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Still, the desire to see J.J. freed was so pervasive that animal-rights organizations, typically critical of marine parks, seemed to bite their tongues. Both the Earth Island Institute and the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation cautiously applauded the J.J. effort and hoped Sea World might continue using its resources for animal rehabilitation.
The first leg of J.J.'s return voyage last week was the 11-mile, 45-min. trip by truck from Sea World to dockside. Once aboard the Conifer, J.J. was carried through gentle swells to a position 2.1 nautical miles off Point Loma, Calif., a scenic finger of land near San Diego. There, amid a noisy flotilla of 12 boats, the sling was lowered, and chief boatswain's mate Thomas Young barked the words never before heard: "Release the whale!"
J.J. dove silently into the murky Pacific. Marine biologists hoped she would head north along the traditional migratory path to Alaskan waters, but at the end of the week both transmitters attached near her blowhole had come loose, forcing researchers to try to track her visually. The trick for J.J., her keepers say, will be to remain free of aquatic bacteria, avoid killer whales and learn to feed herself at sea. Still, spirits were high as the Conifer returned to port. "I've got a cold one waiting at home," said a grinning Yip. Then he amended: "Bud, of course."