JIM Reviews film "WILD OCEAN" [ = Omnimax ] --

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“WILD OCEAN” [Omnimax film] – The sea creatures need our HELP =

Rating: 9 of 10 stars.

This documentary (being shown at venues such as the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago) concentrates on the KwaZulu-Natal WILD COAST in the SE area of South Africa. Unlike most places in the world (which have been horribly OVER-fished), this area has been able to manage its resources to try to conserve its fish so they can properly reproduce for future generations. Global warming has greatly affected a lot of areas, and that’s added to the fragility of the wildlife. This film tells the story of a yearly “shoal” FISH RUN of sardines off the coast, which draws numerous species of SHARKS (which can smell prey from up to 5 miles away), around 20,000 DOLPHINS, gannet BIRDS (who dive from up to 100’ into the water to try to catch the fast-moving fish), SEA LIONS & humpback WHALES. It tells of the history of people seeking sea creatures in the area (an activity which goes back like 100,000 years), & how the government there has finally proclaimed an ocean PRESERVE in the region to try achieve a forward-looking view for the animals and people there. The filmmakers hope to encourage such preserves be set up in OTHER areas of the world to try to bring the badly-depleted resources into better balance with needs and the environment. As usual for such Omnimax films, it’s marvelously filmed with loving care and an entertaining educational underpinning.