A movie review is not something I would normally undertake, but having just seen “Wild Ocean” at our local Science Centre Imax theatre, I felt compelled to share the experience.  “Wild Ocean” provides an incredible sensory experience.  

The awe-inspiring cinematography, the soundtrack mixing native African singers and orchestral arrangements together with a non-biased educational element make this movie a must see for everyone.

“Wild Ocean” captures what scientists believe is the greatest migration on the planet in terms of biomass, namely the sardine run off the coast of South Africa.  The sardine migration begins in the cool waters south of the African continent in June or July, where they form shoals of millions of fish.   The sardines then “run” along what is called the “Wild Coast” of South Africa into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.  The beauty of the huge sardine shoals which are often over 7km long, 3.5 km wide and 30 meters deep is not the only spectacle to behold, the legions of predators that congregate in the “Wild Coast” waters each year in anticipation of the feeding frenzy is nothing short of amazing.

 The “Wild Ocean” along the eastern cape of South Africa teems with over twenty thousand dolphins, thousands of sharks, hundreds of thousands of birds such as the Cape Gannet, Comorants, and Terns, as well as cape fur seals, all seeking to satisfy their hunger with the sardine shoals.  Sardines group together when threatened into what is called “bait balls” of up to 10-20 metres in diameter.  It is the spectacle of the dolphins and sharks rounding up the sardines into these bait balls and then all predators diving into it to come away with mouthfuls of sardines that provides some of the most spectacular footage in the movie.

Unlike many IMAX films, “Wild Ocean”  does not seem to cause the nausea associated with the over stimulation of the visual senses.  This makes it an ideal choice for viewers of all ages.   The movie soundtrack is incredible, and while it is not currently available, there is supposed to be a plan to release it in the future.  Below is the trailer for the movie, enjoy!

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