Thomas Jefferson said it best more than 190 years ago: "The
selfish spirit of commerce... knows no country and feels no
passion or principle, but that of gain."
The great statesman's words resonate today as various people
and organizations attempt to "help" Keiko, the world's most
famous orca whose very presence always attracts hundreds of
people, their pockets usually full of disposable income. So
far, the governmental agencies and institutions that have a say
in Keiko's future have shielded the orca from any attempt to
assist or exploit him in his temporary residence in a Norwegian
fjord, where he wandered in early September during his
reintroduction to the wild.
The most recent rejection occurred in early October when the
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
rebuffed a bold bid from the Miami Seaquarium.
The Seaquarium filed an application with NOAA, a division of
the National Marine Fisheries Service, to import Keiko from
Norway to the United States for public display. The marine
park, according to a September 13 letter it sent to U.S.
Senator Bob Graham of Florida, wanted "to rescue Keiko and
bring him to the Miami Seaquarium where he could live out his
remaining years in the companionship of Lolita, our killer
whale."
NOAA saw no reason to act on the request. In a letter dated
October 3, Eugene T. Nitta, acting chief of the Permits,
Conservation and Education Division at NOAA, wrote, "Based on
review of the circumstances of this case, and on communications
from the government of Norway, NOAA Fisheries has determined
that the application you have submitted is premature at this
time."
The Norwegian government also chimed in. It told Senator
Graham, who forwarded Miami Seaquarium's request, exactly what
it thinks of putting Keiko on public display in Florida. In a
letter dated September 24, Knut Vollebaek of the Norwegian
Embassy in Washington D.C. wrote that "according to the reports
I have [received] from the fisheries authorities in Norway,
Keiko is doing well, and he is getting a lot of support.
Consequently, there is no immediate need for a rescue operation
now."
The Norwegian response didn't stop there. "In principle, we
are skeptical to keeping huge animals like whales in
captivity," Vollebaek wrote. "In Norway, there is no tradition
for that. Also, we regard it as problematic in an animal
welfare perspective to send the whale on a long voyage from
Norway to Florida. At the moment, the whale has a freedom that
makes it possible for him to make choices. He is not in
conditions that will stress him."
Finally, Vollebaek wrote, "It would be a great step back to
put him in an aquarium again."
A step back indeed. It's worth noting that 132 orcas have
died in captivity since the 1960s when the first orca was
captured for display. And since the effort to reintroduce Keiko
to the wild began in the mid-1990s, 21 orcas have died in
captivity.
The conditions in Miami are hardly suitable for Keiko, or
any orca for that matter. The average temperature in Miami in
July is 83 degrees. In Keiko's native waters near
Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, the temperature averages below 50
degrees all year. What's more, the Seaquarium has the smallest
orca tank in the United States. (The last time Keiko was
confined to a small tank, at an amusement park in Mexico City,
he developed serious skin lesions.) Activists have already been
fighting to free the Seaquarium's Lolita, who was captured off
the coast of Washington State more than 30 years ago.
Meanwhile, Keiko's situation in Norway continues to improve.
David Phillips, who heads the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation, has
been working closely with Norwegian authorities to scout
locations where Keiko could interact with wild whales and seek
protection from boats. They are making plans for Keiko to
winter in Norway, and they hope to identify a location
soon.
Some read Keiko's surprise appearance in Norway as proof
that the effort to reintroduce him has failed. However, those
actually involved in the project have far different opinions.
Marine mammal scientists and other handlers have expressed
excitement that Keiko has traveled hundreds of miles from his
sea pen in Vestmannaeyjar, and still remains in excellent
health. Keiko's veterinarian recently measured his girth and
found that the measurements matched the levels taken before the
whale left Iceland in early July.
Combined with photographic proof of Keiko's condition upon
arrival in Norway and the signs of deep-diving patterns, the
measurements provide conclusive evidence that Keiko had
successfully foraged and sustained himself for nearly 60 days.
For the first time ever, a whale captured from the wild and
held in captivity had learned once again to forage.
As for what comes next, HSUS scientists say it's really up
to Keiko. In cooperation with the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation,
The HSUS will feed and care for Keiko through the winter if
necessary. The hope is that Keiko will find his winter home
inviting, but won't get too comfortable with it. The HSUS and
the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation plan to resume the
reintroduction campaign next summer.
Despite the occasional setbacks, which are expected in a
difficult reintroduction campaign such as this, it's clear that
Keiko has made steady and significant progress in his move back
to the wild. He's gained weight, he's learned to forage, and
he's spent weeks swimming on his own in the North Atlantic,
free from any human interference. The HSUS believes these kinds
of efforts should be encouraged, not discouraged by the likes
of the Miami Seaquarium.
"Had Keiko not been moved first to Oregon and then to
Iceland, it's doubtful that he would have lived this long,"
says Paul G. Irwin, President and CEO of The HSUS. "With each
step towards freedom, there's been some risk. We've worked hard
to give Keiko every chance at freedom and to minimize risks to
his health and safety. We'll keep fighting for Keiko. We need
your support."
You can support Keiko:
Donate to
the Keiko Project.
