North Sea, Nature Untamed comes to UK Cinemas

Published 1 month agoon September 8, 2026

North Sea Nature Untamed - 2021-13 - ©Dutch Maritime Productions - Joost van Uffelen copy

A spectacular underwater journey revealing the surprisingly rich marine life of the North Sea is heading to UK cinemas this September.

North Sea, Nature Untamed takes audiences beneath waters often regarded as cold, grey and lifeless, revealing a very different world of sharks, seals, kelp forests, wrecks, tiny marine creatures and some of the North Sea’s largest predators.

The feature-length documentary follows Dutch underwater cinematographer Peter van Rodijnen, who spent seven years capturing the footage in some notoriously challenging conditions.

Inspired as a child by the adventures of Jacques Cousteau, van Rodijnen had travelled the world filming spectacular oceans but initially had little interest in the murky waters closer to home. That changed after an assignment to film Atlantic salmon in Denmark encouraged him to look more closely at the North Sea.

North Sea Nature Untamed - 1482 - ©Dutch Maritime Productions - Joost van Uffelen copy

His journey takes him from the waters around the Scottish islands to the Low Countries and Norwegian fjords, encountering everything from puffins hunting beneath the surface to seals, sharks and returning bluefin tuna.

But the film also looks beyond the charismatic animals. It explores the North Sea as an interconnected ecosystem and considers the pressures it faces from human activity, including intensive fishing, shipping and energy development.

Filming proved far from easy. Poor visibility, strong currents, storms and huge plankton blooms frequently disrupted plans, but the resulting footage reveals a colourful and diverse underwater world hidden beneath a surface familiar to millions.

North Sea Nature Untamed - 0440 - ©Dutch Maritime Productions - Joost van Uffelen copy

Originally released in the Netherlands as De Wilde Noordzee, the film became one of the country’s most successful documentaries of 2024 and won both the Grand Prix Jury Award and Audience Award at the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam.

North Sea, Nature Untamed is in cinemas across the UK from 25 September, with Odeon cinema previews from 19 September. https://www.northseafilm.com/

Jane Morgan

Jane’s lifelong love for the ocean began in childhood and has shaped the course of her life and career. After learning to dive in 1991, she spent much of the '90s teaching scuba and working on marine conservation projects in the Philippines and Borneo. A chance encounter with a film camera on a dive trip to Egypt in 2001 ignited a passion for underwater photography, inspiring her to leave the corporate world and pursue a full-time career in dive travel and photojournalism. Since then, her work has been published in a wide range of national and international magazines, books, and newspapers. She has filmed underwater for the BBC, judged major photography competitions, and received numerous accolades—including the prestigious Plongeur d'Or at the Festival Mondial de l'Image Sous-Marine. In 2009, Jane became a freelance photojournalist, and in 2011 completed a BA (Hons) in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University, where she now works as a Dive Safety Officer. Based in Cornwall, Jane dives locally year-round and is passionate about showcasing the rich marine life found in UK waters. As a proud ambassador for Dynamic Nord and Fathoms Free, she actively supports marine conservation initiatives and advocates for ocean protection through her storytelling. In her newest role with Scubaverse, Jane combines her love of travel, diving, and storytelling—sharing experiences from around the world to inspire others to explore, protect, and connect with the underwater world.

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