Killing Keiko Kindle Edition

This is more a story about who is responsible for Keiko's death according to the author. A lot of fingers pointing and that got old. Would have liked more content on Keikos behaviors. For example, he touches on the whales violent thrashing when he arrived in Iceland but leaves out real info regarding it. Another missed opportunity is explaining more about Keikos response to the removal of his "toy", the blue boomer ball. His attachment to toys is well documented back to his days in Oregon. He certainly could have given the reader more information about the meeting between Keiko and other whales.. All we really get is that he watched them. I have seem more in videos than that. More insight about Keiko leading up to his death would have made this a better read. He explains the complicated politics and false public perceptions surrounding Keikos years in Iceland and Noraway heavily and makes valid points. But I was disappointed in lack of info on what keiko experienced.

I was one of those typical kids obsessed with “Free Willy”. When I learned of his release, I was under the impression only the best of the best was working with him. Orca researchers who studied these animals in the wild day in and day out, and people who worked with captive orcas day in and day out. I was very excited to read a book about the details of his release that seem to be missing everywhere else. Learning who really was working with Keiko was appalling. First and foremost, I am not anti-cap nor pro-cap, I am pro common sense. I love zoos and aquariums but recognize some species are not suitable for captivity. As much as animal activists spout idiotic things, seaworld (as an example) spout equally idiotic things. Animal activists say certain things to gain money just like marine parks do. So despite reading all the negative reviews about how this guy is bias I tried to go in with an open mind. Simmons is an ex-seaworld trainer who claims he’s an expert at killer whales because he worked with captive killer whales and he’s an expert in “behavioral science” and claims the only people who can be experts in orcas need to work with captive orcas. He completely discredits any animal behaviorists/marine biologists with “ology” degrees claiming they can never truly understand killer whales. But a few things completely blew my mind reading this book.1. Just like how animal activists sugar coat the wild, Simmons sugar coats captivity and more disturbingly Keikos time in Mexico. Now, maybe this is because he knew Keikos ultimate demise and I admit after finishing the book I think dying a premature death in Mexico would have been far more humane. But sugar coating an orcas time in a dolphin tank dying from a papilloma virus is not a way to get credit. “Behaviorally and physically he lived in a bubble.. it was designed to provide him a carefree life”. I understand the wild is harsh, but living in a dolphin tank in luke warm tap water dying from a virus isn’t exactly a walk in the park either. He ultimately went from the harshest environment possible to another harshest environment possible.2. At one point in the book Simmons comes across the ship that was responsible for all of the Icelandic Orca captures or as he describes it “collecting”. He even goes so far as to describe it as “the boat that escorted many of the whales.. to a life with humans” and “she had ferried animals from the waters”. Wow. I do not deny how the brutality of ripping baby animals from their mothers was ironically the main kickoff for people feeling so deeply about these animals and setting fuel to the fire of the “save the whales” campaign. But wow. To claim a ship that caused such terror, brutality, and traumatization, all in the name of money “ferried” these animals like the babies volunteered to go on vacation is absurd. And I thought “this is the guy setting Keiko free?”3. Keiko NEVER learned how to forage, kill, eat live (conscious) fish! Simmons claiming “successful integration with other whales would introduce the opportunity to forage; that observational learning would prevail” My god! Knowing the ultimate end for Keiko, and reading this I thought “well no wonder he died!” Basing a socially inept animals’ ability to eat on its ability to socially integrate with conspecifics is beyond words.4. And that goes into my final point, for all of his expertise on “behavioral science” there seemed to be a huge component of wild whale behavior missing (of course because he discounted people who knew this). There was just so much information I would have loved to know but Simmons either did not know, maybe because the information was not known at the time or he did not care to know because he thought it was irrelevant or did not put in his book. Keiko had everything going against him. Some which were he was fully grown mature male, did not have an aggressive bone in his body and he was socially inept. If a child grew up never around humans and around 20 years old you wanted that child to start acting human, that child would probably never be a fully functional social human. Maybe if Simmons had an “ology” degree he would have understood this. How do you take a socially retarded animal and make it into a socially capable animal and on top of that his very survival depends on him being socially capable? Would wild whales even accept a somewhat normal but foreign whale? What do wild whales do if they come across a “stranger”? What is the structure of Icelandic whales? Are they resident, transient or off shore populations? Which ones are the best to accept Keiko and do they all eat and hunt the same way? What is the genetic makeup of these whales and how they pertain to Keiko. What about the wild orcas vocalizations or “language” and how does it compare to Keiko’s? Keiko spent much of Mexico in the company of dolphins, what was the social structure between himself and the dolphins? How does that affect his socialization to orcas, does it affect his vocalizations? Simmons mentioned it was thought in Oregon Keiko did not echolocate. Was it ever confirmed he can echolocate? From what I’ve read, one can feel a dolphin echolocate on you so it shouldn’t be difficult at all to determine if Keiko could or not. Simmons went into more detail about how the barrier net was made than the social structure and behavior of wild orcas.After all this he seems to blame Keiko’s failure on everyone else except himself and his people. He blamed the people who were on the board of the project for wanting to dump Keiko out into the ocean to let him figure it out for himself, but essentially Simmons wanted to do the same. Take Keiko out and hopes Keiko figures out the impossible. Really, the whole project was a s**t show. Even if the best of the best was working with him Keiko had everything against him on top of being socially inept. His trainer in Mexico had it right when she did not think he would do well in the wild “he’s just too nice”. One of the saddest things about this whole project was every single person who claimed they loved Keiko left him including Simmons. Most voluntarily left him. The last “experienced” trainer, Jim Horton, left knowing the decision “cut deeply into any chance Keiko had at survival.” So who killed Keiko? Sadly, compared to the other trainers who believed swimming with Keiko would help him become a wild whale, Simmons was the most qualified out of the whole group. But that is not saying much.The Authors note pushes for the excuse of these animals in captivity: “if there is any hope of sustaining a species and its habitat, implementing effective preservation, it will be born of the absolute union between zoological and wild animal sciences… and most certainly not from the exclusion of zoological experience”. So still Simmons is touting the same old excuse: the only way for people to love an animal is to stick it in a cage and put it on exhibit so people can get up close to it and fall in love. Funny how humpback whales aren’t in captivity but yet people seem to want to save them. That old argument is tired. Maybe killer whales kick started the whole save the whales campaign, but now we know better. And now it is time to move on from that argument in an educational logistical manner.The ending was the most depressing thing I’ve ever read. I wished I had anti-depressant medicine after that. To be selfish, I hope Simmons was wrong and was writing because he too has an agenda. After this book I read “freeing Keiko”, the sugar coated version. I honestly don’t know what the truth is. The truth is probably in the middle somewhere between the two books. And also.. I hope the veterinarian Cornell rots in ****

