15 Films to bring the Ocean into your Home

Night on Earth

In this Netflix original documentary series, the ground-breaking technology enables photographers and videographers to reveal the hidden lives of the world’s nocturnal wildlife. The Dark Seas episode is an unforgettable look into a world few divers have explored. The ocean’s tides flow in concert with the moon and so do the creatures beneath it. The dark silent ocean holds an incredible energy that flourishes at the darkest hour. The behavior of nature at night.

Mission Blue

This inspiring documentary film follows Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned oceanographer, who has been exploring the ocean and the creatures that live there for over 6 decades. The film documents Sylvia’s personal mission to raise awareness to the increased stresses humans place on the ocean in the form of pollution, climate change and overfishing. It also provides us a solution, the Sylvia Earle Alliance founded to help scientists and conservationists in creating marine protected areas, in an effort to save marine life and protect us from ourselves.

Plastic Ocean

How can an ocean so vast and powerful, be in such a fragile state? Human influence. This award-winning documentary explores the alarming truths about the state of our oceans and how our arrogant species has followed a disposable lifestyle without thinking of the consequences leading into the future. Named one of the greatest horrors revealed in cinema, this adventure documentary is led by an unlikely duo, a journalist and a free-diver, travelling to twenty locations around the world uncovering the millions of tons of plastic waste drifting in our oceans. The combined dedication of scientists, filmmakers, social entrepreneurs and environmentalists all team together to provide workable solutions to the problem we all are facing in our plastic ocean.

The Cove

An academy award winning documentary about the questionable dolphin hunting practices in Japan is brought to the public eye by the once specialized animal trainer for the popular television series Flipper. The film is a call to action to educate the public about the risks of mercury poisoning from dolphin meat and the inhumane slaughter of the trapped dolphins. Portrayed heavily from an ocean conservationist’s standpoint, The Cove raises awareness to the killings rather than an alternative. The impeccably crafted docu film provides a beauty to these intelligent animals and holds the viewer in suspense as the calm blue water turns to blood red in the cove.

Sharkwater Extinction

Another brilliant release by the award-winning filmmaker and underwater videographer Rob Stewart, offers an inside look into the horrific shark-finning industry intertwined with a saddening farewell to Stewart himself, as the talented young filmmaker died in a scuba diving accident during production. The majestic beauty that these apex predators hold, captured alongside the passion of an inspirational individual who strived to change the way the world perceived them is wrapped up in this powerful film that will change your perspective.

Chasing Coral

A breathtakingly beautiful look at the ocean’s biodiversity hotspots, coral reefs. A must-watch film for divers and non-divers that has been rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. A crew of scientists, photographers and divers team together to create the first underwater time-lapse camera to record the silent yet catastrophic coral bleaching events. Coral reefs are the nursery for 1000’s of species of marine animals, hosting one of the most complex ecosystems on our planet and showcasing a kaleidoscope of life that everyone alive today still has the opportunity to experience for themselves.

Last Breath

A true story of a serious saturation diving accident that happened to a commercial diver around 100 meters below the surface. Stranded on the seabed with only 5 minutes of oxygen but no chance of rescue for more than 30 minutes, this incredible documentary brings the suspense and a gripping firsthand account of one man’s impossible fight for survival. The use of genuine footage and audio recorded at the time of the dive accident overlaid with the emotional interviews of men from one of the toughest jobs on the planet, will take your breath away.

The Abyss

An older film, by the famous director (of Avatar, Terminator, Titanic, Aliens) and the first person to pilot a solo dive down to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the ocean. James Cameron directs this sci-fi thriller about an American submarine that runs aground at the bottom of the Caribbean. The U.S search and recovery team race against the soviets to recover the boat but deep down in the darkest parts of the ocean, they encounter strange intelligent life. Winning the academy award for Best Visual Effects (well the best there was back in 1989), the Abyss is not only a gripping claustrophobic thriller deep under the sea but complete with an interesting crew of characters including an increasingly paranoid Navy SEAL officer.

The Big Blue

Another favorite film from the late 80’s, produced within the French Cinema (in English), is a journey between two childhood friends and now world-renowned free divers. Jacques Mayol, a boy who is so at home in the water that he seems only half-human and considers his only friends to be a family of playful dolphins. He and his freediving rival Enzo battle together, pushing the limits through courage and determination, and ultimately the depths of the freediving world in this beautifully cinematic and classic film.

20 000 Leagues under the Sea

Disney’s adaptation of Jules Verne’s original book with the same title (and author of Journey to the Center of the Earth), became the most elaborate and costly American-filmed effort to date (1954). Winning two academy awards (Best Art Direction and Special Effects) this classic family film gives us a story of life at sea: a seaman, a scientist and a diver team together to try and solve the mystery behind the disappearing whaling ships but on their adventure they fall into the hands of the antagonist Captain Nemo a skipper of the Nautilus, a scientifically advanced submarine.

Little Mermaid

One of Disney’s original animated classics tells the tale of a teenage mermaid, Ariel, daughter of Triton the King of the Sea. A princess story, with a twist, characters engraved into childhood memories like Sebastian the Crab and Flounder the blue and yellow fish (no he is not in fact a flounder). Ariel, being able to live underwater (we can only dream) wants to walk in the world of humans and makes a foolish agreement with Ursula the evil octopus lady, ending with a spectacular climactic confrontation between Ursula and Triton. The famous song “Under the Sea” won the Academy Award for best Original Score.

Moana

A beautifully animated, family-friendly, Disney adventure for all ages follows Moana, a sea-voyaging warrior who sets out on a daring mission to save her people and learn why they no longer sail across the seas like their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Along her journey she finds the mighty demigod Maui who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder and finally discovers the one thing she has always sought: her own identity. Beautiful scenes of the ocean’s majestic animals, starry bio-luminescence and a connection with the ocean that you can only find for yourself. Flounder from the Little Mermaid also makes a 2D appearance during Maui’s song “You’re Welcome”.

Finding Nemo

An under the sea film that shouldn’t need an introduction. This animated movie of Marlin’s search for Nemo the lost clown-fish, exposes the underwater world for all children to see and fall in love with. A film that I personally have watched 100 times, memorizing all the characters and in my own fashion calling out the scientific names for all the marine species featured. A timeless classic that not only persuaded the designers and artists of the film to get their scuba diving certifications in Australia for inspiration for the film but has inspired millions of people to go out and do the same. Nemo is named after Captain Nemo in the 20 000 Leagues under the Sea film, which also translates from Latin to “nobody”. There is also a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific called Point Nemo, which is the most remote place on earth with the closest human civilization being the International Space Station or Antarctica 2688km away.

Finding Dory

13 years after we found Nemo, the Disney characters return with another heartwarming adventure about the real meaning of family, the forgetful blue Tang Dory begins her search for her long-lost parents. With the help from her friends Nemo and Marlin, as well as new friends from within the Marine Life Institute they all embark on an epic adventure to find them. A beautiful showcase of life under the sea and an animated tour of the aquarium inside the Institute. Interestingly, Sigourney Weaver (famous actress) is the voice of the speakers within the animated institute, as a true representation of her voice spoken everyday inside the real life one.