Two people are in a boat on the water. The man with a long beard and sunglasses is steering, arms wide open. The woman beside him raises one arm. Both wear sunglasses and jackets as they navigate the sea of shadows under a clear blue sky, with endless ocean in the background.
A person in black clothing and gloves crouches on a ship deck beside a large fish, surrounded by the ominous sea of shadows. Armed guards stand in the background as distant mountains loom beyond the vessel.
A soldier in camouflage and tactical goggles sits at the open door of a military aircraft, gazing over a sea of shadows. The aircraft's structure looms behind him, the scene bathed in muted, cool tones.
A vaquita glides through the deep blue ocean, partially submerged with its head and upper back peeking above the surface. In this serene sea of shadows, its small dorsal fin and smooth skin become visible, whispering tales of mystery beneath the waves.
From an aerial viewpoint, a sea of shadows unfolds as large piles of discarded fishing nets, encased in white bags marked with skull and crossbones symbols, scatter across the sandy coastal ground. Several people navigate through this haunting scene, examining the remnants left behind.
A man with a beard and a blue t-shirt stands outdoors, gazing to the side. Amidst the sunny, bustling scene with blurred buildings and a white car, he seems like a solitary figure in a sea of shadows.

Sea of Shadows

Conservation·1 x 106 min·Completed

'Sea of Shadows' follows a gripping mission to save the endangered vaquita whale, as investigators battle poachers, cartels, and traffickers in the Sea of Cortez.

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Genre
Conservation
Nature & Wildlife
Duration
1 × 106 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1, Dolby Atmos
Status
Completed
Year
2019
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Synopsis

‘Sea of Shadows’ is a feature documentary thriller that follows undercover investigators, environmentalists, journalists, and the Mexican Navy on their desperate last-minute effort to rescue the Earth’s smallest whale—the Vaquita—from extinction.

A looming disaster in one of the most spectacular environments on Earth sparks a rescue mission unlike any other in ‘Sea of Shadows’, a riveting new documentary with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller.

When Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers join forces to poach the rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez, their deadly methods threaten to destroy virtually all marine life in the region, including the elusive and mysterious whale species known as the vaquita porpoise.

But a team of brilliant scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and courageous undercover agents put their lives on the line to save the last remaining vaquita and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice.

Team

Production companies National Geographic Documentary Films presents A Terra Mater Factual Studios production in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wildlens Collective
Directed by Richard Ladkani
Produced by Walter Köhler, Wolfgang Knöpfler
Director of Photography Richard Ladkani

Team

Production companies National Geographic Documentary Films presents A Terra Mater Factual Studios production in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wildlens Collective
Directed by Richard Ladkani
Produced by Walter Köhler, Wolfgang Knöpfler
Director of Photography Richard Ladkani
Second Camera Tobias Corts
Edited by Georg Michael Fischer, Verena Schönauer
Music by H. Scott Salinas
Location Sound Roland Winkler
Sound Design/Mix Michael Plöderl, Bernhard Zorzi
Production Manager Anita Ladkani
Field Producer Ru Mahoney
Junior Producer Sarah Nörenberg
Associate Producers Matthew Podolsky, Sean Bogle
Executive producers Carolyn Bernstein, Ryan Harrington, Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson, Scott Z. Burns, Dinah Czezik-Müller, Michael Frenschkowski, Laura Nix, Rebecca Cammisa
Sales Representatives SUBMARINE (Josh Braun, Dan Braun, Ben Braun, Matt Burke, Ben Schwartz)
Featuring (in order of appearance) Jack Hutton, Carlos Loret de Mola, Andrea Crosta, Javier & Alan Valverde, Dr. Cynthia Smith