I read this book because I wanted to read about what happened to Keiko. I am so sad to learn that the people who were supposed to help him actually failed him. I've always been taught that once a wild animal is in man's custody, rarely can they go back to the wild and survive. While freeing Keiko was a very noble cause, these people were delusional. His first encounter was awful and no one but Mr. Simmons and Robin realized just how traumatic it was for Keiko. Because no one else could see beyond their quest and the end of the MONEY! Ultimately, this is what killed Keiko. Bottom line: the money ran out. Other reviewers of this book are advocating the same situation for the whales at Sea World. I've never been to Sea World, nor am I a professional when it comes to animals. Common sense tells me that Keiko loved his human companions and knew nothing different. In the end, man let him down. That Naomi Rose is now trying to profit from her "documentary" makes me ill. She was the last person in charge of Keiko and basically starved him to death leading to his pneumonia.I'm more inclined to believe Mr. Simmons simply because I feel the compassion and love he has for the whales. It comes across very clearly in his book. I found the book to be informative as well as entertaining. Even though I knew how the book would end, I was as sad as when Keiko actually died. Thank you, Mr. Simmons, for sharing your experiences with the beloved Keiko as well as your experiences in Iceland. Other people complained about putting your experiences (or emails from your wife) in the book. I believe it showed who you are as well as learning about some of the colorful people and events of Iceland.

The book showed how in the end everyone deserted him. He should never been put through the anxiety and fear he went through. Keiko should have been taken to an sanctuary to live out his life with his human family. Good intentions can cause pain.

This is an important story to bring about awareness of how money, greed and ego have no place in determining the welfare of an animal

Loved it.....heart wrenching story but the unbelievable efforts made 2 save this whale renews your faith in the human race

Heartbreaking, but very interesting and educational. Shows both sides of animals in human care

Totally met my expectations by telling a true story of the whale that everyone has seen

One has to question Mark Simmonds motivation when other books on orcas reveal that he and Robin Friday went on to run a company that, amongst other things, specialised in the capture of wild dolphins for the swim with dolphins industry, and remained a firm supporter of Sea world, publicly turning on friends who spoke out against keeping orcas in captivity. Did working with Keiko teach him nothing.I suggest anyone who reads this also seeks out other books on the subject in order to get a balance view

I brought this book because, as a member of the anti-captivity community, I want to be well informed on both sides of the argument -as this is something we are usually accused of not being.This gentlemen has a wealth of knowledge - there is no disagreement there but for him to disregard all of the current controversy circling (excuse the pun) Orcinus Orcas. Saying there is no difference between wild Orcas and captive Orcas - in 2014 - REALLY? Buy this book if you want to see how pro-captivity arguments are presented but I think this gentlemen's arguments are outdated and irrelevant.

Excellent book, opens your eyes about free Willy and feel guilty about goin to sea world Orlando and San Diego all those years ago

I don't believe a word this man says!

Although better if you have any animal husbandry experience, the topic will really get to you in a hard level. the book is a little long, in times heavy for lecture but a good eye opener about Human nature and our relation with animals.

great read

a must watch

A very good read from start to finish.

not read it yet but i love keiko and it is to do with marine biology