Nika, the Pilot Whale, is an independent short documentary that has become a powerful environmental awareness phenomenon in Spain. Directed by José Hernández and co-directed by and starring marine biologist and science communicator Felipe Ravina, the film uses a moving story of interspecies connection to denounce an urgent ecological crisis.

The documentary is set in the Teno-Rasca Special Area of ​​Conservation (SAC) in southern Tenerife (Canary Islands), a marine sanctuary that is home to the world's largest resident population of tropical pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), numbering around 400 individuals.

Unlike a fictional film, in this documentary the "protagonists" are real people (scientists, science communicators, and mariners) and, of course, the animals themselves. The key names that structure the narrative are:

Nika: She is the undisputed animal protagonist. A young female tropical pilot whale with extraordinary curiosity. His docile behavior and his fixed gaze towards the camera create the emotional bond that sustains the entire short film.

Felipe Ravina Olivares: Co-director and the main human protagonist. He is a graduate in Marine Sciences, an underwater cameraman, and a renowned environmental communicator in the Canary Islands. He is the person with whom Nika interacts underwater and who narrates the story in the first person.

Mirna Piñero Mesa: Captain in the merchant marine and President of the Canary Islands Pilot Whale Association. She contributes the scientific basis, in-depth knowledge of the family structure of these cetaceans, and years of research cataloging the local population.

Sergio D. Hernández Herrera: Captain and whale-watching guide aboard the Diomedea (Bonadea II). He is a direct witness to daily life in the channel between Tenerife and La Gomera, providing the perspective of those seeking responsible tourism.

The full documentary is now available to watch completely free and officially on YouTube.

After a successful run at film festivals and charity screenings in theaters across Spain, its creators decided to release the film online to maximize the reach of its environmental awareness message.

To watch it, simply follow these steps:

Go to YouTube (from your mobile phone, computer, or Smart TV).

n the search bar, type the official channel of its co-director: Especies de Canarias (or search directly for the title "Nika, el Calderón tropical").

There you will find the complete 29-minute film in high definition.