24 Movies Celebrating World Whale and Dolphin Day

Published: July 16, 2025 by Nixza Gonzalez

World Whale and Dolphin Day is on July 23. It’s an annual day where we raise awareness of environmental challenges and other issues whales and dolphins face.

July 23 was chosen because on July 23, 1982, there was a total ban on commercial whaling. The official day was chosen and first celebrated in 1986. Now, in 2025, organizations from across the world work together to improve our oceans to boost the population of whales and dolphins.

Despite being so large and calm, dolphins and whales are at risk of endangerment and extinction because of climate change, pollution, and human interaction. One of the most endangered and at-risk dolphins is the vaquita, the smallest porpoise in the world. It is native to Mexican coastal waters. Experts estimate there are only about 30 left in the world. Whales are also at risk. According to the WWF, six of the 13 great whale species are either vulnerable or endangered.

Not everything is doom or gloom, though. Organizations are working to help dolphins, whales, and the ocean in general. That’s why World Whale and Dolphin Day is so important.

To celebrate this day, click through the slideshow for 24 whale and dolphin-related movies. For this slideshow, we chose not to use any horror or thriller films that depict orca and other marine wildlife as killing machines.

“Flipper” (1963)

Director: James B. Clark
Cast: Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, Joe Higgins, and Kathleen Maguire
Release Date: August 14, 1963
Running Time: 90 minutes

“Flipper’s New Adventure” (1964)

Director: Leon Benson
Cast: Luke Halpin, Pamela Franklin, Tom Helmore, and Brian Kelly
Release Date: June 24, 1964
Running Time: 94 minutes

“Namu, the Killer Whale” (1966)

Director: László Benedek
Cast: Robert Lansing, Lee Meriwether, Robin Mattson, John Anderson, Richard Erdman, Joe Higgins, and Michael Shea
Release Date: August 1966
Running Time: 89 minutes

“The Big Blue” (1988)

Director: Luc Besson
Cast: Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno, Paul Shenar, and Sergio Castellitto
Release Date: May 11, 1988
Running Time: 168 minutes

“Tadpole and the Whale” (1988)

Director: Jean-Claude Lord
Cast: Fanny Lauzier, Denis Forest, Marina Orsini, Félix-Antoine Leroux, Jean Lajeunesse, Lise Thouin, and Louise Richer
Release Date: June 17, 1988
Running Time: 91 minutes

“Free Willy” (1993)

Director: Simon Wincer
Cast: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, Michael Madsen, and Keiko
Release Date: July 16, 1993
Running Time: 112 minutes

“Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home” (1995)

Director: Dwight Little
Cast: Jason James Richter, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, Michael Madsen, Mykelti Williamson, Jon Tenney and Elizabeth Peña
Release Date: July 19, 1995
Running Time: 98 minutes

“Flipper” (1996)

Director: Alan Shapiro
Cast: Paul Hogan, Elijah Wood, Chelsea Field, Isaac Hayes, and Jonathan Banks
Release Date: May 10, 1996
Running Time: 95 minutes

“Free Willy 3: The Rescue” (1997)

Director: Sam Pillsbury
Cast: Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg, Annie Corley, Vincent Berry, and Patrick Kilpatrick
Release Date: August 8, 1997
Running Time: 86 minutes

“Zeus and Roxanne” (1997)

Director: George T. Miller
Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Kathleen Quinlan, and Miko Hughes
Release Date: January 24, 1997
Running Time: 98 minutes

“A Ring of Endless Light” (2002)

Director: Greg Beeman
Cast: Mischa Barton, Ryan Merriman, Jared Padalecki, Scarlett Pomers, Soren Fulton, and James Whitmore
Release Date: August 23, 2002
Running Time: 88 minutes

“Whale Rider” (2003)

Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, and Cliff Curtis
Release Date: January 30, 2003
Running Time: 101 minutes

“Eye of the Dolphin” (2006)

Director: Michael D. Sellers
Cast: Carly Schroeder, Adrian Dunbar, George Harris, Katharine Ross and Christine Adams
Release Date: August 21, 2007
Running Time: 103 minutes

“The Cove” (2009)

Director: Louie Psihoyos
Cinematography: Brook Aitken
Release Date: July 31, 2009
Running Time: 87 minutes

“Free Willy: Escape from Pirate’s Cove” (2010)

Director: Will Geiger
Cast: Bindi Irwin, Beau Bridges, Bongo Mbutuma, Siyabulela Ramba, and Stephen Jennings
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Running Time: 101 minutes

“Keiko: The Untold Story” (2010)

Director: Theresa Demarest
Release Date: 2010
Running Time: 75 minutes

“Barbie in a Mermaid Tale” (2010)

Director: Adam L. Wood
Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Kathleen Barr, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver, Emma Pierson, and Ciara Janson
Release Date: March 9, 2010
Running Time: 75 minutes

“Dolphin Tale” (2011)

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, and Morgan Freeman
Release Date: September 23, 2011
Running Time: 113 minutes

“Big Miracle” (2012)

Director: Ken Kwapis
Cast: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Vinessa Shaw, and Ted Danson
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Running Time: 107 minutes

“Blackfish” (2013)

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Cinematography: Jonathan Ingalls and Christopher Towey
Release Date: July 19, 2013
Running Time: 83 minutes

“Dolphin Tale 2” (2014)

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Winter, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Tom Nowicki, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin and Juliana Harkavy
Release Date: September 12, 2014
Running Time: 107 minutes

“Barbie Dolphin Magic” (2017)

Director: Conrad Helten
Cast: Erica Lindbeck, Shannon Chan-Kent, Kazumi Evans, Claire Corlett, Ciana Swales, and Adrian Petriw
Release Date: September 18, 2017
Running Time: 63 minutes