"Free Willy" Keiko caught in celebrity past
Date: 01-Nov-02
Country: NORWAY
Author: Inger Sethov
Norwegian authorities announced two weeks ago that Keiko would move immediately to Taknes bay, about 10 km (six miles) from the Skaalvik fjord where he has been since he showed up in Norway last month. It is still uncertain when that will happen.
The animal has been a tourist magnet for the small Halsa fishing community of 1,750 people after his surprise visit in early September. Thousands of people have flocked to western Norway, eager to get close to the playful whale.
But Keiko's trainers, who have spent several years and millions of dollars to readjust him for a life in the open sea after more than 20 years in captivity, want as little contact with people as possible in order to continue their work.
"Keiko will never become a tourist attraction again. That is absolutely certain," Frank Haavik on Keiko's monitoring team in western Norway told Reuters.
Haavik said the move was being held up by slow Norwegian bureaucracy, underlining that there were no disagreements with local Halsa authorities over Keiko's living conditions.
Keiko was captured near Iceland as a calf aged about two and performed in marine amusement parks in Canada and Mexico for almost 20 years. He was sent back to Iceland after the "Free Willy" movies sparked a campaign for his freedom.
He was released from his pen in Iceland in July, thought to be ready for his new life. But the first thing he did when he arrived in Norway was to put on a display for local children - even letting them ride on his back.
The Keiko team said that should not happen again.
"People will be able to see Keiko from land but there will be stricter rules," Haavik said, adding that there would be no more physical contact with Keiko.
He said people would be able to get as close as 50 metres from Keiko - not less - from Keiko, or to watch him by boat about 400 metres away, from outside of an area marked by bright orange buoys on the sea surface.
Keiko will be free to swim off at any time and his trainers hope he will join other killer whale groups that travel up and down Norway's coast, chasing their favourite food - herring.
