The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52

"The Loneliest Whale - The Search for 52" (2021 release; 96 min.) is a documentary about the (in)famous "52-hertz whale", whose call, which is unlike any other whale's, was first registered by the US Navy in 1992, but last was heard of in 2004. We are introduced to Josh Zeman, who is fascinated about the stories and the many ,many articles about the "loneliest whale in the world", whose call can be heard, but not understood, by other whales. Zeman puts together a team of experts, and off they go on a 7 day search off the coast of southern California, like looking for a needle in a haystack... At this point we are less than 15 min. Into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this movie was first announced in 2015, and it took writer-producer-director Josh Zeman literally years to pursue this long project. Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the earliest co-producers. The film brings a number of sidebars as we go on the hunt for 52: how whales communicate with each other; the impact of the tens of thousands of container ships into/out of LA and Long Beach; etc. Along the way we are treated to some gorgeous footage of blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, etc. (Beware: there is also a short but brutal and nauseating segment on whale hunting, But of course the overwhelming question you have is: do they find the 52-hertz whale? And it the 52-hertz whale indeed the loneliest whale on the planet. I'm not going to spoil it of course. Please note that this film sadly is the very last score of film composer Alex Lasarenko (to whom the movie is dedicated).

"The Loneliest Whale: The Search For 52" opened last weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at was not attended well (exactly 6 people, including myself). Regardless, if you like nature documentaries, or have a particular interest in the 52-hertz whale, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (better hurry), on Amazon Instant Video and other streaming services, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.