During these troubled time and under quarantine (or self-distancing, whichever you prefer) Disney+ brings forth on April, 3, 2020, Disneynature Dolphin Reef, a documentary that follows Echo, a three-year-old dolphin who is quite playful in an echosystem that he hasn’t come to realize he will be a huge part of it’s survival.
Narrated by Oscar winning actress, Natalie Portman, the Disneynature documentary follows Echo and his mother, Kumu, who up until this point has been his caregiver. As Echo goes from carefree child to a more mature dolphin, he becomes aware of the dangers of the deep where bottlenose dolphins like Echo and Kumu are hunted by orcas. However, killer whales aren’t his only worry in the reef, there are also giant stingrays, with razor-sharp tails and scourge of all other sharks, the dreaded tiger shark.
Lucky for our dolphin hero, there are strength in numbers, where Kumu, Echo and their pod can rely on each other for safety, comfort and community.
The picture was so clear that I felt like I was sitting at an aquarium watching the dolphins swim by. In fact, once we’re allowed to do so again, I want to go out and swim with the dolphins in a safe eco-friendly environment that doesn’t harm these mammals.
What’s really cute is Echo playing with a seashell throughout most of the documentary. The musical score only adds to the gorgeous visuals we have come to expect from Disneynature films from previous years. Yes, we know Disney is great at creating a narrative and this at times feels like a prequel to the live action Little Mermaid that will continue production after-all-is-said-and-done with our self-distancing, but this is definitely a fun, cute way to introduce your kids to marine biology.
Disneynature Dolphin Reef is not an in depth documentary about dolphins or life within a coral reef, but what it does is part your interest to so search for more information about these majestic creatures and that little spark is all it takes to drive the next generation of scientists. Really, what more could you ask for?
Disneynature Dolphin Reef premieres on Disney+ April 3, 2020.
- Overall Score
Summary
Disneynature Dolphin Reef is a beautiful documentary that follows one dolphin named Echo and can easily spark your children’s interest in marine biology.