Hayden Panettiere Talks Whale Watching, Water Workouts And Oscar-Worthy Causes in Self

Hayden Panettiere might play a rapidly-regenerating cheerleader on TV, but when it comes to real-life heroics, the star of NBC's "Heroes" has a lot more in common with Al Gore than Wolverine — for the past five years, she's been working as a spokeswoman for the Whaleman Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of marine life from man-made dangers. Tanned and sporting some beach-tousled locks on the cover of the March issue of SELF magazine, Hayden took a break from free diving with pilot whales to talk about her off-screen life, working in the water, and her passion for making a difference.

As part of her work with the Whaleman Foundation, Hayden recently lent her voice to a major protest in response to the capture and killing of whales and dolphins in Japan — a dangerous encounter that was captured on film in "The Cove". The documentary chronicles the clash between activists and Japanese fisherman during the annual dolphin hunt at Taiji, Wakayama. Says Hayden, "When we did the protest in 'The Cove,' I thought I’d be scared, but when I saw what was going on, I had no fear at all. I was deeply angry.”

Ironically, Hayden's off-camera activism has led right back to the red carpet; "The Cove", like "An Inconvenient Truth" before it, got an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. But when it comes to her passion for marine life, what matters to Hayden is making a difference. “I’ve always been aggressive about protecting the things I believe in, whether it be my family or friend or animals," she explains. And after traveling with the foundation to Washington, D.C., she made sure her voice was heard by someone who mattered: "I even met with Barack Obama, when he was campaigning. He said he grew up in Hawaii so dolphins and whales are very close to him. I knew I had two minutes to reel off what I wanted to get across. He was larger than live and so nice. Laws and politics—that’s where things change.”

As a result, the actress has been spending a lot of time in the water, which she says helps keep her in great shape. "Swimming works all your muscles—your core, glutes, quads, even the ones you didn’t know you had, like the little ones in your feet and hands! It’s about getting your heart rate up and building endurance. You can hold your breath much longer than you think you can."

Lately, Hayden has been working in Hawaii, free diving with pilot whales that can weigh more than three tons each. Without scuba tanks or other bulky gear between her and the water, spending time in the water has given her a fresh perspective on life. “Diving makes you feel vulnerable. You realize just how insignificant you are.” She adds, "You might get in water so deep that you hear a humpback whale singing, but you see absolutely nothing, just rays of light."

Hayden, you rock. (And if you're ever looking for a diving partner, you know where to find us!)

Will you be rooting for "The Cove" at this year's Oscars?

Tags Hayden Panettiere, Heroes, Self Magazine, The Cove