EXPLORATIONS - Keiko the Whale

EXPLORATIONS - November 27, 2002: Keiko the Whale

By Jerilyn Watson

VOICE ONE:
This is Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS.
Today we tell about what has happened to Keiko (KAY-koh), the orca whale who
appeared in the movie "Free Willy." Orcas are the black-and-white mammals sometimes
called killer¹ whales.

((SOUNDS: WHALES SINGING)
)

VOICE ONE:

That is the sound of whales singing. Ten years ago, a very friendly whale named Keiko
was filmed for the movie “Free Willy.” The movie tells about a whale named Willy.
Humans capture² and mistreat him. But the film ends happily as the huge animal escapes into the open ocean.

In real life, however, nobody is sure what the future holds for Keiko. Like Willy, Keiko was rescued from poor
conditions in an animal park. Since then many people have worked hard to give Keiko a better life. Expert
trainers now are trying to teach him to survive independently in the open ocean.

If he is able to do so, he would be the first orca ever returned to the wild after living most of his life under human
control.

VOICE TWO:

Keiko’s story begins with his birth near Iceland in about nineteen-seventy-seven. He was captured³ at age two as
he swam with his family. Then he spent three years in an Icelandic ocean center. Next he was sold to an
entertainment center in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. There he learned⁴ to perform for people who paid to see
trained sea animals. But he began to develop skin problems.

His Canadian owners sold Keiko to an amusement park in Mexico City. Children there loved him. But the water
in his container was too warm for an orca whale. And, at times, it was not deep enough even to cover the skin on
his back. His skin problems worsened. He acted sad.

VOICE ONE:

The Warner Brothers production company entered Keiko’s life in nineteen-ninety-two. The company filmed
him for the movie “Free Willy.” The movie told about a young boy who frees a whale called Willy from an
entertainment park. The park is controlled by dishonest and uncaring operators⁵. Millions of people saw this film
and two others about Willy that followed. Keiko the actor-whale became famous.

Interest in the whale caused an American publication⁶ to write about the sad conditions of Keiko’s life in
Mexico. The owner of the Mexican park offered to give Keiko to a better home. Warner Brothers and an
American businessman, Craig McCaw, promised they would create a better home for the popular animal.

((MUSIC: "AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES")
)

VOICE TWO:

Warner Brothers, Mister⁷ McCaw and the Humane⁸ Society of the United States took part in a campaign to help

 


Keiko. More than one-million children joined the effort. The owner of the Mexican park gave the whale to an
organization called the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation⁹.

Mister McCaw and the movie company gave the last money needed to finish a new home for the whale. A special
treatment center and aquarium¹⁰ were built in the northwest American state of Oregon.

When Keiko arrived in this new home, he weighed nine-hundred kilograms less than he should have. His muscles
were in poor condition. He had broken some of his teeth by biting on the sides of his container in Mexico. He
could hold his breath under water for only a few minutes.

VOICE ONE:

In Oregon, Keiko’s skin growths disappeared. He learned to hold his breath for twenty minutes. He also ate live
fish for the first time. Life at the aquarium was good for Keiko. And Keiko was good for the aquarium in return.
Many people came to see the orca swim and play.

After eighteen months in Oregon, Keiko had gained more than one ton. The Free Willy/Keiko Foundation
decided¹¹ he was ready for a return to the icy ocean where he was born.

The next step for Keiko was to move him to Iceland. That took place in September nineteen-ninety-eight after
careful scientific planning. An American Air Force plane flew him to Iceland. An international environmental
organization, Ocean Futures¹², and the Humane Society paid for the trip. It cost two-million dollars.

Keiko’s new home was a huge floating cage in Iceland’s Klettsvik (KLEETS-VEEK) Bay. For four years,
animal experts worked to prepare Keiko for life in the wild.

VOICE TWO:

The keepers taught him skills he would need to live free. They developed his ability to catch live fish. They took
him on what they called “walks”
in the open ocean. This meant he would leave his floating cage and swim
free. The keepers would watch him from a boat.

During the summer, trainers released¹³ Keiko for an extended¹⁴ test. They wanted to see how well he had learned his
lessons. After being freed, Keiko stayed in open waters for several weeks. He traveled more than one-thousandtwo-hundred kilometers, joining other orcas for a while.

But he did not stay with them. Instead, he followed boats and appealed for food. Keiko ended his trip by entering
a protected area in Norway called Skaalvik Fjord (SKOLE-VEEK FEE-ORD) near the town of Halsa. (HOLEzah).

