Wednesday, April 22, 9-11 pm ET
Orcas, also called killer whales, number fewer than 100,000 worldwide; learning more about them is a global endeavor for Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of oceanauts, who travel to both the northern and southern hemispheres as they seek out killer whales in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The most complex marine species on the planet is the orca, the ruler of the ocean. Though they number fewer than 100,000 worldwide, orcas, also called killer whales, extend from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and learning more about them is a global endeavor. In this episode, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of explorers travel to both the northern and southern hemispheres as they seek out killer whales in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The team discovers that people and orcas share surprising similarities, even similar needs; they relate their findings to the captivity and release of Keiko, of Free Willy fame, whose survival depended on pioneering efforts to re-introduce Keiko into the wild. Intriguing detours in the expedition arise, leading to critical examinations of our environment, of the food on our dinner tables, even of our own health.

Part of PBS' celebration of Earth Day 2009.

Click here for information on PBS' other Earth Day-related programming.