Discover the ocean’s most extraordinary animals in new 3D documentary, Secrets of the Sea

Aquarium opens new film exploring unique animal behaviors Feb. 17 at Simons Theatre

BOSTON, MASS. (Jan. 31, 2023) – Secrets of the Sea is a lavishly photographed new giant screen 3D documentary that explores the astonishing world of 70 marine species and the fascinating ways in which they interact with each other and their environment. The film opens Feb. 17 at the New England Aquarium’s Simons Theatre, the only theatre in the Northeast where moviegoers can see the film.

From pygmy seahorses and opalescent squid to giant manta rays, tiger sharks, barnacle blennies, and coconut octopus, Secrets of the Sea showcases how ocean animals depend on one another for survival, and the critical need for marine biodiversity to keep our oceans healthy. The film is a stunning visual celebration of marine life with an inspiring message about protecting our oceans, shot in 16 locations around the world from Tahiti to the Philippines and California. Narrated by Joelle Carter, it is the latest underwater giant screen documentary from internationally acclaimed filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall and local award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Bird.

“Secrets of the Sea introduces audiences to a new cast of strange and wondrous sea creatures and marine life that reveal just how truly magnificent and extraordinary the ocean world really is,” the Halls said. “Viewers will discover animal behaviors that have only rarely been photographed before, such as the unique way dugongs and remoras interact with one another and the spawning rituals of squid and parrotfish.”

Previous blockbuster ocean hits for Howard and Michelle Hall include Into the Deep, Island of the Sharks, Deep Sea 3D, and Under the Sea 3D, which combined have grossed more than $250 million at the worldwide box office. For Secrets of the Sea, the Halls partnered with director and cinematographer Jonathan Bird, whose giant screen film Ancient Caves was released to critical acclaim in 2020 and who is the producer and host of Jonathan Bird’s Blue World, an Emmy® Award-winning educational and family-friendly underwater adventure series airing on public television and YouTube. He is also the founder of Oceanic Research Group (oceanicresearch.org), a non-profit environmental organization founded in 1990 to promote conservation of the world’s oceans.

“Everything about this film was created expressly for the large screen—the story, the pacing, the editing, the photography is all designed to be really big and really, really immersive,” says Jonathan.  “Families and kids will love seeing all the animals, from tiny krill to giant blue whales, and will marvel at how so much of the ocean’s sea life works together symbiotically.”

Secrets of the Sea will screen through December 31, 2023 at the Simons Theatre, which is open seven days a week during Aquarium visitor hours at 1 Central Wharf in Boston. Tickets can be purchased in advance here.

The Matthew and Marcia Simons Theatre has 378 plush high-backed seats and offers an immersive experience for audiences to see films on a giant 80-foot-wide, 43-foot-high projection screen with razor sharp images and wrap-around digital surround sound. In keeping with the Aquarium’s mission to protect the blue planet, the Simons Theatre also features carpeting made of 100 percent recycled yarn from discarded fishing nets and a digital 3D projection system that reduces electricity usage by 40 percent. The theater also includes a cleaning system for 3D glasses that uses less water and electricity.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Pam Bechtold Snyder – psnyder@neaq.org, 617-686-5068