to the bay, and was encouraged (trained, conditioned, because he would never have done it on his own initiative) to spend more and more time there. He was trained to swim behind a specially designated walk boat, for miles and miles, round and round the same bay. Eventually, he had to be taken away from the island because of blasting in the harbor, and a permit was granted with the terms that he would not be introduced to wild whales. That is what happened, and after this, more and more time was spent out at sea, “heeling” next to the walk boat (some cases in which he hugged the boat’s hull and stayed in its slipstream - animals prefer being lazy when given the chance, just like us). Finally, in June 2000, permit was granted to introduce him to wild whales. What everyone on the behavior team viewed as a very slow, gradual process, where Keiko and the wild whales would simply get to acknowledge each other’s prescence at a distance, becoming more and more positive for both Keiko and wild whales every time, everyone else (the media, the public, the higher-ups behind his release) viewed as a one-off event where he would simply, like his movie counterpart, jump towards his “family” and swim off into the sunset with them. Needless to say, that is not what happened. The higher-ups behind the release were so determined to “get the shot”, prove a point to the public and get the documentary of the century, and they were so convinced Keiko “wanted” to be with the wild whales and would instantly forget about 20+ years of human relationships, that they would not listen to the behavior team. The people with actual experience and knowledge of killer whales and animal behavior, and who were largely responsible for the huge progress with Keiko, wanted simply the usual walk boat formation - the walk boat itself, and a second boat to watch at a distance. What happened instead was five boats (including one just for VIPs and rich donors) and a helicopter. One boat had followed a pod of wild whales for hours, a pod with newborn calves, darting them (for DNA samples) and effectively harassing them. They were driven straight on to the unsuspecting Keiko and in a mess of boats and whales, he bolted in the opposite direction, and wasn’t found until roughly twelve hours later, still traumatized to the point of his eyes being red and bugged-out and his breathing erratic. When he was brought back to the bay the next day, the behavior team was instructed to bring him (still traumatized) to another pod immediately. They refused, and after the “boss” on site had confirmed they would do exactly the same thing again, everyone on the behavior team left the project. Keiko was exposed to wild whales on hundreds of occasions after this, not once did he want anything to do with them. He was often near them during feeding frenzies, not once did he partake or ever catch his own fish. It was on one occasion in the summer of 2002 that he accidentally got lost from his walk boat and disappeared, and he was after this (by the new organization running the release, HSUS) declared “successfully released”. Simply because he swam off on his own. Human attention and affection was all Keiko ever wanted, and it was denied to him. He followed the current past the Faroe Islands, to Norway. Here he finally got the human attention he so desperately sought, children swimming with him in the water. This was soon stopped, however, and he was taken to a Norwegian bay where he had a small part of his team in Iceland looking after him. Keiko was never proven to forage for his own food, not even on his three week journey to Norway did stomach content samples prove feeding. He was intentionally fed very sparse meals by his care team in the last couple of years, and almost nothing in Norway, stubbornly holding on to the idea that “once he’s hungry enough, he’ll find food”. He had been sick several winters with pneumonia, and the next winter, in 2003, it finally took his life. He was fed so little that he couldn’t fight off the illness within him, as he had several times before. (To all those who claim “SeaWorld’s whales must perform, or they’ll starve!” - This is the only whale who has been purposely starved by humans, and it indirectly took his life.) Keiko never integrated with wild whales. He never hunted his own food. He never let go of his attachment to humans. He never stopped seeking attention from boats. He was never healthy enough to survive without human care. The only thing he did do, was swim in the ocean. That is not a successful release. It is the slow killing of an animal, and lying about it to the public, in order to make money and glory for oneself. Keiko was never free. He was exploited for an animal-rights agenda, and if actual release protocol had been followed, he would likely be alive today. There were even requirements in the release plan that if he was not healthy, if he was not eating, if he didn’t integrate with a wild pod, that he had to be taken to a facility and live out his days in human care. Human greed-motivated agendas and the ideology of “better dead than fed” made sure that never happened. Still, COULD they be released? So, Keiko is the only long-term captive killer whale - one that had relationships with humans for years, and very negative experiences with his own kind - that has been released. And he was a very poor candidate to begin with.
