More than two dozen celebrity actors, singers and producers apparently have joined a campaign to return a captive killer whale named Lolita to her home waters of Puget Sound.
Calling on friends in the entertainment business, actor Raul Julia Jr has offered endorsements from actors Johnny Depp, Lindsay Lohan, Jean Claude Van Damme and Harrison Ford; musicians Janet Jackson and 50 Cent; and producers Jonathan Sanger and Ed Elbert. Many other famous names are on the list.
Howard Garrett of Orca Network, who has been leading the Free Lolita Campaign for 12 years, said Julia Jr's passions have breathed new life into the effort. The goal remains to purchase the 40-year-old Lolita from Miami's Seaquarium and reintroduce her to close relatives still swimming free in Puget Sound.
"We have known from the beginning in 1995 that we would need some celebrity or nationwide spokesperson and a big donor," Garrett said. "Raul is working on both. He has some very good connections."
Julia Jr said most of the celebrities he has contacted don't require a hard-sell approach.
"Once I get their attention, I tell them there's a beautiful animal that was kidnapped and taken into captivity 37 years ago." he said. "They usually want to hear more."
Most people he approaches know about Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the "Free Willy" films and was eventually released to his home waters of Iceland, Julia Jr said. Keiko never found his family; he was turned away by his human supporters; and he eventually died in Norway in 2003 — five years after his return.
In Lolita's case, her extended family is well known, which could make all the difference in her survival in the wild, he said.
Lolita was captured in Puget Sound on Aug. 8, 1970, at the age of about 3, according to Orca Network. She was placed in a pool in Miami and trained to do tricks before an audience. Today, she is the only survivor out of 45 Puget Sound orcas that were captured and shipped to marine parks around the world. All the others were dead by 1987.
Garrett says female orcas may live to be 90 years old, participating in a rich culture of social interaction.
He and others — including Ken Balcomb, the dean of Puget Sound orca research — believe returning Lolita to the wild would improve her quality of life and offer an incredible learning opportunity. More importantly, they say, it's the right thing to do.
The "Lolita Retirement Plan" includes provisions to avoid a repeat of the Keiko experience. If things do not work out, Lolita would receive long-term care.
Michelle Palomino, spokeswoman for Miami Seaquarium, said she had not heard of the celebrity support for the Free Lolita Campaign, but aquarium owners remain opposed to release. In fact, Lolita's health and safety would be more jeopardized in an environment where Puget Sound orcas have been declared an endangered species, she said.
"Lolita will remain here at the Miami Seaquarium surrounded by people who love and protect her," Palomino said.
Julia Jr said Lolita does not belong in captivity, and that's something that many people can understand.
He wanted to get Johnny Depp involved because the actor's "love for humanity and animals is extraordinary." Julia Jr said he approached Depp at a movie premier, where Depp not only agreed to join the cause for Lolita, but expressed concern about other captive whales and dolphins of which he was aware.
"When I looked at Johnny's face, a tear came out of my eye," Julia-Levy said. "He said, 'You don't have to sell this so hard."
Several agents, managers and publicists were contacted by the Kitsap Sun to confirm their clients' support for the campaign. Most did not respond before deadline. Two or three said they needed to check further.
Julia Jr said he bypasses those folks and simply asks for permission from the celebrities themselves.
Some, like Harrison Ford, said he could be listed as a supporter but nothing else, according to Julia Jr. He said he got to know Ford on the set of "Presumed Innocent," a film in which his father, Raul Julia, played a role.
The only actor who first mentioned a publicist was Esai Morales, Julia-Levy said, but when he showed Morales a film about orcas in the wild, the actor was convinced. Morales has appeared in dozens of movies and played Lt. Tony Rodriguez in 55 episodes of NYPD Blue.
With a reporter on the line, Julia Jr placed a three-way phone call to Morales and caught him in his doctor's office. Briefly irritated, Morales paused before confirming that he supported Julia-Levy's efforts to release Lolita from captivity.
"What does it mean to be human if we can't be humane?" he said. "When I see these things, it makes me ashamed for my race — not my ethnic race but my human race."
Julia Jr said the next step is to organize some kind of concert or other event to draw attention to the issue and raise much-needed funds. He said he's in touch with moneyed people in Hollywood who wish to contribute to the cause.
Garrett of Orca Network said he has been talking to supporters about launching a major advertising campaign to solicit contributions.
"Thanks to Raul, this seems more real than ever before," Garrett said. "The amazing thing is how he finds the right people and gets them fired up."
No comments:
Post a Comment