Islands of the Sea

Helped by some really quite imaginative scoring, this is an entertainingly photographed documentary that visits four island sites around the world. We start in the Galapagos, the home of some giant tortoises and iguanas before heading up to the Guadeloupes where the giant elephant seals hold court on the beaches. They always reminded my of my only ever stay in a Youth Hostel when a man in an adjacent bed snored fit to wake the dead. Then we go south to the Falkland Islands where we meet some Rockhopper penguins. With the waves dashing against the cliffs sufficient to wreck an aircraft carrier, these little bundles of blubber seem to bounce harmlessly off the rocks before they embark on quite a trek to the cliff top where they nest - under the constant gaze of the hungry skuas. Finally, there is a fleeting visit to the Midway archipelago so we can enjoy the albatross. A graceful and elegant bird in flight, sure enough, but its take-off and landing techniques can be downright comical. There’s plenty of fun for us to watch here with loads of mating rituals and some of the camerawork is every bit as good as that which we might see using drones nowadays. This is one of the better Disney live-action features that shows everything from dancing crabs to frolicking chicks, and is an easy and informative watch.