Pamela Anderson poses in a bathtub on her 52nd birthday to urge SeaWorld to let their killer whale Corky go free
Pamela Anderson has called for SeaWorld to release Corky the killer whale back into the ocean so she can live out the rest of her life with her family in a natural habitat.
The former Baywatch actress turned 52 on Monday and she has used her birthday to raise awareness of the plight of the orca, who was captured in 1969 off the coast of British Colombia, Canada, near Pamela’s hometown and is the same age as her.
The activist took to Instagram and Twitter to share her letter to new SeaWorld CEO Gustavo Antorcha pleading for Corky to be released from captivity and for the theme park in in San Diego, California, to co-operate with a Canadian scientist who wants to reunite the orca with her brother and sister in the wild.
Water plea: Pamela Anderson took to social media on her 52nd birthday to urge SeaWorld in San Diego, California, to let killer whale Corky return to the wild
Pamela doesn’t want Corky to ‘die in a tank that, to her, is comparable to the size of a bathtub’ and to illustrate the point the Playboy legend posed nude for a new PETA ad which depicts her in a bath along with the words: ‘Could You Live in a Bathtub for Decades?’
Her letter reads: ‘Dear Mr. Antorcha, As one of PETA’s honorary directors, I’m writing to ask that you free Corky, an orca SeaWorld has held captive since 1987.
‘She’s always on my mind when my July 1 birthday approaches. She and I are the same age, but as a baby, she was torn away from her mother in the sea off BritisColumbia – right near where I grew up on Vancouver Island.
No clothes: The Playboy vet wore nothing as she posed in a bathtub with her full hair and makeup glam on
Making a splash: Corky the killer whale performed at SeaWorld in 2012
‘I’m launching my new ad campaign for PETA in Corky’s honour. Please don’t let her die in a tank, that, to her, is comparable to the size of a bathtub. With your extensive experience at Carnival Cruise Line, you surely have an appreciation for the open ocean. Won’t you allow Corky to go back where she belongs?’
In her letter, Pamela also spoke about how Corky has endured ‘confusion, pain and death’ during her 49 years at SeaWorld and has had to endure the death of seven calves, all of which were conceived by artificial insemination.
There is currently global momentum for SeaWorld to create sea sanctuaries for its captive animals and other institutions are picking up on it.
Busy Pam: The siren has also been busy supporting Julian Assange of WikiLeaks
The National Aquarium in the US is retiring the dolphins it held captive – including one who was born at SeaWorld – to such a habitat.
Beluga whales are being moved from a Chinese marine park to a sanctuary in Iceland, and the Canadian Parliament has just voted to ban dolphin and whale captivity outright.
At the end of her letter, Pamela called for SeaWorld to become ‘a leader – rather than a resister – of the trend away from animal displays’ and she is now awaiting the company’s response.
The Baywatch actress has also been appearing alongside one of her sons in the new version of The Hills.
Back on screen: The Baywatch actress has also been appearing alongside one of her sons in the new version of The Hills