In The Wild (1992)

Grey Whales with Christopher Reeve (1995x1)

Air date: Dec 19, 1995

In the last film Christopher Reeve made before the tragic accident which left him paralysed, the ‘Superman’ actor searches the oceans for the mysterious Grey Whale. All his life he has been intrigued by the sea and its mammals. The grey whale in particular has always fascinated him because of its gruelling 10,000 mile annual migration. His search takes him from St Lawrence in Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California, where the whales traditionally spend the winter. Together with wildlife cameraman Bruce Reitherman he watches the whales at a distance as they mate and give birth. The whales’ curiosity finally brings them close enough for Christopher Reeve to touch them, but the highlight comes on the very last day when a mother and her calf appear by the boat, allowing Christopher Reeve to get eye-to-eye with them. Reeve’s riding accident occurred just before he was due to record the commentary for this film and he asked his close friend Jeremy Irons to record the narration for the programme.