
Dolphins
Wild dolphins move through two very different oceans in this IMAX film from MacGillivray Freeman: the clear shallow waters of the Bahamas, where spotted dolphins socialize and hunt over sand flats, and the colder, wind-driven seas off Patagonia. Cameras follow pods at close range to show how they communicate through clicks, whistles, and body posture, and how calves learn to swim and feed alongside adults. Pierce Brosnan narrates, tying the underwater footage to the science of dolphin cognition and social structure, while Sting contributes songs and music to the soundtrack. The film was produced in association with the National Wildlife Federation, with funding from the National Science Foundation, and it earned an Academy Award nomination for its cinematography. There is no plot beyond the animals themselves; the camera simply stays with them long enough to catch behavior a diver would need weeks to see, from group hunting to what looks like play. It runs short and stays close to the water, letting the two locations stand in for how differently dolphins live depending on where the ocean puts them.