According to a release from The Good Whale, after Free Willy became an unexpected hit, fans learned the orca who played Willy in the movie — a killed whale named Keiko — was ill and living in ...

Keiko, the most famous resident of the Oregon coast Aquarium in Newport, died at an age considered old for a whale in captivity. However, he was back in the wild when he died. Author: KGW Staff ...

OSLO, Norway -- For kids, Keiko the killer whale was the charming hero of "Free Willy." For biologists, he was the focus of fierce debate on whether captive animals can be returned to the wild ...

Keiko the killer whale, who was the star of the "Free Willy" movies, swims in his tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport in this Jan. 22, 1998, file photo.

Keiko became the first killer whale returned to the wild in 2002, more than 20 years after he was captured in waters off Iceland. He went on to survive for five years before dying of pneumonia at ...

But when word got out that the real whale who played Willy, an orca named Keiko, was dangerously sick and stuck in a tiny pool at an amusement park in Mexico City, fans pleaded for his release.

The killer whale, whose real name was Keiko, died in December 2003, at about 26 years old. Despite efforts to integrate him with wild killer whales in Iceland towards the end of his life, he ...

OSLO, Norway -- Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the "Free Willy" movies, has died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax ...

The event will take place on July 20, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. at San Juan Community Theatre, Friday Harbor, WA, USA. Details: It was on July 16th, 1993, when the world fell in love with Keiko, the orca ...

It's been about a year since Keiko was freed from his pen -- and swam straight back to human companionship. With the killer whale drawing 200 to 400 fans a day, the bay he calls home seems more ...

FRONTLINE examines the money, power, and politics of the captive marine mammal industry through the story of Keiko, the killer whale star of Hollywood's, FREE WILLY.