Aside from his behavior and learning history making the odds stacked against him from the beginning, he was never healthy. He had a contagious papilloma virus which could affect wild whales (it never completely went away), and he had pneumonia every winter in Iceland and Norway. But if we had a much better candidate, could they be released? My instant (and amateur) opinion is “of course”, if you had the right candidate. We don’t. You’d need a whale brought up, from birth, with as close to zero human contact as possible, never fed directly in the mouth, never having strong, positive relationships with humans, never taught to approach humans or man-made objects, very good with other whales (and certainly not an adult male; the least likely candidate to be accepted by a strange pod), and completely physically healthy, to name a few. As so “happens”, the United States have regulations in place (as dictated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act), on how to release marine mammals, and which animals can’t be released. Release requirements for marine mammals “Important questions to be addressed include: 1.) does the species depend on a social unit for survival or does it exist solitarily in the wild 2.) has the animal developed the skills necessary to find and capture food in the wild? 3.) has the animal developed the social skills required to successfully integrate into wild societies? 4.) is there knowledge of their home range or migratory routes? 5) the animal have skills in predator recognition and avoidance?” “To achieve basic behavioral clearance, a cetacean should breathe normally, including rate, pattern, quality, and absence of respiratory noise.” (Keiko was not doing this, he was sick.) “…behavioral requirements for release include demonstration of normal breathing, swimming, and diving with absence of aberrant (i.e., abnormal) behavior, auditory (Morgan is hearing impaired), and/or visual dysfunction that may significantly compromise survival in the wild and/or suggest diseases of concern.” “Documented dependency on or attraction to humans and human activities in the wild would warrant special consideration as a possible conditional release or non-release decision.” (My bolding: This is the most immediate concern with all cetaceans in human care. You have to undo a lifetime of positive interactions with people. Make them forget all of that.) “Introduction of pathogens from rehabilitated animals to free-ranging wild animals is a significant concern for diseases with serious epizootic or zoonotic potential.”
Releasable: Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean has attained sufficient size and age to be nutritionally independent. b) Cetacean is not a female with calf. c) Cetacean is not a geriatric animal and not compromised due to age related conditions. d) Cetacean was not exposed to captive or domestic animals during rehabilitation.
Behavioral Clearance a) Cetacean breathes normally, swims and dives effectively. b) Cetacean does not exhibit aberrant behavior, auditory, or visual deficits. c) Cetacean demonstrates appropriate foraging ability. Then four points about stranding that I will not include here.) Unreleasable: History a) Cetacean has been in captivity for more than two years or is otherwise too habituated and counter-conditioning techniques have been unsuccessful. b) Cetacean stranded previously on one or more occasions. c) Cetacean was part of a NMFS permitted research project, potentially being handled more frequently, and circumstances preclude its suitability for release. Developmental Stage/Life History a) Cetacean is nutritionally and socially dependent (neonate and young nursing calf without foraging skills). b) Cetacean is geriatric and exhibiting other medical and/or behavioral abnormalities. Behavioral Clearance a) Exhibits abnormal breathing, swimming, diving, or other aberrant behavior that may compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by a disease of concern to wild marine mammals. (Keiko, being the only example, never dived as deep as the wild whales.) b) Exhibits auditory or visual dysfunction that would compromise survival in the wild or may be caused by an ongoing disease process of concern to wild marine mammals. c) Unable to capture and consume live prey. d) Demonstrated inability to avoid predators. “For animals deemed “Non-releasable,” and with the concurrence from the NMFS Regional Administrator, the animal can be permanently placed in a public display or research facility or euthanized.