Information on Keiko

Keiko was the mature male orca, who captured the attention of people around the world, with his starring role in the Warner Bros.™ movie, Free Willy. Ever since the movie, it was the goal, and ambition of millions of people worldwide to see Keiko follow in the wake of his fictional alias, Willy, and become free as well, a movement driven by the children who watched the movie, and fell in love with the orca that was Keiko.

Keiko was easily identified, mostly for his dorsal fin, which had completely flopped over to the left of his body. It was originally believed this was a sign of an orca having lived in captivity, but upon encountering orca near Iceland in late years that also had flopped dorsal fins, this assumption is beginning to be questioned. Keiko also had three black dots on his chin, which helped to identify him. He had large pectoral fins, similar to any male adult orca and curved flukes. It was rumoured near the time of his death, he was larger than even Tilikum, currently the largest male orca in captivity.

Keiko's timid nature has sometimes earned him the title of 'Big Marshmallow' for he was one of the gentlest and most laid back orca to have ever been held in captivity. This nature allowed him to be pushed about and bullied by the other resident orca in Marineland Ontario. He allowed people to swim with him, during his stay in the Renio Adventura Park, making him a prized attraction to the park. Keiko was often labelled as a 'People-Orca' for he seemed to thrive on human interaction. The best example of this, was whence he was freed and living in Norway, how he invited people to swim with him. However, despite all claims that Keiko would never be free, Keiko swam free for over a year in the waters near Norway, without walls to hold him, able to come and go as he pleased and foraging for his own food.

It was during his time at Renio Adventura when Keiko captured the attention of the world with his role in Free Willy. After the movie, a new home was sought for Keiko, for the conditions of his holding tank were horrible. Too small, too shallow and too warm, Keiko was suffering with skin virus and a weak immune system. With help from people worldwide and the newly formed Free Willy Keiko Foundation, children the driving force to free Keiko, an aquarium was built in Oregon Coast Aquarium, where Keiko would get to experience natural seawater again and heal his weakened body, before it could be carefully planned how to free him. Within a few months, Keiko put on a tremendous amount of weight, his skin disease healed and his immune system began to grow strong again. Training was also given to Keiko, to help get him ready for life outside the world of humans. He had some trouble learning to hunt fish whence in the Oregon Coast Aquarium, for he had no problems in catching the fish, but it was the fact he did not understand what he was meant to do with it once he had the fish.

In 1998, Keiko was moved to a floating pen in Klettsvik Bay, where he was trained for several more years, by various marine researchers worldwide. Keiko began to communicate with other orca and creatures, slowly getting better at hunting and living without human interaction. Keiko was released into the wild in July 2002, and traversed the distance between Iceland and Norway completely free, and without the guidance of trainers. Between September 2002 and December 2003, Keiko swam free in the waters of Norway.

Keiko was an inspiration for all people and orcas alike. He swam free from July 2002, with distant cousins of his, to later appear in a harbour in Norway. Keiko died on 12th December 2003 of pneumonia in Norway, in the wild, as a free animal. Even though Keiko still sought out human company on occasion, he was a completely free animal, free to come and go as he pleased.

This site was built so we can remember the inspirational hero that Keiko was, and visitors may pay their personal tributes to him…

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