Daniel Alarcón

Big, coordinated global actions to combat climate change and environmental damage. In 1985, scientists announced that they discovered a hole in the ozone layer. And by the 90s, an international treaty was in place to ban some of the chemicals thought to have created it. And it seemed to work. The ozone layer began to heal itself.

Big, coordinated global actions to combat climate change and environmental damage. In 1985, scientists announced that they discovered a hole in the ozone layer. And by the 90s, an international treaty was in place to ban some of the chemicals thought to have created it. And it seemed to work. The ozone layer began to heal itself.

Even I remember, and I was just a kid, those years were my childhood, a time I remember as fundamentally optimistic. We learned about separating our trash in school, reduce, reuse, recycle, imprinted on the brain. We learned about the Amazon and the dangers of climate change, which still felt so far away. We didn't despair because we thought we could still work together to save the planet.

Even I remember, and I was just a kid, those years were my childhood, a time I remember as fundamentally optimistic. We learned about separating our trash in school, reduce, reuse, recycle, imprinted on the brain. We learned about the Amazon and the dangers of climate change, which still felt so far away. We didn't despair because we thought we could still work together to save the planet.

That if people just knew what was happening, we'd do the right thing. And that the right thing would be clear to all of us. That's the moment we're in. The moment Dave's in. And so, sure, saving Keiko sounds a bit nutty. But maybe if you've seen what he's seen, that sort of thing doesn't scare you. So Dave said, OK, I'll check it out. I'll fly down to Mexico City and meet Keiko.

That if people just knew what was happening, we'd do the right thing. And that the right thing would be clear to all of us. That's the moment we're in. The moment Dave's in. And so, sure, saving Keiko sounds a bit nutty. But maybe if you've seen what he's seen, that sort of thing doesn't scare you. So Dave said, OK, I'll check it out. I'll fly down to Mexico City and meet Keiko.

He was, if not hopeful, intrigued until he got there and realized this is a terrible idea. By the time Dave visited, Keiko was a teenager and had been living in Mexico City for about eight and a half years. Dave could see right away. This captive whale was nowhere near ready to live in the ocean. A wild orca can swim over 100 miles a day.

He was, if not hopeful, intrigued until he got there and realized this is a terrible idea. By the time Dave visited, Keiko was a teenager and had been living in Mexico City for about eight and a half years. Dave could see right away. This captive whale was nowhere near ready to live in the ocean. A wild orca can swim over 100 miles a day.

Keiko was basically the aquatic equivalent of a couch potato.

Keiko was basically the aquatic equivalent of a couch potato.

I asked Dave to tick through the reasons Keiko was not an ideal candidate to rewild. And there were many. Before they could even think of releasing him back into the ocean, Keiko needed to get rid of his papillomavirus. but also get stronger, healthier, put on weight. And there was no way he could do that in his current tank at Reino Aventura.

I asked Dave to tick through the reasons Keiko was not an ideal candidate to rewild. And there were many. Before they could even think of releasing him back into the ocean, Keiko needed to get rid of his papillomavirus. but also get stronger, healthier, put on weight. And there was no way he could do that in his current tank at Reino Aventura.

The bill for that alone would probably be millions of dollars. And then they'd have to spend years and millions more teaching him the most basic ocean survival skills and pray that some of those lessons took.

The bill for that alone would probably be millions of dollars. And then they'd have to spend years and millions more teaching him the most basic ocean survival skills and pray that some of those lessons took.

Keiko had lived in the care of humans and without his family since he was around two, missing out on years of life in a pod, years of company and hunting and language and what I can only think of as camaraderie, the kind of social environment that makes a killer whale a killer whale. He had millions of human fans, but not a single orca friend. There were so many things he'd never learned.

Keiko had lived in the care of humans and without his family since he was around two, missing out on years of life in a pod, years of company and hunting and language and what I can only think of as camaraderie, the kind of social environment that makes a killer whale a killer whale. He had millions of human fans, but not a single orca friend. There were so many things he'd never learned.

Not only did Keiko not know how to hunt for food, he didn't know how to eat live fish. Think about that. If you put a live fish in his mouth, this killer whale wouldn't eat it. And language. Keiko had stopped making most of the sounds in a wild whale's repertoire years before. Pods have different dialects, and it was unlikely Keiko even remembered the dialect he spoke before his capture.

Not only did Keiko not know how to hunt for food, he didn't know how to eat live fish. Think about that. If you put a live fish in his mouth, this killer whale wouldn't eat it. And language. Keiko had stopped making most of the sounds in a wild whale's repertoire years before. Pods have different dialects, and it was unlikely Keiko even remembered the dialect he spoke before his capture.

This was crucially important to his survival. Orcas very rarely live alone in the open ocean, so if he was to make it out there, Dave knew Keiko would have to be integrated into a pod. his original pod, preferably. But if you didn't speak their language, that was going to be difficult. And then there was a small detail that no one knew for certain which pod that might be or where to find them.

This was crucially important to his survival. Orcas very rarely live alone in the open ocean, so if he was to make it out there, Dave knew Keiko would have to be integrated into a pod. his original pod, preferably. But if you didn't speak their language, that was going to be difficult. And then there was a small detail that no one knew for certain which pod that might be or where to find them.