Call of the Killer Whale

Call of the Killer Whale

The most complex marine species on the planet, our counterparts in the sea, are the orca, the ruler of the ocean.

They are the most widely distributed marine mammal in the world. Their realm extends from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Orcas, also called killer whales, number fewer than 100,000 worldwide, and learning more about them is a global endeavor for Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of explorers, who travel to both the northern and southern hemispheres as they seek out killer whales in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The team discovers that people and orcas share surprising similarities, and even similar needs, and they relate their findings to the captivity and release of Keiko, from Free Willy fame, who captured the world’s imagination and whose survival depended on pioneering efforts to re-introduce Keiko into the wild. Cousteau explains how time was spent un-training the trainers who, in turn, untrained Keiko for a life outside of captivity. Cousteau stated, “It’s easy to capture a wild creature and put it in jail. It’s nearly impossible to return them to the wild.”

The team also learns how some of the threats to killer whales now intersect with human lives. Intriguing detours in the expedition arise, leading to critical examinations of our environment, of the food on our dinner tables, even of our own health.

“What we’re trying to do is to make the connection between humans and nature, comparing humans and orcas,” stated Jean-Michel Cousteau. “They are the dominant species in the ocean. We are the dominant species on land and we all depend on the same thing.”

Call of the Killer Whale is shot in high-definition and is narrated by Chris Noth.

To watch the full length two-part film please click here.