Real life 'Heroes': Hayden Panettiere and boyfriend save the dolphins again

More than two years after an arrest warrant was issued for Hayden Panettiere in Japan for interfering with a dolphin hunt, the "Heroes" actress has returned to the scene of the crime.

Panettiere and her boyfriend, boxer Wladimir Klitschko, went back to the Japanese fishing village of Taiji this week to confront the issue again. Her last visit to Taiji, where she and five other American surfers literally got in the way of the dolphin hunt, was documented in the Oscar-winning film "The Cove."

This time, they took a less confrontational approach. "We are trying to peacefully come up with better ideas as to how to generate income and utilize the nature here. We've been to Taiji before and it's a beautiful place with beautiful wildlife," Panettiere says.

Panettiere, a spokeswoman for the "Save the Whales Again!" campaign, says she'll advocate for the village if they halt the dolphin hunt. Taiji herds and kills 2,000 dolphins every year in addition to selling live dolphins to aquariums and water parks.

"It's not about being aggressive and violent," says Klitschko.

"We just wanted to have a very peaceful and relaxed conversation," Panettiere agrees.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.


Related:

'Heroes' recaps
Zap2it's TV Show Rehab: 12 steps to a better 'Heroes


Photo credit: Getty Images