An ambitious plan to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters calls to mind the release of the star of the movie ‘Free Willy’.

Her caregivers will protect her skin with ointment. Karen McRea feeds frozen fish to Keiko, star of the movie “Free Willy,” in his pen off the coast of Westman Islands, Iceland, on April 22, 1999.

An ambitious plan to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters calls to mind the release of the star of the movie ‘Free Willy’.

In 1993 he was featured in “Free Willy,” prompting a campaign by schoolchildren to get him released. A facility was built at the Oregon Coast Aquarium where the emaciated Keiko could recover ...

FILE – Keiko, the star of the movie “Free Willy,” swims in his new sea pen at Heimaey, Iceland, on Sept. 11, 1998.

In 1993 he was featured in “Free Willy,” prompting a campaign by schoolchildren to get him released. A facility was built at the Oregon Coast Aquarium where the emaciated Keiko could recover ...