Challenge Of the Seas

Hosted by actor Ted Danson, the two episodes on this video ("The Whales That Came Back" and "Sea of Whales")--culled from an A&E series that aired several years ago--feature some very nice footage of breaching humpbacks and cavorting dolphins, but some of the material is repetitive and the writing is uninspired. "The Whales That Came Back" traces the plight of California gray whales throughout history and examines their annual migration to the lagoons of Baja. "Sea of Whales," opens with some identical information about the California gray whale, and then turns its attention to the humpback whales near San Francisco Bay, whose migratory habits are also tracked. While Challenge of the Seas is nice to look at, there are more recent and better arranged videos about whales available. a better choice here would be In the Company of Whales (VL-9/92). Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)