Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack: All About Keiko, An Orca Who Acted, Played With Kids, Returned To Sea

For the last two days, the name 'Jessica Radcliffe' has been hogging the headlines. The reason behind the same is some fake videos, wherein she was claimed to be a trainer, being attacked by an orca brutally. Well, later it was revealed that there was no truth to the video, and it was AI-generated. This fake incident triggered stories about orcas.

Orca, Keiko: The movie star, who lived like a celebrity and then returned to his real home

Orcas are intelligent and social predators, and their being captivated has always been a topic of discussion and debate. As Jessica Radcliffe's video went viral, it reminded us of Tilikum, the male orca, who attacked its trainer and killed her. Amid this, we also couldn't help but turn the pages backwards, to re-read the stories about another famous orca, Keiko, who lived the life of a celebrity. Of course so, because he not only performed for a live audience but also starred in a movie. So, let's know about Keiko, or our beloved 'Willy', from Free Willy.

Keiko was estimated to have been born in 1976 near Iceland. It was after 2-3 years of his birth that he was discovered, and was later sold to the Marineland in Ontario, Canada. During his time in Marineland, Keiko performed for the live audience and was confined to a relatively small space. As per Wikipedia, his name was first 'Kago', and later, it was changed to 'Keiko', kind of similar. The name 'Keiko' was reportedly Japanese, which meant 'luck'.

Keiko was then transferred to the marine park in Mexico City, Reino Aventura. The weather in Mexico was not suitable for orcas, which eventually led Keiko to face health challenges. Well, he continued to perform for the live audience and instantly won hearts with his skills. Orca Keiko was then noticed, and soon he bagged an offer to be featured in the movie Free Willy. The movie was a box office hit that grossed USD 153.6 million against a budget of USD 20 million. He was selected for the movie for his intelligence, ability to be engaged and responsive to human interaction, and other notable qualities.

Keiko was seen as 'Willy' in the movie, Free Willy: How his stint led him to his freedom

The movie showed how an orphan, 'Jesse', befriended a killer whale, 'Willy' (real-life Keiko), who was separated from his pod and was placed in captivity. The movie also showed how 'Willy' was later freed and returned to the wild with the help of 'Jesse'. The movie carved a space in the hearts of the audience. In the credits at the end of the movie, helpline numbers were provided for the whale protection movement. Well, numerous calls and messages started pouring in with people demanding 'Willy' Keiko's freedom. While in the movie it was easy for 'Jesse' to free 'Willy', in real life, the process was complicated and took several years.

Following the overwhelming demands from people about Keiko's freedom, the production house of Free Willy, Warner Bros. collaborated with a businessman named Craig McCaw to reach out to the International Marine Mammal Project for help. Two years later, in 1995, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation was established with several donations and funds totalling USD 7 million.

Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon, built special facilities for Keiko, in the hope of improving his health condition, and then to eventually release him to his original home. He stayed there for two years and his health improved, after which discussions about his return to the sea began, sparking a wave of debates. Some believed that returning Keiko to his original home would not be good, as he couldn't survive on his own, while others tagged it as a misguided factor in the name of release.

How was Keiko released? He used to give rides to children, as reported

In 1998, Keiko was moved to the bay of Iceland, and till 2001, he used be taken care of by The Ocean Futures Society. Following this, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation and the Humane Society took over Keiko's case. The famous orca was declared fully free in July 2002. During this time, he was joined by the orca pods, but he never could fully integrate into them.

Within a month, he swam all by himself for 900 miles in Norway, which was tracked by a radio tag. The hope behind his release in Iceland was to make him accustomed to his wild life again, but he remained at a distance from the pods. Reportedly, after reaching Norway, he began approaching boats, docks and swimmers, and even let children ride on his back for limited times. Following this, his caretakers were also relocated in Norway, where Keiko was free to live on his own, but was still being cared for by his handlers.

Keiko's final days: How did he die?

While millions were spent on Keiko's release, he never could fully re-enable his wild instincts to live with the pod, where newcomers are hardly welcomed. He was captured at the age of 2 and spent over 20 years in captivity. This prolonged isolation might have led him to prefer human interaction more in his later years, rather than returning to his natural habitat. Keiko died back in 2003, at the age of 27, where male orcas generally live around 50-70 years. Reports claimed that in the final days, Keiko stopped eating completely and became lethargic. Speculations were rife that he might have died due to starvation, but later it was confirmed that his death was caused by pneumonia.

With Jessica Radcliffe's viral video, the lives and stories of these mammals were re-triggered, and Keiko's life was nothing short of a celebrity. Have you watched Free Willy? What do you think about Keiko and his celebrity-like life?

Also Read: Amid Fake Clip Of An Orca Killing Jessica Radcliffe, Know About Orca, Tilikum, Who Killed 3 People

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