“ This is what rescued marine mammals are judged against, whether they will have a chance out there or should live out their lives in human care. It’s what Tilikum was judged against, when he was moved from Sealand to SeaWorld, there was a discussion on whether he could be released (if he was deemed releasable, SeaWorld would have been forced to do so), but it was decided not to. (More about that on my Tilikum-page above.) So there it is. If they have been in human care for more than two years, if they have documented dependency or attraction to humans, they cannot be released. And what would happen with Orkid, Kayla, Keet, Keto, Tuar, Skyla, Adán, Kalia, Amaya, Tekoa, Malia, Makani and Kamea? They are all crosses between ecotypes, they are “invasive species” everywhere. They don’t belong anywhere, and would never be allowed to be put into the sea. Several of them would be separated from their “pure” mothers and siblings. What would happen to Corky? The only Canadian whale left. Would you take her away from the pod where she has had a stable position for almost 30 years, the only true family she’s ever known, to put her in a sea pen for a lonely existence in a foreign environment? But what about sea pens? While some ignorant people want either full release at all costs (even the animal’s life, if need be), or eventual release, others know this is not possible but want the animals put in “sea pens”, or, to make it sound more romantic, “sanctuaries”. So let’s find out whether this actually is preferable to an existance in pools and tanks. First of all, the problem with sea pens is that the environment can’t be controlled. Animals in pools live in constantly filtered, controlled and extremely clean water. For most, it is the only things their bodies, their systems, have ever been accustomed to, and to be put in real sea water with all its pathogens (parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi) and pollution would be a real shock to their system, possibly even fatal. Add to that, water temperature. The water captive killer whales are kept in is at a constant ~56 degrees fahrenheit (~13 degrees celsius). If the whales would be put in the waters where SeaWorld is, like California, the water would be much too warm for them. And that’s assuming it would even be legal to put them there, as they are an invasive species (belonging in Iceland and Canada, these are not the same killer whales as are found around California), and there is always a risk of the pen being damaged or activists cutting the nets. What about noise? Music and cheering audiences above the water mainly bounces off the surface, while underwater noise, like boats, is known to disturb wild whales and can even disrupt their ability to communicate, forage, and locate themselves. What about rocks and sand? Nami, who lived at a sea pen in Japan for many years, had 180 lbs of rocks stuck in her intestines at the time of her death. How would safety for both trainers and animals be maintained? How will the animals be cared for? As it is, the whales are frequently taken up on dry land (medical pools with fast-rising floors) and scales for full body exams, in order to ensure their health. This would not be possible in a sea pen. And where would the trainers/care teams live? To care for the animals for the rest of their lives, they would have to live nearby, but it would have to be balanced with keeping the animals away from boat noise and pollution. Where would it be? Again, with the invasive species. Should Corky and Morgan go alone, to Canada and Norway, respectively? Will the thirteen crosses be left behind? Would Kasatka have been taken from her daughter, Kalia, and her son, Makani, because they’re crosses? Will Takara be taken from her youngest daughter, Kamea? Will mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, have to be separated to stop breeding? How many pens will have to be built? Some animals don’t get along well. In a pool complex, animals can be separated when things get tense. In a pen, they don’t have that ability. How large could it be? It’s one thing to build sea pens for bottlenose dolphins, tiny animals compared to killer whales. How would you build pens for a total of 30 killer whales (SeaWorld’s entire population, including the ones at Loro Parque)? Sea pens can’t be very deep (certainly not more than SeaWorld’s upcoming Blue World Project, which will be 50 feet or 15 meters deep), and it takes an enormous effort to keep a net (which works almost as an “underwater sail”) clean and secure. Keiko’s release project, including the sea pen (only made for one whale and roughly the size of a SeaWorld show pool, split into three smaller areas), cost over $20 000 000 in the late 1990s-early 2000s. And that was for only one whale. Who would pay for all this? When Keiko was released, he was given by Reino Aventura to one of the organizations pushing for his release. SeaWorld would not pay to build sea pens and send their whales across the planet, someone else would have to do that.
