Adriana De Moura

Miami Beach, FL – Not only is she a cast member on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Miami, but Adriana De Moura is also an advocate of the ocean. The Brazilian recently did a nude photo shoot for PETA, where she struck a sexy pose in a bathtub and then posed the question “Could you live in a bathtub for 40 years?” Of course you couldn’t, but that’s exactly what’s being done to Lolita, an orca in captivity at Miami Seaquarium. So De Moura took a stand for the sea creature, who’s spend 40 years in the tank performing twice a day. It’s a subject that’s close to De Moura’s heart. Because, as she sees it, it’s our responsibly to nurture nature. We caught up with De Moura to get the scoop on how she really feels about aquatic parks, wildlife, and the wild life of her reality show career.

Adriana De Moura

Your marine parks shoot with PETA caught a lot of attention. Why did you do it?

Because I believe in the cause. I’m from Brazil and have always been in contact with nature and the ocean through being on the beach and growing up surfing. I developed a bond with the ocean and nature because that was my environment. So when PETA contacted me asking me to be the face of the campaign it made sense. Brazil is at the forefront of prohibiting sea animals from being in captivity. Since the ’90s there has been no captivity or commercial places like Sea World, no water parks. If you feel like you need to see sea animals, you travel. You dive. You snorkel. That’s what I did growing up.

What was it like going naked?

[Giggling] It was a little awkward. I thought I was going to have less of a problem. I’m very comfortable in my own skin. In Brazil, we are not taboo against showing skin because we grew up on the beach in small bikinis. We don’t have such a taboo about showing our bodies, yet it was different because I was in the studio with cameras and men. It felt awkward at first, but I adapted.

Trip to Puget Sound

Photos below are courtesy of Adriana De Moura.

 

What do you want to see for Lolita?

She’s been there for 40 years now. She was taken from her pod when she was 6. I would like for her to be put in a transitional place, a sanctuary in Puget Sound in the Pacific West outside Washington. I believe she could be put there where she would be safe but in her natural habitat. I say this from experience. I took time a month ago and traveled to Puget Sound and took a boat and traveled to Canadian waters to find her relatives. It was such an amazing experience, so exhilarating to go there. We had to find her relatives because they travel miles during the day to feed on salmon. When we finally saw them swimming in groups, three of them, they were so happy. The water is cold, but that’s how they like it, at 48 degree continuously throughout year. But then I started to think about Lolita in a pool in Miami in the heat and that’s not what it is supposed to be like, her in yearlong hot water. That pool must be at least 70 or 80 degrees with the sun heating it. It was an amazing experience but bittersweet because when I was in awe of seeing her relatives swimming free and being wonders of nature, I couldn’t help but thinking about her in a pool by herself not protected from the elements. Being there made me feel and sense the severity of the situation.

Would she be able to survive in the wild again?

I believe so. I spoke with a marine biologist who said she spent her formative years with her mother, who is 80 now and still swimming around. She might not be super skilled at hunting or know where to go, but she has the basic skills to communicate with other whales. But the plan is not to release her into the wild on her own but to the sanctuary, which is still in the ocean, her natural habitat. There’s another side to it though. She’s been taken away from family for 40 years and forced to do two tricks a day. I think she’s paid her dues. If I were her and someone asked me if I wanted to keep working just to be fed or go back to my country and be free, I would take being free, even if it was only for five years. I would take five years in the wild any day. Let me taste nature, let me sense the water, the tides, the sounds. I’d rather shorten my life by half than die in captivity.

Are there any updates on Lolita’s situation?

The Miami Seaquarium won’t talk to anyone, they refuse to talk at this point. But what we can do to change that is public awareness. People should boycott going to the park. They cannot survive if they do not have support from people visiting. Tell your kids that it is wrong. Do what I do, if you want to teach your child about nature, travel. Go anywhere where they can have those experiences. By supporting these parks we are giving them power. And these are the businesses that keep these whales captive.

I know Joanna Krupa is a big PETA proponent, and I know you two don’t get along. Is this a way for you to work out your differences? Maybe some common ground?

At the end of the day, we have similarities but we also have people getting involved and causing reactions between us. I try not to hold grudges, and maybe this is common ground, both of us being animals lovers (she is more involved with rescue, me with sea animals). But the intention is the same, and I think it is noble. I respect her for that, and I think it may be a way to bond with her eventually.

Lets talk about Housewives. What’s the latest drama?

I kind of went through a hump, but now I feel more focused on the wedding. I guess there will be comparisons with her wedding and mine, who had the best wedding. I call it the race to the alter.

What’s been your greatest moment?

Having my son walk me down the aisle, which has not shown yet and won’t for a few weeks. I got a lot of criticism because technically I am married but I didn’t do a ceremony at the time because my son was 9 and begging me not to do it. He was not ready. And I wasn’t ready. It was just the beginning of a relationship, with infatuation about getting married. My son brought me back to reality, so we pulled back. And I got a lot of criticism for this. But now, the moment I walk down the aisle and my son is walking with me and giving me to Frederic, it makes it all worth it. My son bonded with Frederic so it felt right.

What’ been your least favorite?

The fight with Lea. We were friends for many years and to see her throw me under the bus instead of being supportive was hard. The hardest moment for sure.

Since the show is airing now, what have you learned maybe about what someone said about you that’s most upset you or has given you new insight?

I thought Lea was somebody that had my back and I had hers and we’d be there for each other. Then the whole marriage license thing happened and instead coming to me and saying what’s this, you didn’t tell me or being supportive, she was the first one to throw the stone. She is not someone who is perfect or a saint and I find it so unbecoming because she is far from perfect. I thought she was a friend who saw me through adversity, who understood that I put my son first. It is so hurtful to see your best friend turn on you in a crucial moment. I would expect anyone but her.

Is there a fourth season in the works?

I don’t see why not. The ratings have gone up over 35 percent.

Tell me about your shoot with WRE, what message do you want to get across today since you have our attention?

We should look at nature and the animals as their own nation and not think because you have the power, you can conquer and divide. It’s not right. I think every parent out there should educate children and make sure they understand there is no need to have a power trip over the animals. It happens with the elephants in Africa, the whales here, the dolphins in Japan. We need to educate children that it’s not ok. We can do so by boycotting those parks. We need to stop polluting the ocean and respect nature. It’s as simple as choosing water that is in a glass bottle. I drink L’Alpina water because it comes in a glass bottle and that causes less pollution. Besides, plastic is unhealthy. It’s about not creating more problems, but being part of the solution. Respect yourself and respect nature.