Oslo, Norway ? Norwegian officials on Friday barred people from getting near Keiko the killer whale, hoping to protect the star of the “Free Willy” movies from hordes of fans he appears to enjoy.

Six weeks after he was released from his pen in Iceland, the six-ton orca turned up 870 miles away in a western Norwegian fjord last week, drawing crowds wanting to pet him, swim with him, and even climb on friendly whale’s back.

Havard Neshaug pets Keiko, the killer whale who became famous as the star of Free

Keiko, now about 25, was captured as a 2-year-old off Iceland and lived in a series of aquariums until stardom in the “Free Willy” films led to a project to return him to the open ocean.

Experts leading the $20 million project have pleaded with locals and tourists around the narrow inlet to leave the whale alone, even though he appears to thrive on human contact.

They also warned that all the attention could deprive Keiko of sleep and distract him from finding his own food.

Ivar Roen, head veterinarian for Moere and Romsdal County, where the Skaalvik fjord is located, said the ban was imposed because fans had not heeded appeals to leave Keiko alone. Hundreds of visitors have seen him each day, and officials fear thousands more will appear over the weekend.

The ban keeps unauthorized people from going within 165 feet of Keiko or feeding him, Roen said. Police will fine anyone who violates the ban.

Fans have thrown fish to the giant sea mammal, and Keiko’s trainer, Colin Baird, said that makes him stay nearby rather than hunting for the 110 pounds of fish he needs daily.

“All the attention and feeding were preventing him from returning to a natural life, which was the purpose of the project,” Roen said.

Baird said he hoped that with fewer distractions, Keiko would get bored and hungry and set off to find his own food, perhaps finding a pod of killer whales to join up with in the open sea.

Since arriving in the fjord, Keiko has spent much of his time close to a floating boat dock, which sometimes appears to be close to sinking under the weight of dozens of fans.

Roen said the ban also took into account the need to protect people from injury, since Keiko’s size and strength could make him a hazard.

Experts fear that Keiko could starve if he remains in the fjord or is trapped by ice during the winter. If he doesn’t leave, they have said they could use fish to draw him out or find an area for him to spend the winter under human care.