Can dolphins really do 21 knots? Just asking; it's a beautiful scene anyway.

-- Thomas Shoebotham (cathytom@ix.netcom.com), January 26, 1998

Answers

Dolphins can swim very fast, yes.

Apparently, Hammerhead was *very* happy that they were able to fool James Cameron (noted perfectionist) with the additional CG dolphins.

-- Thomas M. Terashima (tom@nucleus.com), January 29, 1998.

The dolphins were only computer images, done very well of coarse. I do love the film with a passion, but I still thought it was a bit much. I mean, having Dicarpio yelling "I am the king of the world!!" was uplifting enough, I didn't think there was a need for the dolphins. That only my opinion though.

-- christal beaulieu (dudette3@idirect.ca), January 26, 1998.

I think the dolphins were used to symbolize freedom. I don't know where I got that from, but it's my opinion.

-- Colleen (Colleendi@earthlink.net), January 26, 1998.

Cameron said on a TV talk show that the dolphins were real. I assume that to mean they were not computer images. I don't know if this means that were doing 21 knots, but I don't think the ship was going quite that fast yet either.

-- Bob Gregorio (rgregori@pacbell.net), January 26, 1998.

I can tell you from my own experience they can do better than 16 knots! They are pretty fast little critters and that scene is something that is very common. The only thing I would question would be that they would be around at that water temperature. They have been sited here where I live on Cape Cod as late as December or January. At any rate, who cares, it was just another example of the best editing that I have ever seen in any film and it was a beautiful shot!

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 27, 1998.

I love that scene. Anyway, it wasnt too much at all!!! My boyfriend goes sailing and knows about the sea and such, and dolphins do swim around the ship because they love something about it..i forget..the sound or the waves or something...but it was a lovely scene and I thought that it was well done.

-- MJ (love1028@aol.com), January 27, 1998.

Cinefex #72 had two pictures of the dolphin scene accompanied by these captions: (1) Stock footage of a dolphin leaping out of the water in front of a ship was digitally treated by Hammerhead Productions and incorpaorated into a shot of the Titanic getting underway. (2) For a scene of dolphins cavorting abreast of the ship, Hammerhead enhanced footage of a real leaping dolphin with two computer generated companions swimming just beneath the surface.

-- D. Evans (Wdte@msn.com), January 27, 1998.

I too saw a segment on some show (i believe it was oprah) that James Cameron said the dolphins were real.

-- Kate (r_dawson23@hotmail.com), January 29, 1998.

Just a note: Here on Cape Cod, MA we are currently experiencing the beaching of large schools of dolphins on the outer cape. Why this happens is not known but has happened before this time of the year especially after a northeast storm with abnormally high tides. This usually occurs with the right whale which is an endangered species but has also occured with the dolphins. So, you see that they are really an unpredictable critter and are still around even in the frigid waters of January.

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 31, 1998.

The dolphins were real, but the water scene was not.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@ccs.carleton.ca), February 07, 1998.

...Loved Leonardo's lines in that scene...

-Look,look,look...look,look,look,look,look.Look,there's another one. You see it? Look,look,look,look,look...look,look,look.LOOK!!!

-- Ana (foo@bar.com), February 19, 1998.