"Kingdom of the Blue Whale" is a documentary film that follows a group of scientists, led by Dr. Ari Friedlaender, as they embark on a groundbreaking research mission to study California blue whales, the largest creatures on earth.
The film showcases the researchers' use of modern technology and scientific techniques to gather data on these elusive creatures, including satellite tags, drones, and DNA sampling.
The team begins their mission by searching for blue whales off the coast of California, where they use hydrophones and other tools to locate and track the whales as they migrate from their feeding grounds in the krill-rich waters of the Arctic to their breeding grounds off the coast of Costa Rica.
Once they locate the whales, the team uses specially designed crossbows to collect skin samples from the whales' backs, which they analyze for DNA to determine the sex of individual whales. By tagging the whales with satellite tags, the researchers also gain insight into the whales' movements and behaviors as they journey across the Pacific.
The film culminates with the team's journey to the Costa Rica Dome, a unique ecosystem where hundreds of blue whales gather to mate and feed. Here, the researchers witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of these magnificent creatures, while studying their social interactions and vocalizations.
Throughout the film, "Kingdom of the Blue Whale" also conveys the urgency of protecting these majestic animals, who face numerous threats from human activity, including ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and noise pollution from shipping and oil drilling operations.