Reviewed by Ian Mowll
This documentary starts with exploring the oceans and their abundant wildlife. It is a visual feast – capturing everything from coral reefs and kelp forests to whales, dolphins and much more. But the documentary doesn’t shy away from the harsh truth. It delivers a harrowing exploration of how industrial fishing – especially bottom trawling – lays waste fragile marine ecosystems by scouring sea beds, devastating coral reefs, and wasting up to 75% of the catch.
But the great part of the documentary is that there is hope. Areas of the sea have been protected from human intervention and it’s amazing how quickly life bounces back. Not only that, a protected area once established, can provide wildlife way beyond the boundaries of the reserve. It is stated that the UN has a goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, compared to just 2–3% currently protected.
There are many useful facts in the film. For instance, the sea is more important than all of the trees on Earth in providing oxygen to the atmosphere. After having seen this documentary, I feel much more passionate about protecting the oceans for the health of the planet and all life.
At the time of writing, this documentary was available on Disney+.