Remember Keiko the Whale?

[wum]

They had a documentary about him last night

Keiko, nearly 25, turned up in a western Norway’s Skaalvik fjord in early September after swimming 870 miles following his release off Iceland in July. Baird is part of the effort to return the whale to the wild.

The friendly orca drew hundreds of fans, allowing them to swim with him, pet him and even climb on his back, until he was so overrun with attention that Norwegian authorities imposed a ban on approaching him.

Astrid Morken, aged eight, didn’t have to break the rules. Perfectly legally, she sat on a dock and played her harmonica until Keiko approached, exactly like the character Jesse, the little boy who befriended Keiko in the Free Willy movies.

“It was great,” Astrid said. She played the refrain from the movie for nearly three straight hours, to Keiko’s apparent delight.

[...]

She said Keiko clearly recognised the melody, and almost appeared to dance to it.

http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews.../story70077.asp



Dudes, you can train that thing just like a pet :)

[wum]

"At first we were a bit scared, and weren't sure whether the whale would attack or just wanted to say hello," Neshaug told VG. "But then he just stayed with us, and couldn't have been more friendly.

"The whale clearly wasn't scared off himself by Norway's long and controversial whaling tradition. Neshaug said the whale seemed eager to play, and it didn't take long before the children were patting it and offering it freshly caught mackerel.

"I've never seen anything like it," Neshaug said. "The whale seemed completely tame." Soon the children were in the water as well, swimming with the whale and riding on his back.

"The whale seemed literally starved for affection," Neshaug said.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...icle391879.ece


aww, he just wants to play

[Ree Fresh]

Awww I was absest with whales/dolphins when I was a kid. Use to dream about becoming a marine bioligist and saving the whales at our aqurium.

Glad to here Keiko is still doing well. Proves how smart these animals are and dont need to be kept in captivity.

[ebbomega]

I thought Keiko was female...?

[wum]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

I thought Keiko was female...?

girl name, but boy whale