Coral Reef Adventure

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Nature Documentary published by IMAX in 2003 - English narration

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Coral Reef Adventure follows the real-life expedition of ocean explorers and underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall. The Halls guide us to the islands and sun-drenched waters of the South Pacific to document, in the biggest and best film format that exists, the health and beauty of coral reefs. On the giant screen, you'll feel like you�re diving and exploring right alongside them.

Howard and Michele have been diving coral reefs for almost three decades, but in recent years, they have observed with concern the decline of their favorite reefs. Stirred to action, Howard and Michele set out for the South Pacific. They hope the images they bring back will raise awareness about the plight of coral reefs, and the health of the global oceans.

From the dazzling underwater seascapes of Australia's Great Barrier Reef to the mysterious deep ocean corals of Fiji, and from the azure skies above Tahiti to shark-filled canyons off isolated Rangiroa, the Halls visit many reefs that are flourishing and capture on film many interesting reef inhabitants. You'll laugh at the little shrimp that wants to climb in your mouth to get its own bite to eat! You'll see how reef animals rely on each other in surprising ways. You'll dive down to the mysterious deep reefs of The Twilight Zone, a place no one else has ever been. You�ll swim with hundreds of grey reef sharks, then zoom through coral canyons, riding a fast current beneath the waves. But sadly, you'll also swim through vast stretches of bleached coral boneyards, and learn with the Halls how our actions may cause these devastating results.

Along their journey the Halls meet scientists and conservationists working to understand and save the reefs. In Fiji, Rusi Vulakoro guides Howard and Michele to the beautifully pristine and mysteriously damaged reefs of his country. They also dive with world-renowned ocean advocate Jean-Michel Cousteau who feels at home in the world beneath the waves. Howard and his team then dive to a dangerous 350 feet in search of deep ocean corals. For this most risky part of the trip, Howard is joined by Richard Pyle, a deep-sea ichthyologist (a self-described 'fish nerd.') Pyle knows that thousands of reef species are still unknown to science. Seeking them out is an urgent conservation priority, but it means diving to a realm seldom visited: The Twilight Zone, never before filmed in 15/70 large format .

In Tahiti, the Halls join a local chapter of Reef Check, an international organization of divers who help study local coral resources. Finally, in Rangiroa Howard searches for the huge schools of sharks known to live there. These sharks are one of the top predators, and if they still swim the waters of Rangiroa, that�s a good sign for the health of the whole ecosystem. They don�t find just a few, they find 300, all at once: a happy, but slightly unnerving end to their journey!