Ocean Odyssey

At the bottom of the oceans, ravines run deeper than the Grand Canyon and mountains rise higher than Mt. Everest—all part of a world of darkness less known to man than the landscape of the moon. Here, the sperm whale—one of nature's largest mammals and a fearsome deep water hunter—pierces the gloom, using sound waves to track and devour its prey, sometimes consuming as many as 500 squid in a single dive. Filmmaker Dave Allen's BBC-aired documentary Ocean Odyssey employs superlative computer graphics to present an imagined 80-plus year journey of one sperm whale, from birth to old age and death. One of the most social of all whales (and boasting the biggest brain), the sperm whale uses its phenomenal navigation skills in an endless search to find food. But even though the sperm whale is at the top of the food chain, life in the abyss still holds dangers: young sperm whales are menaced by killer whales, and adults carry a lifetime of scars from tangles with giant squid and other mammoths on the ocean floor. Intensively hunted by man in previous generations, sperm whales today face other short and long range problems, including climate changes brought on by global warming, as well as the commercial fishing industry's practice of scouring ocean floors for fish, depriving the whale of its food. An informative documentary enhanced with thrilling visual effects and featuring a strong conservation message, this outstanding nature film sets a new standard for the genre. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)