Movies Similar to Swimming with Dolphins

The Cove(2009)

The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.

Living Waters(2015)

LIVING WATERS: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth is a fascinating exploration of life in the liquid universe that covers more than 70% of our planet. Filmed in Canada, Bermuda, Polynesia, Mexico, and the United States, this remarkable documentary celebrates the beauty and brilliance of the biological systems that make life in the oceans possible. A spectacular tour of a dolphin’s internal sonar system—a mechanism so powerful and precise, the animals can locate and capture small fish buried in the sand. The magnetic compass embedded in the head of a sea turtle—a biological wonder that guides these long-distance travelers as they journey across thousands of miles of open sea. A Pacific salmon’s amazing sense of smell—an elaborate navigational aid that leads the fish back from years in the ocean to the gravel stream bed where it was born. The power and majestic grace of a humpback whale—a creature whose existence defies the theory of Darwinian evolution.

Atlantis(1991)

Atlantis is filmmaker Luc Besson's celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, expanding upon themes touched on in his film The Big Blue. Combining stunning underwater cinematography and a hypnotic score by Eric Serra, Besson's singular vision defies dialogue or narrative structure to explore ocean life as you've never seen it before. Following the colossal success of The Big Blue, Luc Besson crisscrossed the world's seas and oceans to film the beauty and diversity of marine life: from the giant octopuses of Vancouver to the manta rays of the Pacific (New Caledonia), and the grey sharks of Tahiti. A film with no actors or sets other than the underwater world. A breathtaking view of marine species: sharks, dolphins, manatees, octopuses. An exploration of the seabed in the Bahamas, the Galapagos, Vancouver, and Tahiti.

Saving Flipper(2009)

Our love affair with dolphins began with 'Flipper' and ended in a multi-million dollar industry of abuse. From the dazzling sea shows where dolphins are driven to suicide, to an annual dolphin slaughter in a small cove in Japan, 'Saving Flipper' reveals the nightmare behind the dolphin's indelible smile.

Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Dolphins - Tribes of the Sea(2006)

Probably no other sea animal has captured our affection and attention like the dolphin. Its intelligence and athleticism has fascinated observers for years. Dolphins seem to exhibit a friendly willingness to co-operate with humans...something very rare in the wild animal kingdom.

Vaquita: The Business of Extinction(2018)

A tiny porpoise finds itself in a battle for survival against the forces of fish mafias, drug cartels and a Chinese black market.

Killer Whales: the Mega Hunt(2016)

A newly discovered mega-hunt is happening off the coast of South Africa. In an epic annual spectacle in False Bay, a pod of cunning killer whales hunt 5,000 common dolphins.

The Big Blue Adventure(1989)

Making-off from The Big Blue movie

Dolphins(2000)

From the banks of the Bahamas to the seas of Argentina, we go underwater to meet dolphins. Two scientists who study dolphin communication and behaviour lead us on encounters in the wild. Featuring the music of Sting. Nominated for an Academy Award®, Best Documentary, Short Subject, 2000.

IMAX Dolphins and Whales: Tribes of the Ocean(2008)

This documentary goes to coral reefs of the Bahamas and the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga for a close encounter with the surviving tribes of the ocean: wild dolphins and belugas, the love of a Humpback mother for her newborn calf, the singing Humpback males, an orca the mighty King of the ocean, and the gentle manatee. Little-known aspects of these creatures capable of sophisticated communication and social interaction. Documents the life of these graceful, majestic yet endangered sea creatures

Dolphin Man(2017)

As well as providing the subject for Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, Jacques Mayol did more than anyone to establish the sport of free diving to enormous depths without an oxygen supply. Using breathing techniques derived from yoga, he went to 50, 60, and even 100 meters—depths no one had considered to be within the bounds of human possibility. Mayol was a sportsman, a mystic, a vagabond, but above all, a man who believed in testing the limits of experience. This visually stunning tribute shows a man’s quest to be at one with the vastness of the ocean and to have no fear of the abyss within, where lurks serenity, freedom and finally, death.

Dolphins: The Wild Side(1999)

Dolphins: The Wild Side follows these mammals in the wild as they fight for mating rights, hunt for food, and clash with other dolphin species. Thanks to some brilliant underwater camerawork, we're treated to the sight of dolphins hydroplaning through 10 inches of water after fish, ramming one other in a quarrel over females, and evading a group of hungry orcas in Alaska. (Killer whales are actually part of the dolphin family, but they feel no compunction about feeding on their smaller cousins--not a scene for the squeamish!) But perhaps the most impressive part of this documentary are the scenes of a dolphin pod working in concert to trap a shimmering, mammoth school of sardines. Through calculated use of air bubbles, tail slaps, and sonic pips, the animals corral their prey and have a feast. The clever, and at times ruthless, nature of these mammals is on abundant display in this entertaining documentary

Ocean Giants(2011)

A 3-part documentary granting a unique and privileged access into the magical world of whales and dolphins, uncovering the secrets of their intimate lives as never before. Episode 1: Giant Lives / Episode 2: Deep Thinkers / Episode 3: Voices of the Sea

Dolphin Reef(2018)

Echo is a youngster who can't quite decide if it's time to grow up and take on new responsibilities-or give in to her silly side and just have fun. Dolphin society is tricky, and the coral reef that Echo and his family call home depends on all of its inhabitants to keep it healthy. But Echo has a tough time resisting the many adventures the ocean has to offer.

Dolphins Up Close with Bertie Gregory(2025)

Bertie Gregory heads to the Azores, a vital marine sanctuary and seasonal hotspot for migrating ocean predators. During feeding season, thousands of elusive hunters gather to feast on massive bait balls. Battling storms and scanning vast seas, Bertie races against time to capture the most epic feeding frenzy of his career.

The Last Dolphin King(2022)

This documentary traces the career of renowned Spanish dolphin trainer José Luis Barbero and the events leading up to his shocking death in 2015.

Diving with Dolphins(2020)

A chronicle of the making of Disneynature’s Dolphin Reef, the story of a young Pacific bottlenose dolphin named Echo. From wave surfing with dolphins in South Africa to dancing with humpback whales in Hawaii, filmmakers go to great lengths - and depths - to shed new light on the ocean’s mysteries.

The Mermaids' Tears: Oceans of Plastic(2009)

Every km of ocean now contains an average of 74,000 pieces of plastic. A 'plastic soup' of waste, killing hundreds of thousands of animals every year and leaching chemicals slowly up the food chain. In Holland, scientists found plastic in the stomachs of 95% of all fulmar birds. In Germany, plastic has been found to affect the reproductive systems of animals, while in the US, conservationists are seeing increasing numbers of dolphins die in agony, their guts blocked with rubbish. What will be the long term impact of this 'plastic pollution'? Can anything be done to clean up our oceans?

Homme et Dauphin : Mode d’emploi(1997)

In The Womb: Animals(2006)

Using 4-D technology, the early stages of a Golden Retriever puppy, a dolphin, and an elephant are examined.