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 ...

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, the killer whale, spent time at the Oregon Coast Aquarium after living in a small tank in Mexico. He was the star of the popular film "Free Willy." ...

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.

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.

Moved to Iceland and painstakingly trained to be set free, Keiko never took up with his own kind, frustrating many who supported the project. Article continues below this ad ...

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 slingshot.