release

The biggest example of the "Captivity/Freedom" subject with orcas is the Free Willy star, Keiko. Keiko's situation, after spending three years in Iceland with no such luck on release, is a bit foggy. You have to know the facts to say whether his release-and any OTHER orcas' release-is fact or fiction.

Keiko has been in captivity since he was approx 2 yrs of age. Caught in Iceland back in the 1970s, he was transferred from park to park, ending up in a Mexican tank...in a pool too small for *A* dolphin....much less an adult male orca. Nevertheless, Keiko pushed on, starred in the popular movie "Free Willy" until he was discovered by a journalist, who published his plight and failing health. Adults and children who'd seen the movie-and not-worldwide sent in their extra pennies to help this ill-fated orca.

A facility in Newport, Oregon was built for his rehabilitation. Keiko, once fully rehabbed, would become the world's first attempt to free a fully adult, captive orca whale.

Plans were made, gone over, and Ocean Futures with Jean-Micheal Cousteau took over the job of "freeing" Keiko. He has spent three years in the waters of his natural home, learning to dive deep again, catch live fish, and has even taken WEEK long "ocean walks" BY HIMSELF...and has PHYSICALLY PLAYED with WILD Icelandic orcas!!!!

However, Keiko's time and funds are running very very short. He is now seeking a permenant "captive" home in his habitat waters near Iceland. In those three years, he spent only a TOTAL of 3 MONTHS with wild orcas. NOT enough time to "attach" to any pod. But the funds, as I said, are running low. But the press likes to switch words around and say he cannot be released. Even though his time was cut short.So what went wrong? Did Keiko really rely too much on humans? Is it true that orcas can't be released?

If you'd ask me. I say no. Totally wrong. The thing MOST people don't know about Keiko, is that his family pods are totally UNKNOWN.

Tokitae, also known as Lolita, in the Miami Seaquarium, belonged to the Southern Resident Community of orcas in Washington State's Puget Sound. We don't know ANYTHING about Keiko except he's from Iceland. He could belong to ANY of the MANY, many, maaany pods out there. Toki, as "fans" call her, belongs SPECIFICALLY to the L-pod in Puget Sound. The Southern Comminuty consists of only THREE pods....J, K and L pods. We *know* Toki belongs to not only L-pod, but even more detailed, the L25 *subpod*. Meaning, we know who her possible sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins are. J, K and L pods stay around the Washington area for most of the year...only sometimes leaving in the winter to feed out in more open waters. ALL of her family and relatives are known by their ID numbers, assigned to their saddle patches, and even all have names!!!

The Southern Orca Community has been suffering lately due to overdose of PCBs in the waters. Many orcas are either sterile, or the calves die at an early age. The population has plumeted in the past few years. This is yet ANOTHER reason why releasing Toki (who was captured at age 6, not 2, meaning she has more "wild" experince) is needed. She is still far within calf-producing age, and could birth two or more calves which could be a HUGE help in steadying the population.

Now to the importance of Toki's situation. She is a five ton, 22ft orca living in...are you ready for this?...an 18 ft deep TANK! (or should I say bathtub?) Not to MENTION she *shares* it with three Pacific White-sided dolphins! The Miami Seaquarium is the OLDEST and the most RUN DOWN orca-holding facility in the USA! For YEARS Arthur Hertz, head of the Seaquarium, has promised Toki a new, more accomidating tank. But for over 20 yrs NOTHING has changed. Her tank is in disrepair, and is horribly small. YEt the USDA keeps "forgetting" to do something about it.

With all that out, and out of the way, perhaps you can make your OWN opinion about whether or not other orcas, like Toki, should have a chance to be released. Just because an overspoiled Keiko (yes, some people believe he was pampered too much with affection in Iceland, which slowed his progress!) didn't make the cut to freedom, should ALL orcas that have a high chance of release be thrown aside and forgotten? Tokitae is now 37 years old. The OLDEST orca survivng in captivity. Every day she lives on she sets a new record for survival. She WANTS to go home if you ask me. But she can't live forever, especially in that horridly unaccomidating fishbowl. The point I'm trying to make clear here is simply this: