Feature film — 1999

Dolphins: The Wild Side (1999)

Dolphins: The Wild Side follows these mammals in the wild as they fight for mating rights, hunt for food, and clash with other dolphin species. Thanks to some brilliant underwater camerawork, we're treated to the sight of dolphins hydroplaning through 10 inches of water after fish, ramming one other in a quarrel over females, and evading a group of hungry orcas in Alaska. (Killer whales are actually part of the dolphin family, but they feel no compunction about feeding on their smaller cousins--not a scene for the squeamish!) But perhaps the most impressive part of this documentary are the scenes of a dolphin pod working in concert to trap a shimmering, mammoth school of sardines. Through calculated use of air bubbles, tail slaps, and sonic pips, the animals corral their prey and have a feast. The clever, and at times ruthless, nature of these mammals is on abundant display in this entertaining documentary