A large sperm whale swims underwater next to Patrick, a snorkeler holding a camera, capturing the moment. The ocean is a deep blue, and rays of sunlight penetrate the water, highlighting the whale's massive body.
A group of sperm whales are clustered together in a star-like formation underwater. Nearby, Patrick, the diver, observes the awe-inspiring scene in the deep blue ocean. Sunlight penetrates the surface, illuminating

Patrick and the Whale

Conservation·1 x 73 min·Completed

'Patrick and the Whale' follows diver Patrick Dykstra's quest to reconnect with a sperm whale, showcasing stunning footage, their bond, and the complex world of these majestic creatures.

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Genre
Conservation
Nature & Wildlife
Duration
1 × 73 min
1 × 50 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1
Status
Completed
Year
2023
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Synopsis

An inspiring and engaging tale of Patrick Dykstra and a sperm whale “Dolores.”

For years, Patrick Dykstra has dedicated his life to traveling the globe, following and diving with whales. Over the years, Patrick has learned how whales see and hear, how they perceive other creatures in the water and how they behave at close quarters. He has a finely tuned sense and knows how to act when within touching distance of a whale – what to do, what not to do and when. This allows him to consistently get closer than anyone else alive – a truly unique skill.

Patrick recently experienced a life-changing event. In Dominica, he had a close encounter with a female sperm whale. She seemed to be curious about him, coming within touching distance, pulsing him with her sonar. She studied him as he studied her. Patrick felt an overwhelming sense that she was genuinely trying to communicate.

We follow Patrick as he travels to Dominica again to find this special whale he named “Dolores” so she can help him show us the hidden world of her species. Using stunning underwater footage, Patrick explores the fascinating nature of the sperm whale, attempting to shine a light on its intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind. The film follows his personal journey and explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything in his single-minded quest to connect with and understand one of the the biggest creatures in the ocean.

Team

Production companies A Terra Mater Studios Production
Directed by Mark Fletcher
Featuring Patrick Dykstra
Music by H. Scott Salinas, Matt Atticus Berger

Team

Production companies A Terra Mater Studios Production
Directed by Mark Fletcher
Featuring Patrick Dykstra
Music by H. Scott Salinas, Matt Atticus Berger
Edited by Mark Fletcher
Underwater Photography Gail Jenkinson, Patrick Dykstra, Romain Barats
Director of Photography Rupert Murray
Produced by Walter Köhler, Wolfgang Knöpfler
Executive Producers James Reed, Alexander Nanau,Dinah Czezik-Müller, Michael Frenschkowski
Additional Photography Abdullatif Nurdin-Hussein
Drone Operator & Camera Assistant Justin Knöpfler
Sound Recordist Richard Eastick
Boat Captain Captain Bill Olive
Whale Guide Nigel Seraphin
Dive Supervisor Joy Davids
Post Production Supervisor Michael Fröch
Edit Assistant Roland Mittermüller
Online Editor Philipp Timm
Title Graphic Kaiserlicht (Felix Geremus, Alexander Siquans)
Post Production and Visual Effects provided by ViennaFX Postproduction
Colorist Lee Niederkofler
VFX Artists Felix Schuch, Christoph Steiner, Felix Pichler, Aksana Vezhnivets
Digital Intermediate and Mastering Christian Vollenhofer-Rohlfing
Sound Post Production Blautöne
Sound Designer Bernhard Zorzi, Michael Plöderl
Foley Artist Thomas Voglreiter
Foley Recordist Günther Oberleitner
Voice Recording Jakob Studnicka
Dialogue Editor Martin Sachsenhofer
Re-Recording Mixer Michael Ploederl
Sound Post Production Coordinator Eva Reithofer
Sound Post Production Supervisor Thomas Kathriner
Production Coodinator Nina Holler, Josepha Andras
Production Assistant Adriana Praxmarer
Production Controller Satesh Mathura
Production Accountant Wolfgang Stach
Assistant Accountants Rosemarie Vellukunnel, Michael Svaljug, Antonius Goge, Julia Schedl
Terra Mater Social Media Team Eva Schmidt, Elisa Mourao Flores, Philip-Jaime Alcazar, Katrin Blass
Head of Legal Maria-Christine Rieder
Internal Legal Advisors Andrea Pisu, Arlette Kumor-Beghin
Camera Equipment Red Bull Equipment Pool, Esprit Film and Television
Travel Agent Travel Birds
Music Copyright and Sync Management Red Bull Media House GmbH (Daniela Gassert)
Titel song "Nostalgia” by Alice Phoebe Lou © Edition Mesanic Publishing / BMG Rights Management GmbH

