Keiko Makes Progress Towards Freedom; Star of Free Willy Film Spends Three Weeks in Wild in Unprecedented Step Towards Independence 8/2/2002
From: Nick Braden, 301-258-3072, or Rachel Querry, 301-258-8255, both of the Humane Society of the United States; Charles Vinick of Ocean Futures, 805-207-3992 VESTMANNAEYJAR, ICELAND, Aug. 2 -- With stories about whales such as Springer the orphaned orca making news from coast to coast, many are left wondering about the fate of the world's most famous whale, Keiko. The star of the feature film Free Willy is spending more time than ever before in the open ocean off the coast of Iceland, where attempts to return him to the wild are heating up as wild orcas who are likely relatives of Keiko make their annual visit to the area. The Free Willy/Keiko Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and others launched the effort to free Keiko in 1994. The HSUS has been managing and funding the Keiko Project since June and is working closely with Ocean Futures and the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation on the day to day management of the Keiko Project. Ocean Futures and the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation are looking to The HSUS to take the lead on the Keiko Project because of The HSUS' scientific expertise, depth of knowledge on animal protection issues and institutional stability. Each summer, Keiko makes incremental progress towards fulfilling the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating his dependence on people. Since he was first led out to the open ocean from the bay that is his winter home, Keiko has indicated interest in the wild whales. "Keiko picked up where he left off last summer," said Charles Vinick, executive vice president of the Ocean Futures Society and manager of the Keiko Project for The HSUS. "He is choosing to spend all his time with the wild whale pods, staying near them as they mill about and traveling with them when they travel." Keiko's progress has experts wondering if this is the year that he goes truly free. Unlike in the summer of 2001 when Keiko would spend brief periods of time with wild whales, this summer Keiko has chosen to spend almost all his time with the wild whales. "Keiko is in charge," said Vinick, "he has the option of swimming away from our boats and staying near whales. This year he has surprised us by spending almost all of the last three weeks with wild whales." Dr. Naomi Rose, The HSUS' marine mammal scientist, recently returned from a visit to see Keiko in Iceland. "We're very encouraged by his progress and hope to build on it in the future," said Rose. "This is an unprecedented effort to return a long-term captive whale to the wild. We can't say for sure what the outcome will be, but we're committed to the goal of independence and freedom for Keiko." Keiko is traveling as much as 100 miles a day with the whales. Throughout much of July, the wild orca were feeding in one area during the day, traveling at night and returning to the same area each day. The reintroduction team that has been tracking Keiko with a VHF radio signal and with a satellite tag report that Keiko followed the same pattern as the wild whales. The tracking vessel, which is generally two or more miles from Keiko, has observed that Keiko is frequently 50 to 200 meters from the wild whales and "shadows" their movements in ways that indicate he is becoming more acclimated to them. Earlier in July, Keiko voluntarily returned to Klettsvik Bay, the location of his sea pen, from his first trip out to the ocean. After checking him out thoroughly and making some tag adjustments, the team fed Keiko to lead him back to the location where wild whales were congregating. Almost immediately, Keiko separated from the walk boat and again began to follow the whales. "We know that Keiko is able to keep up with the wild whales during this season when they are remaining close to the Westman Islands," said Rose. "Keiko appears to listen to the vocalizations of the wild whales and follows them on their daily travels. Now, he is beginning to intermingle with some of the wild whales. In the days ahead we will watch to see if he continues to socialize and begins to forage with them." Keiko, which means "Lucky One" in Japanese, was captured in Icelandic waters more than 22 years ago at the age of two. Taken to perform in the marine park industry, Keiko was first sent to Canada for a few years and then transported to Mexico City, Mexico where he became the only killer whale to perform in Mexico or Central America. Languishing in an inadequate facility, Keiko nevertheless became the star of the hit film Free Willy and the world learned of his plight. Over a million individuals, including many children, sent an outpouring of letters, emails, drawings and donations demanding that he be set free. Through the efforts of the Humane Society of the United States, the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation and Ocean Futures Society and with help from thousands of donors throughout the world, the Keiko reintroduction program continues in Iceland. "I think the Keiko project continues to provide extremely important data on the process of releasing whales from captivity," said Paul G. Irwin, HSUS president, who has been part of this rescue effort from the beginning. "Clearly, had we not intervened he would have died in Mexico. Bringing him back into his home waters was a long process. We've accomplished what most people said was impossible, and almost everyone agrees that Keiko continues to learn, move ahead, and become more wild." The HSUS is accepting donations to help fund the Keiko Project. To donate, visit The HSUS' Web site - http://www.hsus.org. The HSUS is dedicated to protecting all animals through legislation, education, investigation, litigation, advocacy and field work. The HSUS has active programs protecting wildlife, companion animals, farm animals and animals in research. The HSUS is headquartered in Washington, DC and has 10 regional offices. ------ NOTE: Recent video footage and photographs of Keiko are available. Contact HSUS Media Relations at 301-258-8255 for more information. |