BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS
Join an adventure of a lifetime to discover a long-lost blue whale pod

Multiple dates and times
The Dome at H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver BC V6J 3J9

BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS

WINNER - FIVE 2024 GIANT SCREEN CINEMA ASSOCIATION AWARDS
🏆 Best Film
🏆 Best Original Score
🏆 Best Cinematography
🏆 Best Marketing Campaign by a Distributor
🏆 Audience Award - Beijing International Film Festival
🏆 Best Science Film - Beijing International Film Festival

Blue whales are the largest animals ever to live on Earth—bigger than any dinosaur. Once hunted to the edge of extinction, they're making a remarkable comeback. But despite their massive size, we know surprisingly little about them.

This award-winning documentary follows two groundbreaking scientific expeditions: a high-risk mission to find a population of blue whales missing for over 50 years off the Seychelles Islands, and an intimate look at whale families in Mexico's Gulf of California with Dr. Diane Gendron, known as "The Blue Whale Whisperer."

THE EXPEDITIONS

Search for the Lost Pod - Seychelles Islands
Watch scientists venture into remote waters of the exotic Seychelles where blue whales haven't been seen in half a century. The team faces rough seas and unpredictable conditions in their quest to find these vanished giants. What they discover will transform our understanding of blue whale migration patterns.

Gulf of California Research - Mexico
Join Dr. Diane Gendron, "The Blue Whale Whisperer," and her team as they study blue whale families year after year in Mexico's stunning Gulf of California. Track their feeding habits, communication patterns, and the critical role they play in ocean health. This long-term research reveals intimate details about whale family structures that scientists are only beginning to understand.

THE DOME EXPERIENCE

See these 100-foot ocean giants life-size on our 65-foot immersive dome screen. The award-winning cinematography—recognized by the Giant Screen Cinema Association—surrounds you completely, placing you alongside blue whales in ways no flat screen can match.

With 20,000 watts of Dolby Atmos sound and the film's award-winning original score by Academy Award winner Steven Price (Gravity), you'll hear their haunting calls reverberate through the theatre exactly as they travel through the ocean. The immersive format doesn't just show you blue whales—it puts you in the water with them.

THE STORY

From feeding spectacles where whales consume 4 tons of krill in a single day to long-distance communications spanning thousands of miles, this film reveals behaviors scientists are only beginning to understand. You'll witness the extremes scientists must endure to study these animals—from deploying cutting-edge drone technology to measure 80-foot whales from above, to racing their boats to collect whale poop samples (crucial for understanding ocean ecosystem health).

See how blue whales are vital to ocean ecosystems, playing a surprising role in the marine food web and carbon cycle. Their massive bodies actually help fertilize the ocean, supporting the very krill populations they depend on—a cycle scientists call the "whale pump."

Along the way, meet dolphins, sperm whales, sea lions, and orcas—a full cast of ocean life connected to these gentle giants in an intricate web of marine relationships.

WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER

Communication Mysteries
How blue whales communicate across vast ocean distances using powerful low-frequency calls that can travel for hundreds of miles underwater. Dr. Kate Stafford, a leading bioacoustician, explains what these calls might mean and how scientists listen in on whale conversations.

Epic Migrations
Why they undertake massive journeys between feeding grounds in cold, nutrient-rich waters and breeding areas in warmer seas—migrations that can span thousands of miles and entire ocean basins.

Extreme Biology
The almost incomprehensible scale of blue whale biology: hearts the size of small cars, tongues that weigh as much as elephants, and blood vessels wide enough for a human child to swim through.

Conservation Success
After being hunted nearly to extinction—reduced to just a few thousand individuals worldwide—blue whale populations are slowly recovering thanks to international protection efforts. The film shows what's possible when we decide to save a species, offering hope for ocean conservation.

WORLD-CLASS CREATIVE TEAM

Narrated by Andy Serkis
The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars actor brings his distinctive, powerful voice to this epic underwater journey.

Original Score by Steven Price
Academy Award winner for Gravity creates a haunting, emotional soundscape that earned Giant Screen Cinema Association's Best Original Score award.

