He has adapted well to the local tides, winds, storms, and the environment. Keiko is eating nearly half of his daily feed as live fish. The other half is thrown into the water. Keiko is chasing birds that land in his bay pen and spending much of his time underwater. Blood tests show that Keiko is free of pathogens.
Most orcas develop higher levels of pathogens in captivity.
Iceland's clear, cold waters seem to have been the best medicine for all of Keiko's medical problems. Last June, a small pod of orcas visited Keiko near the sea-pen enclosure. The wild orcas seemed to be communicating with Keiko. This is an important development since Keiko eventually must be able to rejoin a wild pod to survive as a free whale. Genetic and photo identification studies of the local wild orca populations are giving researchers new information about population numbers, behaviors and health.