57K views · 166 reactions | In 1998, Keiko - the star of the film Free Willy - became the first orca to be released into the wild after a life spent in captivity. Dave Phillips was in charge of making it all happen.  https://bbc.in/3qg8HMs | BBC World Service | Facebook

I found these old clips of Keiko from 1999 and put them together to make this video. In this video you can see Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This 2 million gallon habitat served as Keiko’s rehabilitation tank. Keiko was released into the wild in his home waters of Iceland in the summer of 2002, but passed away in December of 2003. Keiko has inspired thousands of people to make a difference in the world, and his legacy will always live on. Clips via: krakkaruv.is • • • #orca #whale #orcawha

KEIKO'S LEGACY- Episode Three: Keiko's Icelandic Bay Pen After a 17-hour flight from Oregon, Keiko is reintroduced to his native Icelandic waters for the first time since he was captured at the age of two. . In this episode, Jeff Foster shares footage from 1998 and talks about the construction of the bay pen that would be Keiko's staging ground as he prepared for complete freedom. . Twenty years ago, Jeff Foster was one of the team helping to return Keiko, the “Free Willy” whale of movie fame, b

They thought Keiko would be happy if it was free. A while later they would discover the disastrous consequences. Free Willy in real life was not as beautiful as in the movie. And more than happiness, the event brought worry and sadness. When the most famous orca whale in Hollywood finally saw the ocean, it was too late. But desperate audiences pressured the studio for it to leave its tank. The end result was not what they were expecting. You can now also find us on Youtube: http://bit.ly/yt-thek