Keiko (Orca)

Keiko (* 1976/77 in Iceland, † 12 December 2003 at the Norwegian Taknesfjord ) was an orca male, which as the title character in the feature film Free Willy - call of freedom in 1993 and in the two sequels Free Willy 2 - The Adventure Home ( 1995) and Free Willy 3 - The rescue (1997) acted. The high level of awareness of the first part, in which the orca Willy freed by jumping into the sea from captivity, leading to Keiko's reintroduction and circuit finite suspension in 2002. In the wild, he died after one and a half years.

Life

Keiko was captured off Iceland in 1979 and first brought to Marineland in Ontario, in 1985 then sold to Reino Aventura amusement park in Mexico City. His imprisonment led to protests of many, especially young viewers of the film.

Eventually the Free Willy Keiko Foundation with the help of donations to buy the whale and prepare his suspension in the sea. In January 1996, he was flown to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, where he was nursed. In 1998, he was then, also funded by donations, flew to Iceland Klettsvik Fjord on the Vestmannaeyjar ( Westman Islands dt ) belonging to the U.S. Air Force island of Heimaey. In this bay he should get used to his natural habitat and are prepared for reintroduction into the open sea.

His life in freedom was trained to 2002, he was exposed to the Atlantic. The action cost 20 million dollars ( 16.3 million euros). There, however, was no longer able to live for years among people whale to adapt. An intensive human care was still necessary, the whale was not connected to another group of whales. Despite observation with a satellite-tracking device to track lost Keiko on July 11, 2002. September's then discovered that he was a fishing boat followed up by Halsa in Norway. They managed to lure the hungry Orca in the Taknesfjord and to serve there.

Keiko spent his last weeks in people nearby just in a fjord ( Taknesfjord ) the Walfängernation Norway, where he became a tourist attraction. After a pneumonia he refused food intake and died age 27 on the coast near Halsa his suffering. Orca males have an average life expectancy of 30 years, only in rare cases, they are up to 50 years old. Keiko was buried near the coast of Taknesbucht. In Halsa also a memorial has been established. A preparation was discussed, but then not carried out. The Oregon Coast Aquarium held on 20 February 2004 for a memorial service from Keiko.

Most environmentalists criticized the release of the beginning. They argued that the effort, which was operated to release a single and relatively unsuitable for Wals, was greatly exaggerated and would draw the necessary funds from other, more important projects. The action serves more amusement and satisfaction of human needs as the environment or animal welfare.