Fernbank Announces World Premiere of Secrets of the Sea on August 6

Marine life swims into center stage in a display of the strangest and most extraordinary creatures in the deep blue sea. 

Atlanta, GA, July 15, 2022 – Deep-dive into the planet’s spectacular underwater world in the giant screen documentary, Secrets of the Sea. Directed and produced by award-winning filmmakers Howard Hall, Michele Hall and Jonathan Bird, this film highlights some of the strangest and most spectacular creatures who call the vast and endless ocean waters home. Secrets of the Sea is set to open for its world premiere on August 6 in Fernbank Museum’s Giant Screen Theater.

Featuring more than 70 species of marine life, Secrets of the Sea brings to light the critical role that marine biodiversity plays in keeping our oceans healthy. Audiences will come face-to-face with an astonishing array of oceanic animals, including pygmy seahorses, opalescent squid, giant manta rays, predatory tiger sharks, a coconut octopus and more. Even better than glimpsing these spectacular creatures, Secrets of the Sea showcases some of the fascinating ways they interact with each other and their environment.

“Viewers will discover animal behaviors that have only rarely been photographed before,” said filmmaker Howard Hall, “such as the unique way dugongs and remoras interact with one another and the spawning rituals of squid and parrotfish.”

Filmed with a family audience in mind, director Jonathan Bird adds, “Families and kids will love seeing all the animals, from tiny krill to giant blue whales, and will marvel at how so much of the ocean's sea life works together symbiotically with one another.”

Secrets of the Sea was filmed in more than 15 spectacular locations around the world—from the Philippines, Mexico and Tahiti to Indonesia, the Galapagos, Palau, Hawaii, California and others. Coupled with the impressively diverse animals that are showcased, the documentary successfully creates the narrative that in every sea around the world, marine life not only depends on each other for survival, but must also work together in harmony to keep our oceans healthy.

Secrets of the Sea plays daily in Fernbank’s Giant Screen Theater at Fernbank Museum. General admission tickets include three floors of exhibits in the natural history museum, choice of one giant screen film, and 75 acres of nature explorations in Fernbank Forest and WildWoods. Fernbank is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta, minutes from midtown Atlanta and downtown Decatur. 

For more information, visit FernbankMuseum.org. General admission tickets are $24.95 for adults, $23.95 for seniors, $22.95 for children ages 3-12, free for children ages 2 and younger, and free for Fernbank Members. These prices are for tickets purchased online at FernbankMuseum.org. Tickets not purchased in advance are offered, if available, at a higher price.

This film is family-friendly and has a run time of 40 minutes.

Secrets of the Sea is a MacGillivray Freeman Films presentation of a Howard Hall Productions and Oceanic Research Group production.

About Fernbank

Fernbank is one of the most popular and iconic cultural destinations in Atlanta. Known as Atlanta's Science and Nature Experience, Fernbank invites guests to discover a World of Wow through an expansive natural history museum, 4-story giant screen theater, and 75 acres of nature adventures in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest. One of the oldest not-for-profit conservation organizations in the country, Fernbank was founded in 1939 to preserve Fernbank Forest, the largest urban, old growth, Piedmont forest in the United States. The museum and giant screen theater opened as "a school in the woods for nature studies" on Oct. 5, 1992, and is today known for its giant dinosaurs, hands-on STEAM* programming, immersive experiences, and year-round nature exploration. Visit fernbankmuseum.org for more information and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

Media Contact:

Jena Allison
jena.allison@fernbankmuseum.org