New DVD release, “Oceans: Nature’s Aquarium”

We’re very happy to report that the long grind to produce our 4th DVD title is done—and, just quietly, we think it’s our best yet. Following the success of our original Reefscapes: Nature’s Aquarium, and follow-up Anemonefish: Nature’s Aquarium, our newest effort rounds out the ambient trilogy.

Oceans: Nature’s Aquarium still fits comfortably in the ambience genre. It’s perfect for entertaining or relaxing at home, for keeping patients calm in a doctor’s waiting room, and for visual escapism while in the dentist’s chair. What’s different with this third title is the shots offer much more variety. This DVD guides the virtual underwater explorer through a wider range of underwater habitats: along with a rich diversity of stunning coral reefs, we’ve delved into seagrass and mangroves, rocky reefs, bottomless walls, caverns and overhangs. For five years, we searched the vast South Pacific, from the Galapagos to Indonesia, to capture our most beautiful footage yet. The richness and diversity of life in these varied scenes is a tribute to marine biodiversity.

We always like to include an educational element in our DVDs. Reefscapes had optional species names in the bonus feature, then Anemonefish had a pull-out reference and identification guide. And now, with Oceans there is a cameraman’s commentary as one of the soundtrack options: plenty of info about marine ecosystems, and snippets about how some of the shots were filmed.

As with the other titles in the “Nature’s Aquarium” series, Oceans has a bonus featurette. This time it’s a look at artificial reefs. As natural underwater habitats continue to decline, man-made reef substitutes might be a small part of the solution. The featurette shows that fish and corals will colonise almost any structure they can find, and they can turn man’s rubbish piles into a living thing of beauty.

Check out the trailers for a taste of diverse underwater scenery, and the various audio options: cameraman’s commentary, chillaxing music, or the pops and crackles of natural undersea sounds.

—Josh & Liz