Keiko was the real-life orca whale star of the hit movie, Free Willy. He was living in very poor conditions in a small tank in Mexico City. Free Willy moviemakers, Warner Brothers, approached us to lead the historic effort to help rescue Keiko. We formed the Free Willy–Keiko Foundation to spearhead Keiko’s rescue. We built a state-of-the-art rescue and rehabilitation facility at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon, where Keiko was flown to bring him back to health. Once healthy, Keiko was then flown to a large ocean sea pen in his home waters of Iceland. There, he eventually left his pen and swam in the open Atlantic Ocean, often accompanied by wild whales. Keiko was the first captive orca whale ever returned to his home waters, a historic first. He lived out his life free of the stresses and dangers of life in a concrete tank. We continue to tell Keiko’s real-life story and how the retirement, rescue, and possible release or orcas and dolphins can work.

The whale captivity industry has steadfastly blocked all efforts to allow the retirement and potential release of any captive dolphins or whales. They fail to mention their own refusal to help Keiko when he was sick in Mexico, or how 17 captive orcas died during the time Keiko was rehabbed and released. Other captive orcas and dolphins may be candidates for rehab and release. We’re keeping Keiko’s legacy alive to help guide future efforts. SeaWorld Claims that Sanctuaries Don't Work. We're Going To Prove Them Wrong, Again. David Phillips, May 2016 Whales and dolphins in captivity are suffering and there is growing worldwide recognition that they should no longer be held captive in concrete tanks performing circus tricks for ticket buyers. We at Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project led the project for the rescue, rehabilitation and release of Keiko, the orca whale made famous by the movie Free Willy.  We know it can be done safely and effectively. 

There is not a single captive orca or dolphin that would not immediately benefit by being transferred to a seaside sanctuary.Bottom Up Blinds Vancouver Cousteau: Keiko Was Not A FailureIzze T Shirts Jean-Michel Cousteau, March 21, 2016Potty Trained Havanese Puppies For Sale SeaWorld's CEO Joel Manby characterization of the Keiko program as a failure misses the point.  Keiko lived in the wild in a very large bay pen for the latter years of his life, interacted with orca and other wild animals in the open ocean, and gained health and stamina from being able to swim long distances.  While he did not re-connect with wild orca on any permanent basis, he interacted with his own kind in his natural birth environment in ways that an artificial environment found in captivity could never provide.

Watch the beautiful movie, "The Free Willy Story," here Keiko's amazing odyssey from a cramped tank in Mexico to his home waters in Iceland. Photographs and information about Keiko, a booklet on the history and habitat of orcas, a Mystical Whale Pendant replica of the one worn by Jesse in "Free Willy 2," a full-color orca poster, a personalized orca adoption certificate, and a special photo of Keiko in Norway. Watch the trailer for the new film, "Keiko, the Untold Story," here Keiko was given a chance that no other captive orca has ever had . . . the chance to go back to his original home waters. Keiko Whale Rescue on Social Keiko Whale Rescue News Victory: SeaWorld Drops Lawsuit over Captive Orcas Saying Goodbye to Our Friend Mark Berman By David Phillips, Director, IMMP The Slow Demise of the Cetacean Captivity Industry IMMP and Dolphins Lose Mark Berman, Dear Friend and Colleague By David Phillips, Mary Jo Rice, Laura Bridgeman, Ed Payne and Mark J. Palmer

An Oasis For Orcas: Plans For World’s First Retirement Facility Unveiled More news for Keiko Whale Rescue > Donate Now to help keep Orcas in the wild. Sign the Petition to Stop SeaWorld's False Claims about Orca Whales 1400+ stores to shop from online. The merchant donates when you shop through igive. Please consider donating a Thundershirt at a reduced price through Petfinder. The Animal Aid Society is a "No-Kill" dog shelter. The mission of the Society is to provide to and/or for animals, other than Man, shelter, medical aid, care and protection, to act as a placement agency for dogs in good health, and to provide education for the humane care and treatment of dogs, and to attempt to prevent cruelty to dogs. It is a nonprofit organization which receives no funding from state or federal agencies. All of the funds required to maintain the shelter and care for the dogs come from donations and special fund-raising events. Donations to the shelter are tax deductible.

Our dogs are not euthanized. Dogs are kept at the shelter until placed in a home; however, this means that new dogs can only be accepted by the shelter after previous ones have been adopted or permanently placed in foster care. All our dogs are: Examined by a veterinarian. Receive medical care as needed. Regularly walked and excercised. The new owner will be able to register the micro-chip at no cost and no annual renewal fees are required. The shelter is run by volunteers and there is always a need for additional Volunteers. Volunteers are needed weekdays to help care for the dogs at the shelter. If you are able to commit to one day a week, and have a fondness for dogs we would love to hear from you. Please call the shelter at 865-0511 or click on the "Volunteer" bone to print the volunteer waiver form. The minimum age required to work inside the shelter is 18 years old. How to Adopt We hope that you find your new best friend when you look through this site.