This adventure film features Scott McVay, an authority on whales, and filmmaker Bill Mason. The objective was to film the bowhead, a magnificent inhabitant of the cold Arctic seas brought to the edge of extinction by overfishing. With helicopter and Inuit guide, aqualungs and underwater cameras, the expedition searches out and meets the bowhead and beluga.
Please note that this is an archival film that makes use of the word “Eskimo,” an outdated and offensive term. While the origin of the word is a matter of some contention, it is no longer used in Canada. The term was formally rejected by the Inuit Circumpolar Council in 1980 and has subsequently not been in use at the NFB for decades. This film is therefore a time-capsule of a bygone era, presented in its original version. The NFB apologizes for the offence caused.
Âge 12 à 17 ans
Géographie - Arctique
Géographie - Sujets environnementaux
Science - Biologie
Science - Univers vivant/Écologie
Sciences humaines - Enjeux contemporains
En classe de sciences, le documentaire fournit l’occasion d'observer des images saisissantes des eaux du Grand Nord et de sa faune. Il permet également de suivre et de comparer l'évolution des sciences dites environnementales. Selon ce documentaire, quelle était la préoccupation environnementale principale des scientifiques de l’époque? Comment la préoccupation environnementale a-t-elle évolué? Dans le documentaire, quelles relations sont établies entre la survie des baleines et leur habitat? Pourquoi cette relation est-elle davantage soulignée aujourd'hui?