The fight for the whales received another significant endorsement last night when Rawiri Paratene, the renowned New Zealand actor best known for his role in the film Whale Rider, voted in the Sacred Ocean – Global Voices Against the Cruelty of Whaling campaign.
Paratene, who played the lead role as the grandfather Kora in the award winning 2003 film, voted at the Two Oceans Aquarium and gave the sculpture a sacred Maori blessing. Sacred Ocean is a campaign of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Central to the campaign is the Sacred Ocean sculpture, which was created by cetacean artist and conservationist Noel Ashton (pictured with Paratene).
After amemorable evening filming against the backdrop of theiconic sculpture, Ashton said that it was incredibly special to spend time with such a dedicated and inspiring man, who has touched the lives of so many people around the world through his work.
Paratene is acting in a feature film on whales that is currently being shot in the Western Cape, on which Ashton is ascientific advisor. Visitors to the aquarium are able to register their vote against whaling on a touch screen and others wanting to participate can visit http://www.stopwhaling.org.za/.
