Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1998)
PHOTO BY PAT BATES septem D er 18. 1998 • Ju st out g ■ Amanda Colorado (left) and Keiko Pat Bates (right) with Keiko and one of his trainers O rca A unties S hare T heir W hale of a T ale Before Keiko left, a Just Out staff member met with the wonderful creature and the women who cared for Keiko during his stay in Oregon by R enée L aC hance bank of video monitors lit the ■■A faces of everyone in the room. Cameras were trained around the tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, keeping vigilance over the most famous killer whale in the world: Keiko. At that moment, the big guy checked out his visitors in the aquarium gallery. The flashes from cameras chased him to the back of his tank. Then he remembered the people at his other window. He sauntered over and lixiked in at those gathered to see him. “He wants us to come up and see him,” m m% Amanda Colorado interpreted from body lan guage I didn’t even notice. “He finally realized we were trainable. For a while he thought we were just stupid or stubborn because we didn’t do what he asked of us.” Colorado, Pat Bates, Pam Neff and Pam Williams have worked as “whale enrichment devices” for Keiko since last fall. One day Bates got a call from the office manager at the Free The orca aunties (from left: Pam Neff, Pat Bates, Pam Williams and Amanda Colorado) toast Willy Keiko Foundation office in Newport. The Keiko’s safe departure office manager asked Pat if she could get togeth er a crew to watch over the killer whale on short been any mention of Keiko’s aunties in the old would enjoy (like peekaboo); they amused Keiko with windup orcas, books and movies. notice just for a weekend. Sure she could. What major media coverage. During the year prior to Keiko’s departure, an “It’s hard being invisible,” said Colorado. began as a three-day assignment turned into a “No one even knows what we do or what he orca auntie monitored Keiko during the night, year’s worth of wonder. ; taking care of his every need. We climbed the stairs to the top of the tank means to us.” “The trainers spend the day telling Keiko She and the three other orca aunties (or orca and walked along a catwalk to where Keiko floated on the surface. He sprayed us with his babes, as Williams prefers to be called) were what to do. We get to just hang with him and breath and turned an eye up to get a better look Keiko’s support staff. All lesbians, they worked tell him how wonderful he is,” said Colorado. at his visitors. “It’s impossible to tell people how special he The aunties a ll speak with intense love and reverence for Keiko. is, you just have to meet him,” Colorado said. Each believes killer whales are incredibly intelligent beings that shouldn't be As I approached his black-and-white head, I began to understand what she meant. He truly held captive, and they hope the foundation rehabilitates other seemed aware of us and glad for our quiet com pany. killer whales and dolphins because o f Keiko's success. Colorado introduced me to Keiko and he lift “He’s an incredibly intelligent creature,” ed up his nose to be rubbed. Colorado scratched behind the scenes caring for and watching over added Williams. “One of the first times I was Keiko during the hours when his trainers were him with both hands and talked baby talk to here, I looked in his eye and it was that same him. He felt like a cross between an olive and a off-duty. connection you get when you meet a woman for The aunties prepared his salmon, herring and hard-boiled egg, she said. Keiko, meanwhile, squid for the day, maintained his tank and the the first time and you know there’s something appeared to really enjoy the attention. During the two years he lived at the Oregon tanks of the live fish that he had learned to eat. special.” She continued: “One evening he was vocal Coast Aquarium, the media frequently covered They observed his behavior and health at regu izing, which meant that he wanted something. I lar intervals. They played games any three-year- Keiko and Keikos keepers, but there hasn’t ever A finally figured out to turn on his play jets, and he set his blue ball next to me on the wet walk as if to say, ‘Thanks human, here’s your fish.’ ” The orca aunties did not get to travel to Iceland with Keiko to see him safely home. They stayed behind to box things up, to celebrate Keiko’s journey and to grieve the loss of their charge. But it is obvious to any observer that Keiko’s aunties love him like a nephew. Bates, Colorado, Neff and Williams put their lives on hold to work swing and graveyard shifts to care for Keiko. “It has been overwhelming and an honor to be part of this whole thing,” said Neff. “1 came to watch when Keiko arrived and I got to see him off. It is great to come full circle. Now I’m ready to get back to my life.” Each is thankful for her time with him, and they all look forward to getting their lives back to some semblance of normalcy. “It has been the most amazing gift from the universe to get to hang out with that whale,” said Colorado. Still, one wonders, who could go back to being nonnal after spending a year up close and personal with a killer whale? The aunties all speak with intense love and reverence for Keiko. Each believes killer whales are incredibly intelligent beings that shouldn’t be held captive, and they hope the foundation rehabilitates other killer whales and dolphins because of Keiko’s success. They even wistfully hope to be a part of it. Bates spent every full truxin during the past year with Keiko. “At night, in the moonlight, that’s the best time to be with him. It’s magic,” she said. “The last full moon we made a bond together that we’ll connect that way every Rill mixm." She held her heart and tearfully added: “I know he said yes.” Keikos first full moon in Iceland will be Oct. 5. Though no orca aunties will be monitoring Keiko to see if he turns his head toward the moonlit sky that night, it is certain Bates and the other orca aunties will look at the moon and remember their magic year with Keiko.