Re: Free Willy Strikes Back

On 22 Jan 1995, The Phantom Photographer wrote:
> In article <3flau5$2i...@gap.cco.caltech.edu>,
> Mike Jittlov <jit...@erehwon.caltech.edu> wrote:
> >Steinar Bang <ste...@falch.no> wrote:
> >> C>                            "FEED WILLY!"
> >>     [ascii whale deleted]
> [deletia]
> >
> >Heard on the TV news:  if you want to see the actual whale, which
> >starred in "Free Willy", you have to go to Mexico, where it was
> >sold as a performing animal (Willy was never freed).  The whale's
> >health isn't too good, so "Free Willy II" will be using a special
> >
> According to CNN Wednesday (in bewtween coverage of the imminent subsidence
> of California beneath the floodwaters), Keiko the whale is being moved to
> a new 2.5 million dollar tank in Oregon, built after massive public outcry
> about the conditions he was living in.
>
> So there may be a semi-happy ending after all.

I thought a 'local' story from Victoria, BC, might fit with this thread and
be of interest.

A few years back a sick, gunshot-wounded, young Orca was rescued from
certain death off the coast of BC.  He was kept, for the first while, in
a tank by the ocean, and Victoria residents were permitted to go see
him.  They really didn't think he would live, but enormous, heroic
efforts by a lot of Victoria animal lovers, naturalists, scientists, and,
I believe the staff of Sealand, brought him back to health.  Victorians
adopted him into their hearts, felt a special bond to this little killer
whale and named him "Miracle".  It was felt, after evaluation, that
Miracle was probably too young to survive as an Orca orphan, and he was
given a home at the Sealand killer whale tank.

Later, some animal activists who are against all animals being held in
captivity, took the law into their own hands and swam (I assume with
SCUBA gear) down under the pen where it opened onto the ocean.  (Unlike a
lot of whale tanks which are concrete on four sides, Sealand's whale tank
was netting on one side, so the whales could see a distance further than
the edge of the tank.)  The saboteurs wanted to 'free' the whales.
Decide for yourself whether young tame Orcas can make the adjustment to
surviving in the wild without special training and a long, complex
adjustment period.

The saboteurs cut the wire so the whales could get out.  Curious, the
whales went through the opening, or tried to.  Miracle was injured, by
the wire, I believe.  And died.  And left an empty space in the hearts of
all those who worked so hard to save his life, and those who watched
the valiant efforts.  I had the opportunity to see Miracle when he (I
think it was a he, I don't remember now) was in his temporary tank by the
ocean.  They were evluating him and treating his injuries and
life-threatening diseases at that time.

When I heard there was a movie coming out called Free Willy, I thought
perhaps it was based on the story of Miracle.  I haven't seen the movie.
If it is based on Miracle, I'm not sure I want to know Hollywood's
interpretation.

Julie

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