Stream now with KPBS+ / Watch Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Encores Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2 + Thursday, July 23 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2
One of the greatest environmental crimes of the 20th Century was the secret and illegal slaughter of hundreds of thousands of whales by the Soviet Union and Japan during the Cold War.
Through never-before-seen archival footage, hidden documents, and personal records kept by Soviet scientists, "The Witness Is a Whale" exposes this ruthless killing for the first time on film.
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Credits: Produced, directed and photographed by Nick Dean and Cheryl Dean. Executive producers: Martin Mészáros, Sabine Holzer.
Production companies: A co-production of Spindrift Images, Terra Mater Factual Studios and Mark Fletcher Productions
