Battle of the Blues
“This film has been on my mind since my early days working in the channel. Some years, like last year in 2024, we can see over 50 blue whales feeding throughout the channel. It’s one of the most awe-inspiring sights in nature. Some days we also see upwards of 10 giant container ships transiting through the channel as well. As I began to understand the relationship between humans, whales and commerce, I knew I needed to tell this story.” - Adam Ernster
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In 2024, the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program was fortunate to work with California-based wildlife filmmaker Adam Ernster on his short film, “Battle of the Blues” featuring the largest mammal to ever grace the planet.
Ernster is a dedicated wildlife cameraman and whale watch captain committed to storytelling about the vast oceans inspired by his eight years on the water in the Santa Barbara Channel and his international travel capturing footage from whale hotspots around the globe. From documenting the effects of climate change on salmon in Alaska’s wild frontier to capturing whales in Monterey Bay’s deep underwater canyons, Adam’s passion for filmmaking has led him on countless adventures.
One of his more recent projects, Battle of the Blues, is a short-form narrative film that shares Ernster’s incredible footage featuring the population of blue whales that migrate off the U.S. West Coast. The film outlines their troubled past, from the brink of extinction during the height of the commercial whaling era, to the threats blue whales face today. Importantly, it also shares the work of ocean conservationists, research groups, and collaborative programs and partnerships working to protect these endangered animals including the Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area and Cascadia Research Collective.
“This film has been on my mind since my early days working in the channel. Some years, like last year in 2024, we can see over 50 blue whales feeding throughout the channel. It’s one of the most awe-inspiring sights in nature. Some days we also see upwards of 10 giant container ships transiting through the channel as well. As I began to understand the relationship between humans, whales and commerce, I knew I needed to tell this story.” – Adam Ernster
The film was a 2025 Official Selection of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco. The full film is available to watch on Ernster’s YouTube Channel here.
