Celebrity whale Keiko was laid to rest after darkness fell on Sunday, in a grave on land near the Norwegian bay where he spent the last months of his life. The burial took place during the night to keep it as private an affair as possible.

Now Keiko will forever be a part of the scenic bay in northwestern Norway where he spent his last year.

Dead whales are usually towed out to open sea, and some even had feared Keiko would be slaughtered. But the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, which had backed unsuccessful efforts to return Keiko to the wild, wanted Keiko buried on land.

Norwegian authorities went along with the request. "We evaluated several alternatives, but agreed that this was the best thing to do, given the circumstances," said Olav Lekve of the public agency regulating fishing in Norway (Fiskeridirektoratet).

"Normal practice is to sink dead sea mammals in open sea, but this is a special situation," Lekve said.

He added that local authorities in Halsa Township, who govern the area around Keiko's recent home in Taknes Bay, were consulted and agreed as well.

The township experienced a surge in tourism after Keiko surfaced in a nearby fjord last year, and it's speculated that a monument will be erected in the area to honor Keiko's unusual life.

"We're very glad that the directorate listened to our wishes," said Frank Haavik, one of Keiko's minders.

Keiko was first captured off Iceland as a youngster and spent the next 20 years in captivity, performing in various aquatic parks in Mexico and the US. He literally sprang to fame in the movie "Free Willy," and thousands of people donated money towards efforts to return him to the wild.

Keiko never took to the idea, however. He did manage to swim to Norway on his own after he was released last summer, but he found his way to a local fjord and continued to prefer human companionship, delighting residents with his antics.

He suddenly fell ill late last week and died Friday evening of suspected pneumonia. The whale was believed to be 26 years old.

Via Aftenposten News in English

Environment [11:44]