Keiko — which means “Lucky One” in Japanese — was captured in Iceland in 1979 and sold to the marine park industry.

How long did Keiko live after release?

Keiko lived for more than 5 years in his bay sea sanctuary, as well as out in the Atlantic waters, sometimes in the company of wild whales, and finally in a protected cove in Norway.

How old was Shamu when captured?

SeaWorld’s first “Shamu” was a female orca who was captured in the wild in 1965 when she was just 3 years old. Whalers harpooned and killed her mother and the young orca refused to leave her dead mom’s side.