REVIEW: ‘The Whale Detective,’ now available on DVD
Image courtesy of PBS / Provided by official site.
The Whale Detective is an episode of the wildly popular Nature series on PBS, and its genesis is an unbelievable video that took the internet by storm a few years ago. A couple of kayakers were enjoying some whale watching in Monterey Bay, California, in 2015, when all of a sudden a humpback whale, believed to be 30 tons, breached completely out of the water and landed on them with a big splash.
Amazingly both Tom Mustill, a filmmaker, and his friend, Charlotte Kinloch, walked away from the close encounter relatively unscathed — though no doubt scared and thankful they lived to tell the tale. Amateur video filmed the event, and watching those fateful minutes over and over again prompted Mustill to explore the issue of whales breaching and their relationship with nearby humans.
The 55-minute Nature program is a fascinating look into the latest research involving these enormous marine animals. The footage of Mustill and Kinloch’s day in the bay is terrifying to behold (and weirdly addicting to watch), but the high-def camerawork of other whales, each of them captured by Mustill’s filmmaking, are truly breathtaking and beautiful. There’s a visual poetry that can be found in the undulating waves and impressive creatures of the sea.
As with any programming involving whales, there are considerations about the future of the various species. Whether it’s pollution, hunting or loss of habitat, the dangers are out there, and the whale has never been on firm footing in the modern era. In many ways, they have become the image of conservation, right up there with pandas and polar bears.
Programs like The Whale Detective remind viewers of the awesome power of whales and their endearing qualities. Hopefully these images will remain with the audience members, enough to prompt them into action to save humpbacks and other species around planet earth.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Whale Detective (2020). Produced and directed by Tom Mustill. Running time: 55 minutes. Now available on DVD. Click here for more information.
