Whales Have Health Problems Too: Keiko's Story
By Saundra Middleton, for the Chronicle
He was born in Iceland, acquired a Japanese name, and has travelled to Canada, Mexico and America over the past 18 years in captivity.
He is Keiko, the movie star killer whale.
A generation of children, inspired by the movie "Free Willy" in 1993, responded eagerly to help Keiko's real-life plight. His tank in Reino Aventura in Mexico City was too small and too warm. He was underweight, had respiratory ailments and suffered for many years from skin warts-turned to skin lesions.
"Please help Keiko", wrote the children in French, Spanish, German, English and other languages from around the world to the film producers at Warner Brothers.
And the movement began.
Individually and in small groups, our young, global activists didn't need debate, sanctions, resolutions or a two-thirds vote. They just needed action. They knew it would cost money. Included in their letters were coins from many different nations and cheques. They sent their milk money and allowances. Entire piggybanks were included.
Hundreds of school groups raised funds with bake sales, walk-a-thons and raffles. One Tampa, Florida elementary school raised $30,000! Before Keiko was even moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium to improve his health and living conditions, in January 1996, children had contributed $150,000 of millions that would be needed. And as Keiko left Mexico City, children lined up the streets for miles from Reino Aventura to the airport-some weeping in the night, others waving signs of "adios". Oregonian children greeted his rainy arrival in much the same way.
As Keiko regained his health in the next two years, hundreds of letters and e-mails a week continued to pour into the newly-formed Free Willy/Keiko Foundation, set up to handle his care. Cards, pictures and baked goods accompanied their correspondence. A partial listing of the countries the children represented reads like a United Nations roll-call vote: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Many children were fortunate to visit Keiko and deliver their coins personally. One pair of sisters from the State of Alaska picked wild blueberries in the mountains around their home and baked blueberry muffins each morning at 6 a.m. for a week, to sell to early morning commuters as one of several Keiko fundraisers.
But children can only do so much.
Late in 1997, as the deadline approached for Keiko's next step to freedom, to an Icelandic sea pen, a dispute arose among the adults in charge. A veterinarian and animal husbandry chief resigned from Keiko's team. Accusations about mishandling passed between those partners responsible for Keiko's well-being.
According to Earth Island Institute's Marc Berman: "The kids demanded Keiko's release from the start and the Foundation was not going to let them down."
Keiko received a clean bill of health from an independent team of vets early in 1998 and was flown to his new home in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, on 9 September 1998.
"Keiko is swimming faster and stronger. He is staying under water longer. He appears to be more alert and alive. He is using his echolocation skills more", says Berman, adding, "Keiko has had frequent visitors from minke and pilot whales, dolphins and harbour porpoise-all normal visitors to the bay."
On a sad, yet encouraging note, Keiko is slowly weaning himself of his human care-givers. But an entire generation of children around the world will never wean themselves of Keiko.
Keiko's story has been written by children. In the process, they have achieved the impossible by mobilizing adults into taking an 18-year captive killer whale to near freedom. They have written history. What they received in return for their pesos, pence, pennies and pleadings was global empowerment. As adults, following our children's lead, we have set in motion a generation of global activists that have already experienced the synergistic power of working together in self-sacrifice for the good of one in need.
From Issue 1, 1999
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