Superfish

Across three oceans and more than two years, marine biologist and filmmaker Rick Rosenthal set out to capture on film the biggest, fastest, most dangerous gamefish in the sea — the ancient and amazing creatures known as billfish. The group includes the graceful sailfish, the menacing swordfish and queen of them all, the marlin. Marlin can top speeds of 60 miles an hour on migrations that can span 9,000 miles. The largest, always female, weigh in at 1,000 pounds and more, and are known as granders. Hemingway immortalized them in The Old Man and the Sea, but to his great disappointment never landed a grander himself. Rick Rosenthal’s pursuit of these coveted sea creatures in the name of conservation unfolds in NATURE’s “Superfish.” Billfish are almost impossible to find and film in open waters, making it very difficult for researchers to study them. Adding to the challenge is the overfishing of billfish and their prey, causing a decline in their populations.