Keiko the killer whale prefers company of humans

Keiko, the killer whale who found fame as the star of the Free Willy movies before being set free this summer, might be having a hard time adjusting to life in the wild.

The orca turned up in a Norwegian fiord a few days ago and has been delighting the locals who have been petting, feeding and even swimming with him.

And that, some experts say, is bad news.

Fernando Urgarte, who is tracking Keiko's movements for the Ocean Futures Society and the Humane Society of the United States, said the killer whale is in good shape, but prefers the company of humans rather than other whales.

After spending most of his life in captivity, Keiko was released into the wild near Iceland on July 7.

Researchers believe he had managed to become self-reliant in the time since then. The five-ton orca needs to eat up to 70 kilograms of fish every day.

Some experts fear that he is taking some big steps backwards as the Norwegians play with him and feed him fish from their docks.

Keiko was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1979 when he was two years old. He spent much of his life in captivity in Canada and Mexico.

He had the lead role in the 1993 movie Free Willy and two sequels. A campaign to set him free ensued from the popularity of the films.

In 1996, he was taken from a Mexico City amusement park to Newport, Oregon, where his rehabilitation began. In 1998, he was flown to Iceland, where he was taught to catch fish.