Though orcas (or killer whales) spend their lives traveling in groups, various instances have arisen over time in which an orca calf becomes accidentally estranged from its familial clan (or ‘pod’). One such case transpired in 2001, when a baby orca christened Luna wound up lost in the depths of Nootka Sound. Suffering from intense loneliness, he sought out and cultivated friendships with humans as quasi-familial substitutes, providing locals with a rare and magical opportunity to connect with a whale in its natural habitat.
In time, however, trouble erupted: no one could agree on how to respond to the presence of this creature. Fisherman regarded Luna as an annoyance, environmentalists rushed to his aid, and politicos felt that the presence of the whale presented a grave danger on many levels. Documentarists Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, however, felt transfixed by the creature and created this loving documentary portrait of Luna as the very fact of his existence escalated into a global news story and many strove to find a way to save him.
– Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide