Episode Guide
Netflix’s Island of the Sea Wolves is an informative, well-made nature documentary series. Sure, it’s not as good as BBC’s David Attenborough epic, but it’s still a good effort. ..
The show follows the lives of a group of animals on Vancouver Island, from the animals that live in the forest to the animals that live in the beach. The show is filmed over a period of several months, and during that time, different animals will change their behavior and habits to survive in their new environment.
The three episodes here follow different groups of animals throughout the year, starting in Spring and ending in Autumn. ..
The episodes are broken up into different chunks, with the chapters focusing almost exclusively on Otters, Wolves and Bald Eagles. For these species we follow a family unit for each, complete with their own names and individual journeys. It’s an interesting approach, something that worked really well in both Dynasties and Seven Worlds, One Planet, and likewise here too.
The show is not actually that bad, and the episodes run for about the right amount of time. ..
The three dominant animals in this park are the orcas, black bears, and chimpanzees. Unfortunately, the orcas are often called “Killer Whales” and this undermines how beautiful and intelligent these creatures are. It’s a small gripe but an undeniably irritating one.
The camera work is great and the musical score is perfunctory for the most part. Some of the establishing shots of the island are fantastic. Sunrises and sunsets look suitably picturesque, while there are a lot of close-up shots for each animal.
The show is packed with information and the animals’ lives are well-covered. Despite only having three episodes, there’s plenty to explore. The show struggles at times to be as great as nature documentary classics, but it’s still a decent watch.