Now then, to the benefits of sea pens. They might be easier and cheaper to make larger than pools, and there is more inherent environmental stimulation in them. But as for SeaWorld’s killer whales, they will soon get pools twice as deep and far larger in surface, with natural water currents to swim against (without the noise, pollution and harmful pathogens), and a more natural environment with kelp and other environmental stimulation, in addition to the varied enrichment they already get every day. And where they are, they are safe and are much easier to keep healthy. Why release them? I’ve never really gotten an answer to this. Why release them in the first place? What’s the actual benefit to the animals? (Completely disregarding the positive effect these animals have on people, society and science, let’s only talk about the plus and minus for the animals now.) As I’ve proven all the myths about cetaceans automatically suffering in captivity are just that - myths. (Things like shortened lifespan, higher infant mortality, unsuccessful breedings, bad teeth, “insanity” and other mental conditions, causes of dorsal collapse, and so on. Just read it and then tell me I’m wrong.) The only thing we are left with is the personal feelings of some people, that “I just don’t like seeing whales in tanks”, or “they simply BELONG in the sea”, which is not an argument at all. No zoo animal belongs in a zoo, a hamster belongs in the Syrian desert and not running in an addiction-inducing wheel in an acrylic cage, a dog belongs with a pack, hunting and scavenging, not walking in leashes and eating kibble from a plastic bowl, and a horse belongs with a herd running across the open plains, not in saddles and bridles. And humans certainly don’t belong in modern society, using clothes, cars, utensils, computers, and medicine. The “belonging-argument”, is not an argument at all. Or to quote Melissa Smith (author of the blog Captive Animal Logic and countless articles on hubpages): Without evidence that the animal is experiencing poor welfare, your animals-only-belong-in-the-wild religion will be fully ignored. Some say the animals “want” to be free. As if they asked them. Keiko, as I demonstrated, didn’t want anything but human contact. The bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center can easily jump over the fences of their sea pens (even easier when the place floods, when they can just swim right out) - but they don’t. And why would they? That place is not a prison to them, if we want to be anthropomorphic, it’s more like a free lifetime hotel, with constant care, food, and fun interactions with weird two-legged land animals. What I have then heard people say, when they realize their argument was beaten, is that “the animals have been so damaged by captivity that they don’t KNOW what they want!” Oh boy… you just can’t win with some people. I have nothing to say to that, except: show me that cetaceans are in any way “mentally destroyed” by being behind walls. Because ultimately, the only difference between captivity and “freedom” is to be behind walls, and having constant human care and interactions. Show me how that, in any way, damages their minds to the point that they can’t know their own minds, and I’ll believe you, and take this blog down. Until then, this is just the opinion of some humans, who don’t know the animal’s minds. Neither do I or the people working with them, but if you know animal behavior and know an animal very well, you can tell pretty well how they are feeling. I argue that freedom is a human construct, an abstract human concept. Freedom matters to humans because we want to be able to decide our destinies. Whether to move, to work and with what, whether or not to have children, whether or not to pick up a hobby and what, what government to live under (as if we have the choice of that), and to live our lives without anyone else telling us what we can and can’t do. Non-human animals don’t do any of that. They travel in order to forage, they forage in order to survive, and they mate in order to pass on their genes (and have fun) to the next generation. What do wild whales do? They swim, they eat, they interact in complex social structures, they play, they eat some more, they rest, they poop, they interact, have sex play, and swim some more. The only thing captive cetaceans can’t do, is swim in straight lines for unlimited stretches. They don’t do any of those things I talked about humans doing. This is why I believe “freedom” only matters to humans. And the fact that a whale in the wild looks “prettier” to a human than a whale in a pool. It doesn’t mean anything to the whale. The whale cares whether it’s feeling good, not whether it’s in a pool, a sea pen, or the ocean....So no keiko was not "enjoying his freedom"
you my friend, lived my biggest dream.. .. such a majestic animal
the picture at 4:34 has to be the coolest picture I have ever seen. How awesome would it be to have an office like this? Such a beautiful creature.
keiko the pure heart whale .
😭😭Keiko will forever be missed
beautiful country, would have loved to have been with you guys just watching.
So people are seriously against "rehab" As an anti-cap I think this bond is beautiful. He's wild, they were just having some fun :). Keiko was such a magnificent animal being how gentle he was. You can't hang out with an animal and not want to play with it, you just can't! The rehabilitation of Keiko wasn't a failure, believe it or not. He survived for two years in the wild, but then died of pneumonia, who knows what caused it. Was there anytime in this video Keiko looked unhappy, or that he wanted to kill him? No. he enjoyed the company. He wasn't "forced" to do tricks or do waterworks with the guy, he was doing it voluntarily. Don't jump to conclusions! :)
+Takara L o v e r S t u d i o s
Many thanks to you for those kind words.
Keiko was and always is my friend. He was never forced to do anything.
Barbapabbi Barbapabbason
I would've loved to meet Keiko, sadly he passed before I got to.
Orlxndo If he was still alive I would have loved to have spent time with Keiko too! He would have definitely become my friend too, I would have made a special trip out to Norway to see him too ☺ This is a lovely video. Btw did he remember any tricks from the Free Willy movie??
Exactly! I hope there is no captivity and I also believe what you haVe said is so true.
