Earth's oceans symbolize the eternal mysteries of life and death themselves. No examination of them could ever completely solve that mystery. Perhaps it is better just to sit silently, observe, and respectfully marvel at the countless wonders oceans have to offer. With narrator Pierce Brosnan, and co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, "DisneyNature's Oceans" takes exactly that simple approach.
"DisneyNature's Oceans" begins at a seashore, with a young boy silently gazing upon the water. Then, the documentary takes us on a rather comprehensive tour of the staggering variety of invertebrates (animals with no backbones), fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals that depend upon the sea for food, reproduction, communication, and even hygiene. Brosnan wisely does not talk endlessly throughout the documentary. He'll make an occasional remark about a previously unknown aspect about an animal, then largely let the classical musical score and the action speak for themselves. This reinforces the awe and respect humans really should feel for the ocean and all its creatures.
The animals run the gamut from sea slugs and crabs to colossal whales. For example, we see dolphins dash through the water and do spinning acrobatics. We witness sharks stalk and grab sea lions. We observe sea lions on land, quarreling with their neighbors and protecting their young from males sparring for breeding rights. All these animals, plus dive-bombing birds called gannets, chase a massive, whirling ball of sardines for their share of fish. We see giant humpback whales cooperate to trap sardines and herring in "bubble nets" and then scoop them up in vast mouthfuls. The largest creature in history, the blue whale, vacuums in tons of tiny, shrimp-like krill. We hear humpbacks vocalize with unique songs to communicate and attract mates. Killer whales swim perilously close to the shallows to snatch sea lion pups from the shore. Iguanas crop moss from boulders at the sea bottom. Baby sea turtles hatch and crawl frantically towards the water before they can be snatched up by a predator. A poisonous sea snake sinuously swims by. Various fish, including the largest living fish, the whale shark, allow tiny fish to swim around their face and mouth and eat the parasites and dead skin that annoy them, without ever giving into the temptation of swallowing them. A mother walrus cradles her chubby baby in the water.
The above images described in "DisneyNature's Oceans", plus many others, show the harmonious balance among different animal species and their environments. Unlike other Disney nature documentaries, none of the animals shown (not even the sea lions, walruses, and penguins) are treated as comic buffoons or people. They are wild, and often mysterious animals, and, I think, inspire curiosity and amazement. But then, "DisneyNature's Oceans" shows the main threat to this seemingly eternal harmony: us. With our noisy fishing boats and their wide nets entangling creatures besides fish, our oil refineries and hundreds of tons of pollution (one stark image shows a sea lion swimming past a shopping cart buried in the sea bed), this documentary shows that we have behaved shamefully towards the sea and that we must act soon to reverse our harmful influence before we lose the sea forever.
"DisneyNature Oceans" serves both as an educational biological and environmental documentary, and, I believe, should be shown in both middle school and high school science curricula. There are no truly graphic images of animal predation, although crabs, sardines and sea lions ARE killed and eaten; therefore, only truly sensitive people might not enjoy this documentary. However, there are also really astounding shots such as a scuba diver swimming alongside a 15-foot great white shark that make you appreciate the risks and chances these underwater photographers took to increase our oceanographic knowledge. Hopefully, that knowledge is increased enough so that people like you and me care enough to keep the eternal oceans just that – eternal. Fortunately, mankind's efforts to preserve the sea are the strongest they have ever been.
"DisneyNature's Oceans" begins at a seashore, with a young boy silently gazing upon the water. Then, the documentary takes us on a rather comprehensive tour of the staggering variety of invertebrates (animals with no backbones), fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals that depend upon the sea for food, reproduction, communication, and even hygiene. Brosnan wisely does not talk endlessly throughout the documentary. He'll make an occasional remark about a previously unknown aspect about an animal, then largely let the classical musical score and the action speak for themselves. This reinforces the awe and respect humans really should feel for the ocean and all its creatures.
The animals run the gamut from sea slugs and crabs to colossal whales. For example, we see dolphins dash through the water and do spinning acrobatics. We witness sharks stalk and grab sea lions. We observe sea lions on land, quarreling with their neighbors and protecting their young from males sparring for breeding rights. All these animals, plus dive-bombing birds called gannets, chase a massive, whirling ball of sardines for their share of fish. We see giant humpback whales cooperate to trap sardines and herring in "bubble nets" and then scoop them up in vast mouthfuls. The largest creature in history, the blue whale, vacuums in tons of tiny, shrimp-like krill. We hear humpbacks vocalize with unique songs to communicate and attract mates. Killer whales swim perilously close to the shallows to snatch sea lion pups from the shore. Iguanas crop moss from boulders at the sea bottom. Baby sea turtles hatch and crawl frantically towards the water before they can be snatched up by a predator. A poisonous sea snake sinuously swims by. Various fish, including the largest living fish, the whale shark, allow tiny fish to swim around their face and mouth and eat the parasites and dead skin that annoy them, without ever giving into the temptation of swallowing them. A mother walrus cradles her chubby baby in the water.
The above images described in "DisneyNature's Oceans", plus many others, show the harmonious balance among different animal species and their environments. Unlike other Disney nature documentaries, none of the animals shown (not even the sea lions, walruses, and penguins) are treated as comic buffoons or people. They are wild, and often mysterious animals, and, I think, inspire curiosity and amazement. But then, "DisneyNature's Oceans" shows the main threat to this seemingly eternal harmony: us. With our noisy fishing boats and their wide nets entangling creatures besides fish, our oil refineries and hundreds of tons of pollution (one stark image shows a sea lion swimming past a shopping cart buried in the sea bed), this documentary shows that we have behaved shamefully towards the sea and that we must act soon to reverse our harmful influence before we lose the sea forever.
"DisneyNature Oceans" serves both as an educational biological and environmental documentary, and, I believe, should be shown in both middle school and high school science curricula. There are no truly graphic images of animal predation, although crabs, sardines and sea lions ARE killed and eaten; therefore, only truly sensitive people might not enjoy this documentary. However, there are also really astounding shots such as a scuba diver swimming alongside a 15-foot great white shark that make you appreciate the risks and chances these underwater photographers took to increase our oceanographic knowledge. Hopefully, that knowledge is increased enough so that people like you and me care enough to keep the eternal oceans just that – eternal. Fortunately, mankind's efforts to preserve the sea are the strongest they have ever been.