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| **Keiko** |
| Keiko had three names. Keiko, Kago and Kego and as people for commonly know him as 'Willy'. The story of how an orpahned boy who found courage, hope and a freind in a captive, male, homesick, orca whale who, like him, had lost his family. When Willy's owners find out that the cost to keep 'Willy' in his small dolphin tank they decide to try to kill him and claim the death insurance, but Jesse does not want to see his best friend die like this and decides to free him at Dawson's Marina. Willy jumps high over a cliff to gain his freedom and all lives happly ever after! But Keiko's real was far more comlpex than the movies and only a few years ago did he gain his well earned freedom. |
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| Keiko was born in Iceland around 1977 and was captured when he was 2 years old in 1979. The captin of a boat called 'Gundrun' was offered millions of dollars to capture a young male orca and whilst the family was catching herring the sailors moved in. Keiko was captured in herring nets - a very painful way to be hauled from the water - and the screams from him were a nightmare in their own way. At first Keiko was called Kago - also known as Kego - but his name was changed when he was placed into his first public tanks in Saedrisfiend Aqurium because Marineland were having problems getting a permit to import him. Whilst he was there because of his young age he was harrased and mistrested by the other whales, he than became very shy of other whales and in 1985 Marineland sold Keiko for $100,000 to Mexico. |
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| Keiko during his capture |
| It was the first time a whale had been in a Mexican park and because of this Keiko became a real star. Attracting billions of people and delighting millions of young children. Lots of people dreamed of meeting Keiko. Later Keiko developed a skin desease that made him suffer greatly. His tank was too hot and chlorined and was too harsh for his skin. (this is still common to dolphins and whales in captivity today) Keiko's tank was way to small fro him. It was 16 feet deep and when Keiko was to feed his tail would scrach on the bottom. Keiko had some strange habbits, when he slept his toys would float around him and when he was frustrated he would throw them out of his pool. He kept these habbits for his entire life. Before 'Free Willy' Keiko was in a film called 'Keiko in Danger' this was about some aliens that wanted to capture Keiko, but a group of children stopped Keiko from being captured. Then after this 'Free Willy' was born! The story captured the hearts of millions and became a world wide wonder! |
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