The Lives of Whales and Dolphins-Nature: Ocean Giants (2011)

Directed by: Ellen Husain, Ingrid Kvale, Mark Brownlow, Anuschka Schofield | 150 minutes | documentary

Whales and dolphins are without a doubt some of the most interesting, striking and fascinating animals we can still find on Earth today. Although their lives take place entirely in the oceans and seas of the world, cetaceans are not fish but mammals. They have lungs and a blowhole, through which the animals have to surface at set times to breathe. Perhaps it has to do with the size of the often immense baleen whales or the intelligence of all whales and dolphins, but the animals can count on the interest and affection of a considerable part of humanity. This was not always the case, however, because in earlier times the animals were popular targets for whalers and there was a great demand worldwide for whale oil, a substance that was used for oil lamps or processed in cod liver oil, among other things. Fortunately, from the late 1980s, harpoons have given way to clicking cameras in most places and whales and dolphins are now worth more alive than dead due to targeted forms of ecotourism.

While whales and dolphins have been the subject of quite a few individual wildlife documentaries over the years, the renowned BBC stable ‘Life of Whales and Dolphins’ (‘Nature: Ocean Giants’) is a rare and ambitious attempt to ultimate visual portrait of these intriguing marine mammals. From the very first moment, when you follow the blue whale (the largest animal that ever lived at 27-32 meters in length and weigh about 170 tons) on its journey in clear blue waters, you know that the specialists at the British state broadcaster have once again delivered a sublime piece of craftsmanship. The first part of the series focuses anyway on the absolute giants of the whale kingdom and includes unique images of male humpback whales fighting (for the favor of females), mating southern right whales and gray whale mothers battling hungry orcas. The bowhead whale, a mysterious Arctic giant, rarely filmed, also comes into view. In the next two parts, the intelligence and sound repertoire of various whales and dolphins is successively discussed. Dolphins are certainly among the most intelligent members of the animal kingdom and in many respects are even cognitively barely inferior to humans. The animals have self-awareness, their own language, empathy and are able to plan and carefully coordinate conscious actions. At first sight this may not seem so special, but in reality it requires that the animals must be able to form a mental image of situations that have not yet happened in reality. Dolphins thus have an abstract thinking ability, a capacity that indicates a high intelligence factor. In the latest episode, we see how sperm whales and botos (South American river dolphins) use a wide arsenal of sonar clicks to communicate and hunt in the pitch-dark ocean depths and the murky waters of the mighty Amazon respectively. The powerful and complex song of the humpback whale is also extensively discussed in this final part.

The main strength of ‘Ocean Giants’ is the sublime camera work. Not surprisingly, when you consider that most of the footage was shot by seasoned and celebrated underwater filmmakers Didier Noirot (also a member of the late Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s team) and Doug Allan. The two have succeeded excellently in capturing quite elusive animals in their natural environment beautifully on film. During the series, the gentlemen also appear and speak regularly, which gives the documentary a personal touch because you can see how much passion the two cameramen carry out their beautiful profession. But ‘Ocean Giants’ is certainly not just a series of beautiful images and panoramas, it is also a documentary that provides you with a lot of information in an accessible way about the behavior of whales and dolphins and the still largely mysterious sea world that these animals inhabit. Comedian, actor, presenter and documentary maker Stephen Fry is ideally suited as the narrator of the series with his warm voice and beautiful English sentences.

In short, ‘Ocean Giants’ can once again be considered a sparkling crown jewel in the already rich nature collection of the BBC. An essential series for anyone interested in the life of one of the most fascinating mammal groups on Earth.