Keiko’s Caretakers Say He’s Fit Foundation Says Aquarium Claimed Whale Is Sick To Keep ‘Cash Cow’ In Town

Keiko, the whale from the “Free Willy” movies, is caught up in a power struggle between a foundation that wants to release him into the wild and a coastal aquarium that says he’s too frail to leave.

Keiko’s arrival at the Oregon Coast Aquarium after a plane flight from an aquarium in Mexico in January 1996 had a storybook quality, with hundreds of cheering children lining the streets of this tourist town to welcome the famous whale.

Now, the uplifting saga of a whale’s rehabilitation and possible release into the wild has turned into an ugly dispute marked by charges of greed and malfeasance.

Keiko’s veterinarian has quit, and the state is investigating charges that the whale is in poor health.

In the latest turn of events, the foundation that owns Keiko conducted a news conference Monday to rebut statements made last week by aquarium officials that Keiko was being treated for respiratory ailments and was listless.

Lanny Cornell, a San Diego veterinarian representing the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, said he and another doctor examined Keiko Monday morning and found him to be fit.

“He is, in essence, a very good-looking, mature killer whale,” Cornell told reporters.

Further, the doctor said he believes that within a year or two, it will be possible to begin the process of returning Keiko to the North Atlantic.

The foundation hopes to move Keiko to a bay pen - basically a corral built in a bay - to help the whale begin to reacclimate to the wild.

If all goes well, Keiko would be released into the open sea within a few months.

The veterinarian also took aim at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, accusing officials there of making comments about Keiko being ill as a way to prevent the their star attraction from being set free.

“If I had a cash cow, and I saw it about to disappear, I would become upset about it,” he said.

Keiko’s presence has helped double attendance at the aquarium and has generated an estimated $75 million for the local economy since his arrival.

But Phyllis Bell, president of the aquarium, said economics had nothing to do with the announcement last week that Keiko was ailing.

“We just want what’s best for Keiko,” she said. “Ultimately, we want a safe release for Keiko - if that’s possible.”

She also denied allegations by foundation officials that aquarium employees had let the water quality in Keiko’s tank get so bad that it made the whale sick last summer.

If Keiko is under the weather, he wasn’t showing it Monday.

The orca whale delighted several hundred tourists who crowded into a viewing area to watch the whale push an inflated blue ball around his tank.

Children and adults alike pressed against the glass as the 9,600-pound whale made several quick passes.

“He looks a lot better than when he arrived here,” said Dolores Hamel, 66, of Sunriver, Ore., who was visiting the aquarium with her husband.

“I don’t know if he’s ready to leave or not, but he sure looks good.”

The whale was cared for by the aquarium from the time he arrived until July 1, when the foundation assumed care for him.

In August, foundation officials announced that Keiko had gained 1,900 pounds and grown 6 inches, to 21 feet, since his arrival in Oregon.

They said he had begun to catch fish swimming in his tank.

But Mark Trimm, a former caretaker for the whale, said Keiko does not eat the fish he catches, but takes them to a caretaker.

Last month, a veterinarian and the aquarium’s chief of animal husbandry resigned, citing ethical concerns about the Keiko’s care.

“I would not sign a life insurance physical on that animal today,” said Steve Brown, who had been one of the whale’s two veterinarians.

He said Keiko was sick with a fungus in his respiratory system at that time.

The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board last week launched an investigation to determine who is caring for Keiko and how well.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: KEIKO PLANS If all goes well, the foundation would release Keiko into the open sea within a few months.