
Fans of the movie “Free Willy” are outraged to learn that the real whale who played Willy lives in a tiny pool at an amusement park in Mexico City. So well-intentioned experts embark on an epic science experiment to try to teach one celebrity orca how to be free — while the world watches. Sign up for our newsletter to see photos and videos of Keiko, and get a behind the scenes look at the making o... more
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 7 | Founded | a year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | NewsSociety & Culture | ||||

After a month at sea, Keiko pops up near a Norwegian fishing village, causing a stir among the residents and his own team of caretakers. They figure that if they wait until spring, maybe Keiko will swim off again with a wild pod. If they can all just... more
Keiko disappears in Icelandic waters, swimming east for four weeks. Unobserved, with no human contact. Since nobody knows what happened to Keiko during that mysterious time, we decided to recreate it — as a musical. From Keiko’s perspective, naturall... more
A fresh training team takes a hard-line approach and doubles down on breaking Keiko’s bond with humans. By summer it seems to be working, until one day Keiko swims away. This is the moment they’ve all been waiting for.
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Keiko finally arrives in Iceland, where years of preparation will be put to the test when Keiko gets his first chance to interact with orcas in the wild — something he hasn’t done since he was a calf. It does not go according to plan.
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Such a well made podcast about such an interesting subject, heartbreaking!
I could not stop listening to this podcast, & I wanted to talk to everyone I know about it. This really made me deeply consider how far we go to rehabilitate animals to their natural habitat. Wonderful reporting!
Thank you so much for such investigation! Great episodes.
They did a great job- it was the best for such an impossible situation - I wish things had turned out differently for that baby - but hopefully this can end captive whale and dolphin situations-
So this is a great show and I love the story, but you should not have to get a subscription to listen past episode 2.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #224 |
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Focusing on the story of Keiko, the orca who famously portrayed Willy in the movie "Free Willy," the series presents a compelling narrative about efforts to rehabilitate him after years in captivity at an amusement park in Mexico City. Experts and trainers reflect on ethical dilemmas regarding captivity and animal behavior, all while undertaking a high-profile experiment aimed at teaching Keiko to live in the wild. The episodes illustrate his journey from captivity to attempts at rewilding amidst complex human emotions and environmental considerations, ultimately raising significant questions about responsibility towards wildlife and the consequences of their captivity.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Good Whale:
1. Serial
2. This American Life
3. The Daily
4. The Idiot
5. Heavyweight
The Good Whale launched a year ago and published 7 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Good Whale include:
1. Jeff Foster
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