The 1993 film was a hit, but not many knew of the whereabouts of the star orca of the movie, Keiko, until now. So, what happened to the killer whale?

According to a release from The Good Whale, after Free Willy became an unexpected hit, fans learned the orca who played Willy in the movie — a killed whale named Keiko — was ill and living in ...

Tell Us Your Memories of Keiko, the Whale From ‘Free Willy’ We want to hear your stories of the beloved celebrity orca, whose real-life return to the ocean is explored in our new podcast.

In September of 1998, Keiko left Oregon and was flown to Iceland. After four years of rehabilitation there, in 2002 he became the first captive orca to be fully released back into the ocean.

Controversies over what was best for Keiko raged for years, and now the story of the orca is being told again, in a new podcast, “The Good Whale,” from The New York Times and Serial ...

OSLO, Norway -- For kids, Keiko the killer whale was the charming hero of "Free Willy." For biologists, he was the focus of fierce debate on whether captive animals can be returned to the wild ...

Keiko's stardom began with "Free Willy," a movie about a troubled boy who attempts to save his orca friend from the villainous owner of a water park who plots to kill the animal for insurance money.

Keiko was in his early 20s — still young for an orca — when he was brought to Iceland in 1998. To teach him to hunt, trainers would launch fish around his pen with a sling shot.

Keiko was in his early 20s — still young for an orca — when he was brought to Iceland in 1998. To teach him to hunt, trainers would launch fish around his pen with a sling shot.