Nick Dean

Archival footage, hidden documents, and personal records reveal one of the greatest environmental crimes of the 20th century: the secret and illegal slaughter of hundreds of thousands of whales by the Soviet Union and Japan during the Cold War.

While Southern right whales show signs of recovery, their Northern cousins face mounting threats from ship strikes, entanglement, and industrial noise. Filmed in collaboration with scientists, The Right Whale is both a celebration of resilience and a powerful call to action—revealing the intelligence, grace, and vulnerability of these magnificent creatures, and the urgent need to protect them.