Spirit Of The Sound

Discovering that geoducks (large edible clams affectionately known as "pissers") live up to 120 years is the kind of trivial tidbit that leads to serious philosophical and theological rumination (as in: how do they rate?). That's just one of the interesting facts passed on in this gorgeously photographed overview of wildlife in Washington's coastal Puget Sound area. Originally airing on PBS's Nature, Spirit of the Sound makes a few pointed comments about the pollution which is slowly but surely strangling the once pristine waters of Puget Sound, but this is primarily an unstructured look at wonderfully photogenic critters. Like the magnificent Orca whales indigenous to the region, and the salmon who are such a vital part of the area food chain--from feeding humans to feeding bald eagles that migrate from as far away as Alaska for the feast. In one extraordinary sequence a huge flock of snow geese take wing and perform an exquisite aerial ballet. Divers take cameras underwater to examine the weird wildlife living at the bottom of Padilla Bay, and travel to the human-abandoned Protection Island where gulls wage a deadly war with a nearby family of eagles. There's a bit of animal violence in the show. (In fact, I was reminded of our friends' David and Elaine Elkind, who used to tune in PBS during the dinner hour, but Elaine could no longer stand watching animals eat other animals while she and David were busy eating animals.) Overall, Spirit of the Sound doesn't really tell a story, but for anyone who truly enjoys top-notch nature photography, they can't go wrong with this one. Highly recommended. (Available from: Camera One Productions, 8523 15th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115; (800) 726-3456.)