Free Willy star shuns freedom

REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- The killer whale that starred in the film Free Willy may never be free himself, scientists have said.

Keiko is said to be showing reluctance to rejoin wild killer whales near his home in the Westman Islands, south Iceland.

His carers believe that because he has been in captivity for most of his life, Keiko is addicted to mankind.

Although Keiko has enjoyed more than 60 trips out of his pen into open seas, the three-year attempt to persude him to accept permanent freedom has so far failed.

Every day this summer Keiko has followed a boat into the open sea where pods of wild killer whales have been swimming.

But after each trip he followed the boat back to shore rather than swimming off with his fellow creatures.

Jeff Foster, director of operations and field research for Ocean Futures, the California-based organisation overseeing Keiko, said: "It is possible that Keiko never will be free.

"If we had another clear year with which to work with, he would be integrating more and more.

"But there are factors that might not make this possible.

"Now, this season, there is such a limited window available. The autumn weather will be closing in in around three weeks and that is the time when the wild killer whales leave the area."

Foster added: "Ideally we would like to keep him in Iceland, for genetic purity, but the infrastructure here may not make that possible.

"Before we came to Iceland, we looked at other sites in Ireland, Scotland, the Hebrides and the Orkneys.

"It is possible he will be moved to one of these sites, or elsewhere in Europe."

Keiko, which means "Lucky One" in Japanese, was captured in Icelandic waters in 1979 when he was around two years old.

In 1992 he starred in Free Willy, followed three years later by a sequel.

The movies sparked a campaign to free the orca whale, echoing the themes of the films.

Finally in September 1998, Keiko was moved to his pen in the Westman Islands.