Isabel saves whales

Sophia Browne

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

AS the face of the anti-whaling campaign in Australia, Far Northern actor Isabel Lucas wants her home town to adopt a whale.

Lucas, 23, is back in Cairns this week to visit her family and finalise a visa that will allow her to work in Hollywood.

She took time out at Kewarra Beach yesterday to meet The Cairns Post and talk about a cause close to her heart.

See more pictures of Isabel in our photo gallery

The former Home and Away starlet is a strong supporter of the Humpback Icon Project, a collaboration between International Fund for Animal Welfare, The Oceania Project, Surfers for Cetaceans and the Centre for Whale Research.

HIP encourages coastal councils to celebrate the annual humpback whale migration by "adopting’' an identified whale as their local icon.

"It would be wonderful if they (Cairns Regional Council) would take on the project," Lucas said.

"It’s such a great idea as well because of the Cairns association with the reef and marine environment.

"At the moment there’s approximately 60 councils that have taken it on board."

Lucas has symbolically adopted a whale herself, and proudly showed the picture of the majestic mammal.

"It’s more about financially supporting them to protect the whales," she said.

After accepting parts in war epic The Pacific and sci-fi flick Daybreakers last year, many more roles are on the cards for the softly spoken actor.

Lucas has just come back from three months in Los Angeles, where she has been auditioning and meeting directors and producers non-stop.

"It’s completely different to being based in Melbourne, where there might be an audition every couple of weeks," she said.

"In LA you have about two days to prepare for each audition."

Although reluctant to confirm she had scored a part in blockbuster film Transformers 2, her Sydney agent Meissner Management said the deal had been made.

Speculation about Lucas dating Entourage star Adrian Grenier is true.

If her filming schedule allows, she plans to attend an anti-whaling protest in Chile next month.

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