For years, Patrick Dykstra has traveled the globe following and diving with whales, learning how whales see, hear and perceive other creatures in the water. But then Patrick has a life changing experience in Dominica – a close encounter with a sperm whale he names “Dolores.” With breathtaking underwater footage, witness the attempts to communicate and understand each other in Patrick and the Whale, premiering Wednesday, February 21 at 8/7c on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/nature, YouTube and the PBS App.
Weighing more than 15 tons, a sperm whale has a brain larger than any other animal on earth and is considered one of the more social whale species. Over the years, Patrick has worked with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to learn how whales communicate, how they perceive other creatures in the water, and how they behave in his immediate presence. With sensitivity and experience, he gets closer to whales than nearly anyone else, leading to once-in-a-lifetime experiences and personal bonds with specific whales.
Follow Patrick as he undertakes an adventure to find “Dolores” again, to ask her to take a camera down into the depths. She and another female sperm whale called “Can Opener” help Patrick show us the hidden world of her species while respecting their boundaries. With the help of his friends more than 250 times his weight, Patrick explores their fascinating nature attempting to shine a light on the sperm whale’s intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind. Patrick and the Whale explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything in his single-minded quest to connect with and understand one of the biggest creatures in the ocean.