Biography
Keiko was a male orca, known professionally as an actor for his role as Willy in the 1993 film Free Willy.
Captured near Iceland around 1979 at approximately two years old, he was held in marine parks in Canada and Mexico before appearing in the film. Following its release, efforts led to his relocation to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in 1996 and later to Iceland in 1998. In 2002 he became the first captive orca to be released into the ocean. He died of pneumonia on 12 December 2003 in Norway at around 27 years of age.
