Daniel Alarcón

They asked him to consult on a few lines of pro-dolphin dialogue in the buddy cop movie Lethal Weapon 2.

They asked him to consult on a few lines of pro-dolphin dialogue in the buddy cop movie Lethal Weapon 2.

It was small, barely a scene, but Dick felt good about it. And now he had something bigger in mind. Free Willy, a movie he and Lauren were putting together. And Dick wanted Dave's help.

It was small, barely a scene, but Dick felt good about it. And now he had something bigger in mind. Free Willy, a movie he and Lauren were putting together. And Dick wanted Dave's help.

The whaling ban Dave had fought for all those years ago protected whales from commercial slaughter. But some species were still captured or killed on a smaller scale. The way Dave saw it, Dick and Lauren were offering him an opportunity to finish the job he'd started all those years ago. A chance to save the rest of the whales.

The whaling ban Dave had fought for all those years ago protected whales from commercial slaughter. But some species were still captured or killed on a smaller scale. The way Dave saw it, Dick and Lauren were offering him an opportunity to finish the job he'd started all those years ago. A chance to save the rest of the whales.

Dave and the producers started with something simple, an 800 number that would pop up on the screen at the end of the movie credits. The idea was that people would call, leave their address, and Dave's organization, Earth Island Institute, would send them a packet of information about the plight of whales across the world, how they could help.

Dave and the producers started with something simple, an 800 number that would pop up on the screen at the end of the movie credits. The idea was that people would call, leave their address, and Dave's organization, Earth Island Institute, would send them a packet of information about the plight of whales across the world, how they could help.

Nothing too elaborate. You called the number, you got a kit. But fast forward a year and once the movie was released and word got out that the star of Free Willy was sick and still living in a tiny pool in Mexico, well, calling an 800 number and getting a kit just didn't feel like enough. Dave remembers Dick phoning him up again and saying, We're being crucified down here. You've got to help us.

Nothing too elaborate. You called the number, you got a kit. But fast forward a year and once the movie was released and word got out that the star of Free Willy was sick and still living in a tiny pool in Mexico, well, calling an 800 number and getting a kit just didn't feel like enough. Dave remembers Dick phoning him up again and saying, We're being crucified down here. You've got to help us.

Now Dick was proposing something far more ambitious, something that honestly sounded a little nuts. He said, you've got to get involved in saving Keiko. Rescuing Keiko from his life in captivity and releasing him back into the ocean, like in the movie. Did you immediately say, like, this is something I can do? Or were you like, this man is crazy?

Now Dick was proposing something far more ambitious, something that honestly sounded a little nuts. He said, you've got to get involved in saving Keiko. Rescuing Keiko from his life in captivity and releasing him back into the ocean, like in the movie. Did you immediately say, like, this is something I can do? Or were you like, this man is crazy?

What fans of the movie wanted was to see their favorite celebrity orca back in the ocean. But that wasn't so simple. First off, nothing quite this ambitious had ever been attempted. True, other captive marine mammals had been released to the wild, but they hadn't been in captivity nearly as long as Keiko. So saving Keiko would require an extraordinary effort.

What fans of the movie wanted was to see their favorite celebrity orca back in the ocean. But that wasn't so simple. First off, nothing quite this ambitious had ever been attempted. True, other captive marine mammals had been released to the wild, but they hadn't been in captivity nearly as long as Keiko. So saving Keiko would require an extraordinary effort.

Dick Donner wanted Dave to do it, but this wasn't exactly Dave's specialty. His whole career had been focused on big, huge problems, protecting the ocean and saving wild whales, plural. What Dick was proposing in response to the public outcry around the movie was much narrower in scope, saving the whale, singular.

Dick Donner wanted Dave to do it, but this wasn't exactly Dave's specialty. His whole career had been focused on big, huge problems, protecting the ocean and saving wild whales, plural. What Dick was proposing in response to the public outcry around the movie was much narrower in scope, saving the whale, singular.

Dave remembers telling Dick Donner essentially, thanks, but I'm not the right guy for this job. But it seems Dick wouldn't take no for an answer.

Dave remembers telling Dick Donner essentially, thanks, but I'm not the right guy for this job. But it seems Dick wouldn't take no for an answer.

And, you know, there was something about this that resonated. Think of it this way. If you're Dave, or an environmentalist of his generation, crazy doesn't necessarily mean impossible. Just a few years before, in 1990, an estimated 200 million people took part in Earth Day celebrations. The most ever, by far. This is the decade of the Earth Summit in Rio, the Kyoto Protocol.

And, you know, there was something about this that resonated. Think of it this way. If you're Dave, or an environmentalist of his generation, crazy doesn't necessarily mean impossible. Just a few years before, in 1990, an estimated 200 million people took part in Earth Day celebrations. The most ever, by far. This is the decade of the Earth Summit in Rio, the Kyoto Protocol.