4:37 just adorable! glad he was freed!
ill also remember keiko forever willy
The band is "Sigurrós" Icelandic croup and the song is called "Glósóli"
this is making me cry right now because i am going to be a seworld trainer and it is just sad to wath a a friend that i did not know but i knew her in my heart and if anbody is listening to this please do because it is truly beautiful and if any body want to lean mo about keiko please go to keiko the untold story it is really moving touching and captvating thank you rest in peace my best friend
keiko
After everything we did for him he still chose us over his own kind
I saw him in Newport, Oregon at the aquarium. He was performing, and he loved doing that. Keiko died of lonlieness, and a broken heart, and you all know it... What you guys did, even with the best of intentions, was like kicking out the family dog. Keiko loved people, and there was no going back to the wild.
keiko the actual orca whale who made an appearance in free willy
He play in all 3 movies
@@laurabonnell582 No. In all of the movies, except for the first, the orcas were animatronics.
@@tessdurberville711 Hi. Correction, Keiko was only in first Free Willy, but in 2 and 3 they used animatronic and older footage. Stay Save
such a magnificent creature, truly my favourite whale :)
This is Miss Hadjer from Constantine Algeria, to all of u, hi...
I have always loved Willy in the film, even cried and later i learnt his true name was Keiko, and this CZcams recommended video breaks my heart, I know death is a big truth in life but can't believe this beautiful baby is dead, I have always wished I was the child who played with him in the movie, I don't know if this CZcams channel is the boy in the movie Willy or not, but if this is you, greetings of peace to you and to everyone here, let me tell u, u r so very lucky and even blessed, one of my biggest dreams ever was meeting Keiko...., Anyway, To me, wild animals must be left in wild, we, trying to go against nature is actually a big proof we are ignorants ans selfish, yes I love animals, all animals and been all my life dreaming about getting a big house and having animals of all species living with me, but actually I wouldn't deprive them their natural feeling of belonging to wild, it runs in their bloods, living in extremely big spaces like oceans, seas or forest is despite all the dangers outside, all the starvation, fights they may go through sometimes is their happiness, and keeping a wild animal in cages, pools or whatever it is called breaks my heart and does upset me more than anyone can ever think, well, Mr lucky, the young handsome actor , grown man now. Thank you for letting us now, and thank you all for loving Keiko, and caring this much, something lifts the spirits though.
It´s in Klettsvík, in a bay on a island on the south coast of Iceland, called Vestmannaeyjar. Keiko was captured not far from the island, and stayed there for almost 6 years.
Wonderful
RIP Keiko, we will never forget you.
I just got done watching Keido's story. :,( I was hoping that he would still be alive then i watched this and found out that he died. D: Now I really want to cry.
I'm almost beeling about an animal I never met nor knew about when I was younger but his story is amazing, damn right in the feels.
I grew up watching the movies and loved him so much he is the reason why orca's are my favorite animal today,I had learned they live to be 80 years old and i remember when he was freed and i had thought he was still alive since i learned how long they can live for tonight,And then i see this video and learn he is Dead!!! i had just gotten hope too!! Noooo Why did he have to die!! and then he gets captured again!! i wish he was not captured to begin with he might still be alive today
cant that pen in iceland be used to help current captive orcas?. I know its still not free like in the ocean but its far better than those marine tanks.
I miss you Keiko, I loved him as a child in "Free Willy" and I will love him always. He lived for 5 years almost 6 out in the wild. He died not in a tank but his home waters with dignity. I believe they prolonged his life by taking him out of Mexico. Keiko was a whale who you could not help but love. We sadly became his family when he should have had a wild one. That was Keiko's only fault. R.I.P. Keiko "The Lucky One"
LOVE
Now you can swim anywhere you want to go Keiko.
Thats so amazing
Vielen Dank für die tollen Aufnahmen. Ich würde so sehr gerne mehr sehen. Aber es existiert nicht wirklich viel im Netz. Mir fehlen Video's. Ich will noch mehr erfahren.
You're a very lucky man, I wish I could have a relationship with an orca like that. Please help set the other orcas free before they die, you have proven that they can go back into the wild unlike what SeaWorld and others have to say. They're such beautiful animals and they don't deserve the treatment they're receiving. It's great to know that some humans actually care unlike some of the others.
Keiko may be gone but his spirit lives on.