![]() Keiko would most likely have died within a few years under these conditions. Warmer temperatures and chlorinated water aggravated the lesions and Keiko’s deteriorating health. ![]() In 1985 Keiko was sold to Reino Aventura, an amusement park in Mexico City. Although Keiko appeared to enjoy contact with humans, his dorsal fin began to droop. He was exhibited there for three years, then sold to Marineland in Ontario, where he began performing for audiences. The orca who became known as Keiko was captured in Iceland in 1979. The demand for orcas led to the decimation of pods in the North Pacific, causing growing concern about the advisability of the entire enterprise. A huge orca leaping from the water became a feature of aquarium shows.Īn orca’s ability to sell tickets made up for the difficulty of capturing the animals and the expense of providing a habitat where they could survive. ![]() They were able to form relationships with human trainers and learn spectacular tricks. In the early 1960s it was discovered that orcas could adapt to captivity. During that time he became one of Oregon’s best-known celebrities and a major attraction at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.įor centuries orcas were assumed to be savage predators, roving wolf packs of the sea, attacking seals, sea lions, and other whales many times their size. Keiko, a male orca (orcinus orca) originally captured in 1979 from a pod in Iceland, lived in Oregon for less than three years. ![]()
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