Keiko the killer whale or orca was captured within the territorial waters off Iceland 1979.

He was then taken to a holding tank in a zoo in Iceland: Saedyrasfnid.  He was purchased and transferred to the Marineland in Ontario, Canada in 1982.  In 1985 Keiko was sold to the Reino Aventura theme park in Mexico. 

In 1992, the Warner Brothers film company start production of Free Willy; an emotive tale of a young boy who befriends a lone orca displayed in an amusement park.  The films plot involves the fictional park's unscrupulous owners who plan to stage an accident to kill Willy and thus collect a large sum of insurance money.  The film ends with the whale being rescued and freed by the young boy.  Keiko and his location are considered ideal for the film, as he is an isolated animal living in facilities that many countries would not legally allow for the accommodation and care of orcas.

The film is released in 1993 and becomes a box office success.  However, the film generates negative publicity for the condition of the films actual animal star lives in.  Pressure is placed upon the park owners to improve Keiko's conditions.  

During his time at Oregon disputes arise as to his health status between the aquarium and Keiko's owners the Free Willy Keiko Foundation.  These appear to be resolved when a blue ribbon panel of marine mammal experts is commissioned to investigate Keiko's health status. 

Summary Report of Evaluation Panel Convened to Assess the Health of Keiko. January 28, 1998

In 1998 plans are presented to move Keiko to a sea pen in Icelandic water with the plans to attempt to rehabilitate him for release back to the wild.  The Icelandic government agrees to the animal being move to sea pen within their territorial waters.

In September 1998 Keiko is moved to a large purpose built sea pen in Iceland.

On March 16, 1999 the Free Willy Keiko Foundation has merged with Jean-Michel Cousteau to form the Ocean Futures Society. Keiko's role is now a global ambassador for the oceans.

In the spring of 2002, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) took over the care for Keiko from Ocean Futures. He was released back into the wild but tracked heading for Norway where he eventually was discovered seeking human inaction and begging for food.

Keiko remained in this location and continued to interact with people and was also supplied with food from appointed caretakers. Sadly on Friday 12 December 2003 he died was buried on Monday 15 December 2003 in a field near the Norwegian Taknes fjord that had become his home.His caretakers claim he likely died of pneumonia. It is unclear if a full post-mortem was undertaken on the animal to determine his actual cause of death.

Keiko never fully integrated into the wild and continued to seek human company and was still receiving husbandry support from keepers due to the failure of his reintroduction program up to the time of his death.

The project to release Keiko is estimated to have cost around 20 million US dollars.

From Captivity to the Wild and Back: An Attempt to Release Keiko the Killer Whale.
Simon, M., M.B. Hanson, L. Murrey, J. Tougaard, and F. Ugarte. 2009. Marine Mammal Science/ 25(3): 693-705