Brianna Bowman
Marine science communicator

The Icelandic killer whale Keiko was traumatically removed from his home waters and family when he was 2 years old, and spent several years in an amusement park in Mexico City. After he landed the title role in the surprise hit Free Willy, an astronomically ambitious project began with one goal: to release Keiko back to the wild.

While there were many lessons learned and successes worth celebrating, the project did not end with Keiko swimming off into the sunset with his family. This incredible true story based on a Hollywood fairytale begs the question: can we ever put the wild back the way we found it?

This podcast is a limited series researched, written, and produced by marine science communicator Brianna Bowman, premiering July 16th, 2025.

If you would like to support this project and hear updates about Brianna's progress, please visit the podcast's Patreon page to become a regular patron. You can also make a one-time donation at the Buy Me A Coffee page.