Awards & Recognitions

Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic International Film Festival “Water, sea & the oceans” Official Selection 2025
New York, USA News & Documentary Emmy® Awards Nomination (Outstanding Nature Documentary) 2025
Tachov, Czech Republic PAF Tachov Festival Grand Prix 2025
WCSFP - World Congress of Science & Factual Producers Buzzies Awards Nomination: Best Natural History Program/Contet - Long Format 2024
Sedona, USA Sedona International Film Festival Best Environmental Film 2023
Dana Point, USA Dana Point Film Festival Best Feature Length Documentary 2023
Gijón, Spain Wild Oceans FilmFest Finalist 2023
Sestri Levante, Italy Riviera International Film Festival Sky Documentary Award 2023
Santa Monica, USA Blue Water Film Festival Best Cinematography Award 2023
Santa Monica, USA Blue Water Film Festival Eco Impact Award 2023
Ludwigsburg, Germany NaturVision Filmfestival Special Category Award: Change of Perspective – Nature Film chosen differently 2023
Eckernförde, Germany Green Screen – Internationales Naturfilmfestival Eckernförde Best Marine Film 2023
Eckernförde, Germany Green Screen – Internationales Naturfilmfestival Eckernförde Heinz Sielmann Prize 2023
Korčula, Croatia Smaragdni Eco Film Festival Best Environmental Feature Film 2023
Chagrin Falls, USA Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Best Environmental Film 2023
Friday Harbor, USA Friday Harbor Film Festival Best Overall Feature (Audience Choice) Award 2023
Watertown, USA 13th Arlington Int’l Film Festival Audience Choice Award 2023
Tromsø, Norway Tromsø International Film Festival Nomination 2023
Ljubljana, Slovenia Ljubljana Doc Film Festival Nomination 2023
Santa Barbara, USA Santa Barbara International Film Festival Nomination 2023
San Rafael, USA DocLands Documentary Film Festival Nomination 2023
Tartu, Estonia Tartuff film Festival Nomination 2023
Berlin, Germany Cinema for Peace Nomination (International Green Film Award) 2023
Singapur, Malaysia Waves of Change Festival Nomination 2023
San Francisco, USA International Ocean Film Festival Nomination 2023
Kiel, Germany CINEMARE International Ocean Film Festival Nomination 2023
Tel Aviv, Israel DOCaviv Nomination 2023
Linz, Austria Ars Electronica Nomination 2023
Cleveland, USA Cleveland International Film Festival Nomination 2023
New York, USA Wildlife Conservation Film Festival Nomination 2023
Ludwigsburg, Germany NaturVision Filmfestival Nomination (NaturVision Film Music Award) 2023
Woods Hole, USA 32nd Woods Hole Film Festival Nomination 2023
Nantucket, USA Nantucket Film Festival Nomination 2023
Gabés, Tunesia JCMC les Journées Cinématographiques Méditerranées de Chenini Gabes Nomination 2023
Minnesota, USA Twin Cities Film Fest Nomination 2023
Rotterdam, Netherlands Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam Nomination 2023
Boulder, USA Boulder Environmental / Nature / Outdoors Film Festival Nomination 2023
Busan, South Korea Korea International Ocean Film Festival Opening film 2023
Montrose, Scotland Montrose LandxSea Filmfest Nomination 2023
India The All Living Things Environmental Film Festival Nomination 2023
Toronto, Canada 2023 Water Docs Film Festival Nomination 2023
Zurich, Switzerland Films For Future Nomination 2023
Warsaw, Poland Watch Docs International Film Festival Selection 2023
Innsbruck, Austria Innsbruck Nature Film Festival Grand Prize for the best Nature Documentary 2022
Newport, USA Newport Beach Film Festival Best Documentary 2022
Graz, Austria Mountainfilm International Filmfestival Camera Alpin in Gold (Nature & Environment) 2022
Graz, Austria Mountainfilm International Filmfestival Audience Award: Favorite Mountainfilm 2022 2022
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Awards Nomination: Human Planet - Long Form 2022
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Awards Nomination: Onscreen Personality 2022
Jackson Hole, USA Jackson Wild Media Awards Nomination: Feature 2022
Bristol, United Kingdom Wildscreen Festival Nomination: Best Editing 2022
Bristol, United Kingdom Wildscreen Festival Nomination: Best Producer/Director 2022
Bristol, United Kingdom Wildscreen Festival Nomination: Best Sound 2022
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) Los Cabos International Film Festival Nomination 2022
Florida, USA Key West Film Festival Nomination 2022
Toronto, Canada Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection 2022
Zurich, Switzerland Zurich Film Festival European Premiere, nomination (Focus Competition) 2022
Hot Springs, USA Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival US Premiere, nomination 2022
Montclair, USA Montclair Film Festival New York Premiere, nomination 2022
East Hampton, USA Hamptons International Film Festival Nomination 2022
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