Awards & Recognitions

UN HQ, USA 2022 World Wildlife Day Film Showcase: Recovering Species for Ecosystem Restoration Winner (Species in Crises: Long Form) 2022
Banff, Canada BANFF World Media Festival – Rockie Awards International Documentary & Factual: Crime & Investigative 2020
Berlin, Germany Cinema for Peace International Green Film Award 2020
Los Angeles, USA Imagen Awards Best Documentary Award 2020
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Awards Best Impact Campaign Award 2020
Bristol, UK Wildscreen Festival Audio Network Music Award 2020
Gijón, Spain Wild Oceans FilmFest Best Documentary Award 2020
Toronto, Canada Water Docs 2020 Best Film Awards Best Feature Film Award 2020
Vienna, Austria KURIER ROMY Akademiepreis Nomination (Best Theatrical Documentary) 2020
New York, USA Cinema Eye Honors Award Nomination (Outstanding Cinematography in a Broadcast Film or Series) 2020
Bristol, UK Wildscreen Festival Best Producer/Director Award 2020
Athens, USA Peabody Award Nomination 2020
Bristol, United Kingdom Wildscreen Festival Nomination: Best Editing 2020
Gijón, Spain Wild Oceans FilmFest Finalist (Preservation) 2020
Los Angeles, USA Emmy Awards Nomination (Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program) 2020
Bristol, United Kingdom Wildscreen Festival Nomination: Best Sound 2020
Sherman Oaks, USA Motion Picture Sound Editors Nomination (Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing) 2020
New York, USA Cinema Eye Honors Award Nomination (Outstanding Broadcast Film) 2020
WCSFP – World Congress of Science & Factual Producers Buzzies Awards Nomination (Biggest Impact of the Year) 2020
Park City, USA Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary 2019
Minneapolis, USA Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival Minnesota Cinematic Arts Award 2019
Dallas, USA EarthX Film Festival Impact Award: Elephant Action League (Andrea Crosta) 2019
Auckland, New Zealand Doc Edge Crime & Conspiracy Award 2019
Long Beach Island, USA Lighthouse International Film Festival Social Awareness Award: Documentary 2019
Long Beach Island, USA Lighthouse International Film Festival Audience Award: Documentary 2019
Guanajuato, Mexico International Environmental Film Festival Mexico Sol de Oro Especial: Documentary 2019
Nantucket, USA Nantucket Film Festival Best of Festival 2019
Taormina, Italy Taormina Film Fest Special Insignia for Andrea Crosta 2019
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Awards Best Theatrical Film 2019
Innsbruck, Austria Innsbruck Nature Festival Grand Prize for the Best Nature Documentary 2019
Kiel, Germany Cinemare Internationales Meeresfilmfestival Kiel Ocean Conservation Award 2019
Copenhagen, Denmark CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival Nomination (F:ACT Award) 2019
Graz, Austria Diagonale – Festival des österreichischen Films Nomination 2019
Hong Kong, China HKIFF Hong Kong International Film Festival Nomination (Documentary Competition) 2019
Toronto, Canada Toronto Hot Docs Nomination (Special theme programme: Animal Magnetism) 2019
Missoula, USA IWFF International Wildlife Film Festival Opening Film 2019
Durham, USA Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Nomination 2019
Mexico Ambulante Documentary Film Festival Nomination 2019
Munich, Germany Dok.Fest International Documentary Film Festival Munich Nomination (DOK.focus humaNature) 2019
Sydney, Australia Sydney Film Festival Nomination (Feature Films) 2019
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Award Nomination (Best Conservation Film) 2019
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Award Nomination (Best People & Nature Film) 2019
USA CCDA – Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Nomination (Best Cinematography) 2019
USA CCDA – Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Nomination (Best Editing) 2019
USA CCDA – Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Nomination (Best Score) 2019
USA CCDA – Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Nomination (Best Science/Nature Documentary) 2019
Los Angeles, USA IDA – International Documentary Association Nomination: Feature Documentary 2019
Los Angeles, USA IDA – International Documentary Association Nomination: Best Music Score 2019
Savannah, USA SCAD – Savannah Film Festival Docs to Watch Selection 2019
New York, USA Doc NYC Nomination (Winner’s Circle) 2019
Santa Monica, USA Humanitas Prize Finalist 2019
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