Irwin Allen's Sensationalist Documentary

Being a diver and living in Fort Lauderdale, I respect and appreciate the beauty of all sea life. That includes sharks, manta rays, moray eels, and other "slimy" sea creatures. I don't just kill them for no reason. I cringed when I saw the diver spear the manta ray and moray eel and then gut the shark! The animals were not threatening the diver and it was obviously gratuitous.

I understand that the undersea world was relatively new when Rachel Carson wrote her book. But I view a large part of Irwin Allen's movie preys on the ignorance of the public and misinforms them rather than to educate them. It exaggerates the dangers of undersea life to man and sensationalizes the stereotypes of many sea creatures, portraying tham as evil and deserving death by all means. Irwin Allen later used the same MO to produce his blockbuster movie thrillers.

I much preferred Jacques Cousteau's documentaries a decade later. They were more professional and based on facts. He, at least, had respect for the sea, and was an advocate for protecting the oceans.