Loyal PETA supporter Kim Basinger has urged Vladimir Putin to release 18 whales from the Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station in Russia, and return them to their ocean home.

The actress explains in a letter to Putin, whose official website touts his advocacy for marine animals, that the belugas' survival will increase dramatically if they are released. The whales were set to go to the Georgia Aquarium and its SeaWorld affiliates, but this was stopped by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'The plight of these whales has the whole world watching to see what will happen next. I urge you to help return these belugas to their families in the ocean' she writes.