All Rise...

Judge Franck Tabouring is afraid of water. Even his bathtub scares him.

The Charge

Plunge into an unforgettable underwater experience…

The Case

Smithsonian Networks' Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef invites viewers on a spectacular journey deep down the gorgeous underwater world off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Stretching out for more than 1,200 miles, this unique coral reef is the largest in the world, serving as a home to a large variety of marine life constantly struggling for survival.

Clocking in at only 47 minutes, this informative program focuses primarily on the many strategies the horde of underwater creatures utilize to survive in a rather hostile territory where it all comes down to eating, avoid being eaten, and reproducing. In other words, Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef offers a pretty intriguing look at how different species use different methods to achieve their goals and expand their lifespan.

From the way living organisms use colors and other unique features to protect themselves to how they reproduce to increase their chances of survival, this presentation gives us a solid overview of the challenging way of life along one of the world's most beautiful coral reefs. The program's big advantage is its collection of visually stunning underwater shots, which offer gorgeous close-ups of the reef's structure, colors, and its unique inhabitants.

Speaking of visuals, the DVD presents a sharp widescreen presentation of the program with vivid colors and sharp images captured underwater. Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef also includes a clear narration that blends in well with the disc's decent audio transfer. You won't find any special features on this one, but you'll be able to catch a bunch of previews for other Smithsonian Networks programs.

Instructional and adventurous, Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef feeds us gorgeous images from a world most of us are still unfamiliar with. It's a program compelling for us regular folks and avid divers and fans of marine exploration, and it does a fine job combining useful information with superb visuals. It's worth taking the dive for sure.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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