Educational Media Reviews Online

Research on whale behavior, communication and marine acoustics has recently been enhanced by declassification of US Navy sonar information. Researchers are now able to study aspects of whale ecology previously beyond their reach. For instance, scientists have learned that whales can communicate at distances of over 1,000 miles and sounds from blue whales can be detected at distances up to 12,000 miles.

The Science of Whales contains superb video footage. The shots of "cooperative lunge feeding" are spectacular and many of the underwater shots show how graceful the movements of the whale can be. There are a number of whale videos on the market, but the footage in this video is some of the best. The film also contains some animation scenes that are technically quite good, but good to the point of being a distraction. At several points it was difficult to determine if it was actual film footage or animation.

The film profiles several whale researchers and highlights the nature of their work. There is a distinct contrast between the more clinical of whale researchers and those that study whales because of their love for the animals themselves. At one point the film describes a researcher's early experiences with sound as part of a church choir. While this might be an appropriate illustration for younger audiences and adult laypersons, it makes the film inappropriate for a research-based audience.

Despite these criticisms, this is a well-researched and edited film. It is informative, accurate, interesting and visually pleasing. The film can be split into two parts for classroom use (26 and 30 minutes each). The content and the film footage makes The Science of Whales an appropriate addition to any school or public library. Selected footage would be useful for college level instruction purposes. Highly recommended.