VOICE ONE:

Near Halsa, he performed tricks for people who came to see him. His keepers appealed to people to leave Keiko
alone. But hundreds of people touched him. Some visitors even rode on his back.

Officials in Norway wanted to cooperate¹⁵ with the keepers. They wanted to help Keiko become independent. So
the officials restricted¹⁶ crowds from getting near him. Even after that, however, he swam close to shore. He
responded to a little girl playing music on her harmonica. A very similar incident had taken place in the movie
“Free Willy.” Keiko, it seems, wants to be near people.

((MUSIC: "AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES"))

VOICE TWO:

The keepers say they still believe Keiko can learn to live in the ocean with other orcas. They say he is continuing
to make progress toward¹⁷ this goal.

Some animal experts say, however, that Keiko never can live completely free in the ocean. They say he is too old
to learn all he needs to know.


VOICE ONE:
As the warmer season ended, Keiko’s trainers decided to lead him to another area, also near Halsa. His new

home protects him from fierce winter storms. The trainers won the whale’s co-operation by offering him large
amounts of herring. These fish are Keiko’s first choice of food.
His trainers hope he will see more whales in the new home in Taknes (Tahk-NESS) Bay. Only a few farm

families live nearby. There are no crowds to interfere¹⁸ with Keiko’s training. The trainers say they will continue

their attempts to free him once the weather improves.
But even if Keiko never becomes independent, his keepers say he can live the rest of his life in Norway under
their care.

VOICE TWO:

Humane Society official Paul Irwin says he sees no reason to move Keiko again. Mister Irwin points out that

Keiko chose where he wanted to be and seems happy there. He says he thinks Keiko can stay as long as Norway
accepts his presence¹⁹.
Norwegian officials seem happy to do this. The nation bans hunting or capture of most kinds of whales. Norway

recently resisted a request by an oceanic entertainment center to take Keiko to Miami, Florida.
VOICE ONE:
The Miami Seaquarium wanted to place Keiko with Lolita, its female²⁰ orca. But animal rights activists²¹ say the

Seaquarium water is too warm for orcas. And they say the container tank is too small.
The activists point to the fact that orcas can swim as many as one-hundred kilometers a day. They say keeping

them in restricted pools of water is cruel. The activists say captured orcas live less than one-half the normal
lifetime of an orca in the ocean. But some animal experts dispute²² all these points.
VOICE TWO:
Marilee Menard heads the Alliance²³ of Marine²⁴ Mammal Parks and Aquariums²⁵. Mizz Menard says she is pleased

that Keiko is being cared for and watched. But she regrets that his independence training requires keeping him

away from people.
She hopes Keiko’s story has a happy ending. So do thousands of other people who know about the friendly
orca. They hope that whatever happens to him, Keiko’s life ends as happily as the movie that made him famous.

((MUSIC: "AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES")
)

VOICE ONE:

This Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver²⁶. This is Mary

Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another Explorations program on the Voice of America.

 

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1 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

2 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

3 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

4 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

5 operators   

n.（某企业的）经营者( operator的名词复数 )；（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员；投机取巧者

参考例句：

• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market. 大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。 来自辞典例句
• Green house operators have considerable opportunity for precise manipulation of nutrients. 温室管理员有很多机会来准确控制养分。 来自辞典例句

6 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

7 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

8 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

9 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

10 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

13 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

14 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 cooperate   

vi.合作，协作，相配合

参考例句：

• We hope we can cooperate even more closely in the future.希望我们今后能更加密切地合作。
• I hope you can cooperate on this matter.我希望你在这件事上能给予合作。

16 restricted   

adj.有限的；受约束的

参考例句：

• Speed is restricted to 30 mph in towns. 在城里车速不得超过每小时30英里。
• a restricted range of foods 有限的食物种类

17 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

18 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

19 presence   

n.出席；到场；存在

参考例句：

• Her presence lent an air of respectability to the occasion.她的到场使那种场合增添了崇高的气氛。
• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。

20 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

21 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 dispute   

n.争端，分歧；v.争论，争吵，辩论，辩驳

参考例句：

• They are trying to find a way of settling the dispute.他们正设法寻找解决争端的办法。
• The parties to the dispute should be more polite to each other.争执双方应相互礼貌些。

23 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

24 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

25 aquariums   

n.养鱼缸，水族馆( aquarium的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Biotope aquariums represent the natural environments of ornamental fish. 生态鱼缸表现出观赏鱼的自然生活环境。 来自互联网
• There are aquariums in many cities in the world. 世界上好多城市有水族馆。 来自互联网

26 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。