Frontline: A Whale of a Business

For the first time on YouTube, a behind the scenes look at the ludicrous business that is captivity. This program focuses on the beacon for all captive cetaceans, Keiko. His rehabilitation and eventual release was the center of a controversy about keeping these intelligent animals in barren concrete tanks for our amusement. Join Neil Docherty as he interviews the big guys behind this practice and go back in time to see how all this started with the very first killer whale in captivity.

• Category

  Education

[julieannboo]

Keiko started his journey back to the wild in 1998. He died in 2003. People that are pro captivity say that his return to the wild was a failure. They make it sound that he was released then died a week later. No he had a few years of being 'free.'

[4theOrcas]

It depends on personal opinion of what is or isn't a success. He failed in the aspect that he never fully re-integrated into a wild pod, which was the ultimate goal of the Keiko Foundation. He succeeded in that he got to have a taste of freedom again and he got the one thing no captive orca will ever get again. The chance to choose what he wanted.

[julieannboo]

Do you not think any of the 42 captive orcas at Seaworld will ever be released? Sadly, i think you may be right. I know they earn alot of money for Seaworld but it must also cost a fortune to keep Orcas in captivity. The next few years or so will be interesting as more people get educated about it all. One hopes in years time people will look back at shock at how Orcas were kept in captivity the same way we look back at circuses now. Thanks for spreading the word :)

[4theOrcas]

Not unless someone on the inside can pull off an after-dark heist with a bed truck. They'd need a boxcar full of ice and a sea pen waiting for them. With all those security cameras, they won't get far. They also need to have some relationship with the animal so they will trust them enough to move into a smaller pool and stay still while they're hooked up into a sling. It was cool to see in Free Willy, but completely impractical in real life.

[Katrine Andreassen]

I'm pretty sure Keiko died a lotter happier than he ever would've in captivity. Lots of space and water with the temperature he's build to.

[Sammy Yagiello]

im sorry why does a whale need permission to go back into its home waters... people dont own the waters the whale live their!!!! mind blown

[angrycowtipper]

@10:35 "They're not killers"

Uhhhhhhh...

[ShamuRocks50]

he was released in 2002. in 1998, he was in a sea pen

[littleprettythings1]

Tried to find a copy of this for ages.

[BeardedFrog7]

J.J. was a calf at the time and was small enough to be in the back pool.

[4theOrcas]

He was doing fine in Oregon, until they sabotaged his health so they could keep him and milk more money off of him. I lost all respect for the Oregon Coast Aquarium when I found that out. How can you play politics with an animal's health?

[jannaswissy]

Clearly you havent researched your facts.ormyou wouldnt feel that any orca should ever not know their wildlife. Orca males spend their entire lives with their families especially their mother. Orca females stay with.theirs as well. These animals brain are second in complexity to the human brain and can live 70-100 years in the wild. There has NEVER been an Orca who lived healthy for 1/2 that in captivity. There has NEVER been a documented attack and death of a human in the wild by orca. U decide

[Kalyn Miller]

I am NOT pro captivity. However, I think Keiko should have staying in captivity. I think all animals have their own opinion whether they want to stay in captivity or be free. Tilikum for example (I feel) he wants to be released. He knows what its like out in the wild. Orcas born into captivity probably don't. It's unfortunate that all of the animals in captivity have to be where they are. Hopefully one day zoos and marine parks will be apart of US history.