This surprisingly tender and personal story of one man's connection to two individual whales is a remarkably rewarding watch. Patrick and the Whale clocks in at a reasonable 53 minutes, during which time viewers are treated to spectacular images from both above and below the ocean surface.
The visuals are gorgeous and will stick in the memory, but what makes this film so magical is its star and narrator. Dykstra forges relationships with his whales, most of whom he has named and can identify individually. He communicates with two specific females via clicks on the side of his camera; they approach him and check him out through what he calls a "3D sonar scan."
His connection is so deep that he sheds tears when he thinks he's offended one of them, and again when she returns and entrusts her beloved calf to his supervision while she deep-dives for food.
You'll learn plenty from this film about whale behavior, but you'll also be prompted to think about the best and worst of human behavior and our complicated relationship with nature.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media
Images courtesy of Prime Video
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