The Last Giants

Until a few years ago, neither scientists nor the public were aware that the Strait of Gibraltar was such a unique natural paradise: in no other place on earth you can find as many whale species living in such a confined area. But the strait is also one of the choke-points of global trade with a volume of shipping traffic unparalleled in the world. Where modern routes of transport and ancient migration routes meet, we witness a showdown of the ocean giants. Again and again, whales are run over, get caught in ships’ propellers, are poisoned by waste water or become stranded, disoriented by the underwater noise pollution.

Ten years ago, Swiss-born Katharina Heyer discovered that there are whales in this junction between Europe and Africa – and that these whales show unique behaviors due to their close co-existence. In order to protect their habitat, the former fashion designer changed her life and moved into the region. This film documents her fight for a hospital – a hospital for whales.