Hayden Panettiere’s Heroic Fight To Save The Dolphins

Hayden Panettiere doesn’t have much to worry about as an indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s “Heroes.”

But during a recent trip to Japan, the 18-year-old actress put her life on the line trying to prevent fisherman from slaughtering a group of dolphins.

In a dramatic display, Hayden and five others paddled out on surfboards into the ocean on a pre-dawn mission to disrupt the local fishermen’s efforts to catch and kill the dolphins.

However, as the group made their way towards the pod of dolphins, who appeared to be caught in the net, Hayden, a spokesperson for SaveTheWhalesAgain.org, and friends were intercepted by one of the small fishing boats.

The fishermen used the boat’s propellers to block the surfers’ way and used a long boathook to try and push them away.

The dramatic and dangerous encounter lasted for several minutes before Hayden and her group were forced to return to shore.

Upon reaching land, a visibly shaken Hayden fell to her knees crying.

“It was really frightening. Some of us were hit by the boathook. But in the end all we really worried about was the dolphins,” Hayden said in footage captured on video by the group. “It was so incredibly sad. We were so close to them and they were sky hopping, jumping out of the water to see us.”

As the group huddled together on the beach, an emotional Hayden fought back the tears as she explained what she saw while in the water.

“One little baby dolphin stuck his head out and kind of looked at me and the thought that it’s no longer with us is really hard to take,” she said.

Local fisherman, who according to SaveTheWhalesAgain.org, kill the dolphins and whales for their meat, had netted off the cove and set up tarps to shield the slaughter from public view.

The footage did not indicate if the group’s efforts prevented the fishermen from killing the group of dolphins encountered by Hayden and her friends.

For more from Hayden on her emotional and courageous efforts, tune in to Friday’s Access Hollywood as the “Heroes” star visits our stage and discusses her experience more in-depth.