08/06/2002

By KGW Staff

Keiko appears to be adjusting to life away from humans increasingly well.

The “Free Willy” star has been swimming with a pod of wild whales off the coast of Iceland for the past three weeks after his handlers led him to the group.

Scientists are tracking Keiko closely. They think he’s learning to fish on his own and seems to be bonding with the other whales.

Keiko was captured as a calf and performed for years in amusements parks. He is now 25 years old and the center of a massive, worldwide effort to reintroduce him to the wild.

Keiko splashes around near his handlers. (File Photo)

"We are very excited and optimistic about Keiko's chances of surviving in the wild," said Hallur Hallsson, spokesman for

the Ocean Futures Society, which monitors Keiko's adaptation to the open seas. "Keiko has become more interested in the ocean and other orcas than human beings. That is a very important factor for returning him to the wild," Hallsson said.

Scientists will continue to closely monitor Keiko until he no longer responds to them. At that point, they’ll follow him with radio transmitters and avoid interfering with his life in the wild.