Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Ocean Realm [VHS]

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The scenes of this video are incredible! Using the latest rebreathing technology, divers were able to stay continuously underwater for long periods, somtimes up to six hours to capture a single event. A lot of the footages were rare and never seen before on television.

I particularly liked "The Making Of" part, where they actually showed how the cameras were being set up and the divers were just waiting for the sea creatures to perform.

I am a divemaster myself and it is the best underwater documentary I have seen. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this video.

I have watched documentaries for most of my life, and most of them have been on ocean life. Unfortunately, I have seen so many that I have struggled much in the recent years to find new documentaries that contain enough new, fascinating information and beautiful footage to warrant any monetary investment. Well my search ended with Secrets of the Ocean Realm. Never before have I paid so much for a documentary series, and never before has my money been so well spent.

The footage offers more than the occasional marvel. There are never-before filmed creatures. There are creatures never before identifed by science. And there are familiar creatures engaging in activities never before seen or filmed. For the first time, the viewer is able to see how much personality and individuality animals have.

But the documentary is about more than individual animals. It explores entire ecosystems, from coral reefs to star gardens to the dark depths of the deepest oceans.

The strong yet soothing voice of Linda Hunt carries the viewer on a journey of unimaginable biological diversity and kaleidoscopic color, and it is all accompanied by a subtly emotional and unforgettably dynamic musical score.

After viewing each video in this series multiple times in the privacy of my home, my only regret now is I am harder pressed than ever to find a documentary series that can top Secrets of the Ocean Realm.

This is one of the best collections of underwater videos I have seen. I'm a professional marine biologist and spend a great deal of time underwater. Although I have been to many parts of the world with the express purpose of studying ocean life, my own observations pale in comparison to the footage contained in this set. Howard Hall literally has been everywhere, done everything, and has been able to capture much of it on film. Each video in the set contains two separate movies, all of which are excellent. For me, the best aspect of the set is the fact that many of the covered topics are "atypical;" that is they depict places that few people have been to or subjects that few people are familiar with. My favorite video in the set is Star Gardens. I had long heard about brittlestar-dominated ecosystems, but I had never seen one. Star Gardens take you there are really introduces you to the major players in the system, including the very large (multiple feet in diameter) sun stars. My least favorite videos in the series were The Great Whales and Sharks. Although neither of these videos were by any means bad, they seemed a bit tacked on, and other videos provide a more thorough treatment of these animals. Overall, I recommend this collection to anyone who is interested in ocean life. I can also say that they make an excellent educational tool. I have often shown these films to undergraduate and graduate students and I've always been pleased with the way these videos captivate my students attention.

These amazing videos give us a rare glimpse into the lives of the creatures that live under the sea. This five video set will keep anyone interested in underwater life entertained for hours. The tapes are as follows:

Vol 1: Cathedral in the Sea/Survival in the Sea.

Cathedral shows us the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest and the many sea animals that live there. Survival takes us on a life and death journey through the lives of fish and other sea animals. Animal tricks such as camaflouge, stingers and simple frontal attacks are all shown here. One memorable scene occurs when a moray eel decides to try to make breakfast out of a scorpion fish.

Vol 2: Venom/Creatures of Darkenss.

Venom takes us into the world of scorpion fish, lion fish, sea anemonies and demon stingers. Creatures of Darkness shows us the sea creatures who live only in the great depths, at which it is constantly night. Opalescent and humboldt squids abound here. Also, there is footage of a rare "vampire" squid which seemingly turns itself inside out!

Vol 3: The Great Whales/Sharks

This is the tape with the big boys of the sea. Extensive footage of humpbacks, blues and California grey whales is the highlight of The Great Whales. Sharks shows us the ultimate predators of the sea. There is terrific footage of Great Whites attacking Elephant Seals (nothing too gory, however), as well as other sharks. There is also fascinating never-before-seen footage of hammerheads mating and sinking (since they can't swim when they mate).

Vol 4: City in the Sea/Star Gardens

City takes us to the Caribbean coral reef. Reef squids, loggerhead turtles and barracude all call this place home. Star Gardens (my favorite segment) shows us a reef community where sea stars all over the place. They live together with anemones, octopi and wolf eels. A terrific scene occurs when a wave of brittle stars flee from an advancing sun star. There's also terrific footage of an anemone fleeing a battle (I can't ever remember seeing an anemone swim away).

Vol 5: Mountain in the Sea/Filming Secrets

In Mountain, we are taken to a literal mountain in the sea. Here many migratory animals gather. There is a great scene of hundreds of giant rays doing a mating dance. Filming Secrets shows us some of the technical aspects of how these videos were made; including the amazing rebreather suits which allow the divers to stay underwater for hours longer than they previously could.

Throughout the series, the photography is simply amazing. There are things in these videos that you will not see anywhere else. Have you ever heard of a fish called a Sarcastic Fringehead who yells at his neighbors? It's in here. These videos are truly amazing.

Howard Hall has made a stunning set of films that comprise this set of videos. A must see for all who are interested in the amazing diversity of our oceans.