Free willy--Keiko
Uploaded by: mickigowen5634
Video Description:
At the time he lived at an abusive marine park, in a small warm pool, with only four dolphins for company. (But what is interesting is that Keiko actually learned how to speak the dolphin's language so he could talk to them. He also learned to mimic the sound of a rooster crowing and an ambulance siren.)
Keiko had been brutally captured as a baby from his family pod in Iceland many years before. Then he was sent to live at a marine park in Canada that still exists today. While at this Canadian park, he often was attacked by the older whales kept in the tank. So, after some while there, he was sold to a run-down park in Mexico City. He seemed to be rotting away.. he was very lazy and slow. He could barely even hold his breath for a couple of minutes.
The warm tank water lead to numerous skin diseases.
But just in time, Warner Brothers came along and asked to shoot the 1993 movie Free Willy at the park, starring Keiko. After seeing the movie, millions of people sent in money to free Keiko. And so after years of training, "Willy" was finally set free."
He vocalized and traveled with other orcas and dolphins. He got to catch his own food - nice, big, fresh salmon! Keiko was allowed to travel as far as he wanted, and still got the added extra of excellent vetrinary care. His handlers and the research team were amazed at how well he adapted!
--Peepchick101 [[Thank you peepchick101 for the lovely detales about our keiko..]]
Keiko died from pneumonia while in the wild December 12, 2003. He was 27 years of age, very old for a captive orca, but young for a wild one. Following requests from fans of the orca and Free Willy, the Oregon Coast Aquarium held a memorial service for him on February 20, 2004. 700 people attended the service, at which the aquarium's veterinary chaplain said, "Keiko was not one of our kind, but nonetheless was still one of us." There is a memorial site for Keiko set up by the locals in Halsa, Norway, where the famous whale spent the last year of his life.
FOR INFORMATION ON CAPTIVITY/WHALES: - www.dolphinproject.org
- www.orcafree.org
- www.orcanetwork.org
- www.HSUS.org
- www.whale-museum.org
- www.orcahome.de
- www.wildlifepimps.com
**[[Micki]]
Tags for this video: free keiko OneTrueMedia willy
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It's looked so beautiful in the wild! It's amazing to see those pictures of him breaching in the ocean with that big flopped dorsal fin draped over his side - it really symbolizes freedom and independence! I hope he enjoyed being in the wild as much as we enjoyed it for him =]
Rest in peace, Keiko; and I hope you had a good time in the wild!