By 1985, it's evident that Keiko is not thriving at Marineland and he is sold to a Mexico City amusement park, Reino Aventura. He lives there in a small tank with bottlenose dolphins and sea lions, and performs in five shows a day.

In 1992, Warner Bros. stars Keiko in the lead role in its "Free Willy" movie. It becomes a box-office smash. But Keiko, its star, is failing and by the time the film is released in 1993, Keiko has a compromised immune system, is severely underweight and suffers from significant muscle atrophy because of his small tank. After seeing "Free Willy," more than 300,000 people from around the world call an 800 number displayed at the end of the movie, expressing their wish that Keiko be released - just like the Willy character he played. In November 1993, Life Magazine publishes a headline story on Keiko's plight.

Well aware that Keiko needs a new home, Reino Aventura increases its efforts to find him one. (In the meantime, Sea World donates chillers to cool the water temperature in his pool from its high temperature - in the mid-80s.) Warner Bros. and Earth Island Institution, an environmental group, also join in the effort to relocate Keiko.

In January 1995, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation is formed, a private, non-profit organization which gets enough money and support together to move sick Keiko in January 1996 from Mexico City to a new rehabilitation facility at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. The tank is much larger, and has cold sea water.

Keiko's early months in Oregon in 1996 are devoted mainly to improving his health. He is mentally sluggish from years of torpor in Mexico City and so out of shape that he can hold his breath, at best, for three minutes. The outlines of his skull and ribcage show and there are large warty tissue masses around both pectoral flippers and above his tail flukes. These are from a normally benign papillomavirus.

Under the guidance of cetacean veterinarian Dr. Lanny Cornell, a holistic health-care and rehabilitation program focuses on key areas: cardiovascular workouts coupled with a bigger, better diet; mental stimulation to wake Keiko from his mental lethargy; and social enrichment.

By the end of 1996, Keiko has gained over 1,000 pounds, can hold his breath for over 13 minutes, has lost most of his skin lesions, and is mentally alert and engaged. His astonishing improvement surprises everyone. The next goal is to teach Keiko to eat live fish again, to increase his vigor, muscle tone, skin condition so that he may be released to the wild and it is hoped, reunited with his family.

In September 1998, 21 year-old Keiko is flown to a protected holding pen in a cove off the coast of Iceland. There, his rehabilitation continues as he is monitored and measured. His handlers deliberately ignore him so that they can make him less dependent on humans and help Keiko learn to hunt and feed himself. It may take two years to determine whether Keiko can be released into the icy waters of the North Atlantic from which he was captured.

For regular updates on Keiko's progress in Iceland, visit The Orgegon Coast Aquarium's "Keiko News Central".