Captive Cetaceans: A Handbook for Campaigners - Whale and ...

other Icelandic orcas, Tanouk may have been a good candidate for a reintroduction.
Instead, on November 19th, 1995, he was abruptly transferred to a facility in Japan
which kept no other orcas. Tanouk was photographed in December 1995, playing
with a plastic bag in a sea pen. He had several noticeable cuts on his belly and blotchy
pectoral fins. Only six years after his capture, his dorsal fin already lay bent.
Even before the release of the film Free Willy, plans were being quietly devised for
the possible release of the Icelandic orca known as Keiko. Since 1990, Keiko's
owners in Mexico had repeatedly asked for assistance to place the unwanted and
ailing orca and, on September 1st, 1993, an agreement was reached between Keiko's
owners and the Center for Whale Research, for Keiko's rehabilitation and eventual
release. At the same time, the display industry was reportedly placing calls to Iceland,
in an attempt to solicite pledges ensuring that Keiko's return would be denied. Within
twenty-four hours of the rehabilitation plan being agreed, Keiko's owners in Mexico
were inundated with "concerns" raised by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and
Aquariums, an industry lobbying organisation heavily dominated by Sea World. The
Alliance heavily discouraged his release and offered assurances to oversee his care
and locate a better home. Although these assurances remained unfulfilled, the
Alliance had successfully overturned the agreement with the Center for Whale
Research. As Keiko continued to languish, marine parks began a publicity blitz to
convince the public that release would be dangerous for the whale, rather than for the
industry.
Finally, two and a half years after the film's release, Keiko was moved to a purposebuilt
$7.3 million pool at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Forty-eight hours after his
arrival, Iceland's director of the Marine Research Institute announced that Keiko
would not be welcomed back to Iceland and called the effort "a publicity stunt".
Keiko brought celebrity to the Aquarium, along with increased attendance. As his
health improved enormously, disagreements about his future mounted between the
Aquarium and Free Willy Keiko Foundation. In August 1997, after a change in
personnel handling of Keiko’s care, conflicting reports surfaced regarding his health
status. With cooperation from the Free Willy Keiko Foundation and Aquarium, his
health was evaluated by an “independent” panel facilitated by APHIS in December
1997 and January 1998.
The sole mandate of the panel was to examine Keiko’s current health, and not to
comment or infer support or opposition to his releasability. Recommendations
concluded no indication of ill health or abnormal behaviour, but recommended,
amongst other things, continued long-term monitoring; providing him with a
companion animal of compatible cetacean species or pinniped species; and that an
expert panel by assembled to oversee any decision on his rehabilitation. The so-called
“independant” panel consisted of representatives of Sea World, the National
Aquarium of Baltimore, Dolphin Quest, and two university veterinarians. Several
events preceded the evaluation in early December 1997. Iceland’s Prime Minister
pubically expressed his opinion that the proposal should be considerd with an open
mind (Oddsson, 1997). The Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid ran an editorial under
the heading ‘Keiko Home’ concluding that, “The return of Keiko would be a
delightful adventure while it would be interesting to see how he would fare in his
home tracts. Hard arguements against it has not been put forward” (1997). Currently,
only time will tell if his release will become a reality.
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