Directed by Hugh Pearson
Award-winning filmmaker specializing in natural history documentaries brings years of experience capturing wildlife behavior.

PRODUCED BY SK FILMS, OCEANIC FILMS, AND HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS

Made with major funding from the National Science Foundation, this is authentic science presented through stunning cinematography and immersive storytelling. Not staged recreations—this is real research, real scientists, and real discoveries happening before your eyes.

FEATURING LEADING MARINE SCIENTISTS

Dr. Diane Gendron - Marine Biologist, Gulf of California
Dr. Jeremy Kiszka - Marine Biologist
Dr. Ladd Irvine - Marine Biologist, Seychelles Expedition
Dr. Kate Stafford - Bioacoustician, Whale Communication Expert
Ella Nancy - Marine Biology Student
Jasivi Arcos Díaz - Research Assistant

And the next generation of whale researchers documenting the return of these ocean giants.

PERFECT FOR ALL AGES

Families, school groups, marine biology enthusiasts, conservation advocates, or anyone who's ever been fascinated by ocean life will find something to love here. The film makes complex science accessible and exciting without dumbing it down—earning recognition as Best Science Film at the Beijing International Film Festival.

Runtime: 45 minutes
Rating: G
Format: Fulldome / Giant Screen

FOR EDUCATORS

Blue Whales comes with an extensive collection of curriculum-aligned teaching materials developed by California Science Center and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. These aren't just worksheets—they're comprehensive modules that use blue whale biology as a gateway to understanding wildlife observation and scientific thinking at all scales.

The materials include three video-based learning modules covering whale communication, feeding behaviors, and size/measurement techniques. Each module features real scientists in the field and comes with activity guides, facilitation videos, and interactive tools including an AR app that lets students see blue whales life-size in their classroom.

There's also a complete Nature Stewardship Guide that takes the skills scientists use to study whales—observation, pattern recognition, data collection—and applies them to local nature exploration. Students learn to be scientists in their own backyards.

Additional resources include a Storytime Toolkit with indigenous stories about nature and community, a 12-minute version of the film for events, and all materials in both English and Spanish.

Perfect for grades 3-8, with connections to life science, ecosystems, scientific methods, and environmental science curriculum standards.

Request complete educator package: info@domevancouver.com
Group bookings and field trips: Contact us for special rates

VENUE DETAILS

The Dome at H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut Street, Vanier Park, Vancouver BC V6J 3J9

Our 65-foot spherical dome screen creates a fully immersive environment where you're surrounded by the action. Unlike traditional flat screens, the dome format lets you experience blue whales at their true scale—the only way to truly appreciate animals that can reach 100 feet in length. With 20,000 watts of Dolby Atmos sound and the award-winning score filling the space, you'll feel like you're swimming alongside these magnificent creatures.

Climate-controlled seating, all ages welcome.
Seating is first-come, first-served upon arrival

TICKET INFORMATION

Your ticket reserves venue capacity. When you purchase tickets, those spots are held exclusively for you and cannot be sold to other guests.

Flexible Rescheduling
Life happens. Use our self-service system to change your date up to 1 hour before showtime: www.tickettailor.com/self-service/thedome1

Policies
All sales are final. No refunds on scanned or unused tickets. Seating is first-come, first-served when you arrive (your ticket reserves capacity, not specific seats). If you miss your showtime, you'll need to purchase new tickets. We can't provide credits or refunds for no-shows, but rescheduling in advance is easy and free.

Why these policies?
Your ticket purchase reserves limited venue capacity that we can't resell after the 1-hour rescheduling window closes.

MAKE IT A FULL DAY

Combine your visit with:
Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory (weather permitting)
Museum of Vancouver (steps away in Vanier Park)
Vancouver Maritime Museum (adjacent)
Vanier Park waterfront and beaches

Perfect spot for a picnic before or after the show.

WINNER - BEST FILM, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

THE LARGEST ANIMAL EVER TO LIVE. EXPERIENCE IT LIFE-SIZE AT THE DOME.

LOCATION
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver BC V6J 3J9

Need help? Contact event organizer
Visit: domevancouver.com
Email: info@domevancouver.com

See trailer below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R42dXQOtxz0