Secrets of the Whales

Secrets of the Whales
Genre	Nature documentary
Created by	Brian Armstrong Andy Mitchell
Written by	Brian Armstrong Andy Mitchell
Directed by	Brian Armstrong Andy Mitchell
Narrated by	Sigourney Weaver
Composer	Raphaelle Thibaut
Original language	English
No.of seasons	1
No.of episodes	4
Production
Executive producer	James Cameron
Producer	Brian Skerry
Cinematography	Brian Armstrong Andy Mitchell
Production company	Red Rock Films
Original release
Network	National Geographic Channel Disney+

Secrets of the Whalesis anature documentarytelevision series that depicts a variety ofwhalespecies in a variety of habitats. The first episode aired April 22, 2021, onNational Geographic,as well as being released onDisney+.It was filmed across 24 locations and took 3 years in production.Brian Skerryoriginated the show concept in 2008, after writing an article forNational Geographicabout endangered whale species.Executive produced byJames Cameron,it is the first in his "Secrets of" series, followed bySecrets of the Elephants,andSecrets of the Octopus.

The series won the 2021Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardforOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.It received positive review from critics.

Premise

The television series follows the life, culture, and behavior of different whale species across the globe.

Featured whales

Featured whales

Name	Image	Family	Location	Size
Orca		Oceanic dolphin	Prefer cold wateroceans.
Humpback Whale		Rorqual	Feeding in polar waters and migrating to tropical waters
Beluga whale		Monodontidae	Arcticand subarctic ocean.
Narwhal		Monodontidae	Arctic Ocean Canada Russia
Sperm whale		Physeteroidea	Migrating seasonally for feeding and breeding.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Orca Dynasty"	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	April 22, 2021(2021-04-22)
Orcasdisplay differing survival strategies across the world. InNew Zealandwaters, a mother teachers her offspring to catchstingraysby flipping them upside down. Marine wildlife photographerBrian Skerryhas a close encounter with the mother orca, who offers him a stingray. InPatagonia,a grandmother passes on the difficult technique of catchingsea lionsby rushing up onto shore. An adopted orca struggles to learn this hunting strategy. Unique knowledge like this must be passed down from generation to generation, indicating whales have a sense ofculture.
2	"Humpback Song"	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	April 22, 2021(2021-04-22)
Humpback whalestravel vast distances from thepolesto theequatorialocean to give birth. Mothers and calves must make the long journey back to northern or southern waters. In thesouthern hemisphere,the whales pass along a specificmating songfor thousands of miles. In thenorthern hemisphere,a group of whales return year after year to work together as they capturekrillinbubble nets.A mother humpback teaches her calf this skill, which takes practice to master.
3	"Beluga Kingdom"	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	April 22, 2021(2021-04-22)
AroundGreenland,over two-thousandbeluga whalesreturn to the same place each year where mothers give birth to their calves. They will teach their babies the hundreds of complex vocalizations belugas use to communicate. Apolar bearposes a threat when two belugas are trapped in shallow waters and a calf is separated from his mother. Parent and offspring are eventually reunited, but the third whale falls pray to the hungry bear.NarwhalsmigratefromBaffin Bayto shallow, warmer western waters. One narwhal is separated from his family and becomes increasingly lost. Facing starvation, he encounters a pod of belugas (the narwhal'sclosest species) and joins the group to survive.
4	"Ocean Giants"	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	Brian Armstrong & Andy Mitchell	April 22, 2021(2021-04-22)
On an epic journey that spans the world's oceans in Dominica, the Azores and Sri Lanka, witness the complex culture of the gentle giants. Relying solely on the next generation's ability to learn their intricate ways, family culture and secrets, the sperm whales' future rests upon its youngest members.

Release

Secrets of the Whalespremiered on April 22, 2021, on Disney+ andNational GeographicforEarth Day.

Reception

Critical reception

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,92% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.60/10.Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 89 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Mike Hale ofThe New York Timesfound the visuals exciting, stating that the shots manage to provide a deep emotion for the audience, while claiming that the series emphasizes the intelligence and the social skills of whales.John Serba ofDeciderstated that the series succeeds to distinguish itself from other wildlife documentaries, claiming it provides fairly scientific data and very satisfying visuals that manage to capture the attention of the audience.Richard Roeper ofChicago Sun-Timesgave the series a 4 out of 4 stars rating, claimed that the documentary succeeds to explore the behavior and culture of different whale species scientifically, found the visuals of the series astonishing across its photography, while saying that Sigourney Weaver was the ideal choice as the narrator.Joly Herman ofCommon Sense Mediarated the series 4 out of 5 stars and acclaimed the education value, claiming that the documentary succeeds to portray the intelligence and culture of whales, praised the positive messages and role models, stating thatSecrets of the Whalesdepicts the importance of love, teamwork, and creativity among the whales to the survival of their species, while complimenting Weaver's performance.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2021	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award	Outstanding Narrator	Sigourney Weaver	Nominated
		Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series	James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, Shannon, Malone-Debenedictis, Pamela Caragol, Kevin Krug, Samuel LeGrys, Brian Skerry	Won
		Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program	Hayes Baxley, Andy Mitchell, Brian Armstrong	Nominated
	Online Film & Television Association	Best Narration	Sigourney Weaver	Nominated
		Best Cinematography in a Variety, Sketch, Nonfiction, or Reality Program	Secrets of the Whales	Nominated

External links

• Official website
• Secrets of the WhalesatIMDb