NIKA THE PILOT WHALE

“Nika the pilot whale”, is a short documentary that tells the story of a wild tropical pilot whale resident in the ZEC Teno-Rasca area in the southwest of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain. It is a cry to heaven for and for the protection, conservation and defense of the natural spaces and their fauna of this outermost region, unique in the world.

This piece shows the overexploitation to which the island of Tenerife is subjected, which receives more than 6.5 million tourists a year and has a population of 945,000 inhabitants, and the disastrous way in which the island has been managed in recent decades. An infinite and unsustainable growth that is not only threatening natural spaces and biodiversity more than ever, but also the coexistence and local development of Tenerife residents.

Directed by Jose Hernández and Felipe Ravina Olivares, this documentary aims to promote a change towards real sustainable development, with a future in which we coexist with nature to continue enjoying Tenerife and the rest of the Canary Islands in their wild and natural state.

This documentary has been recorded under the permission and authorization of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of the Government of Spain. These works are regulated under royal decree 1727/2007, of December 21, which establishes protection measures for cetaceans. Swimming with cetaceans is prohibited in Spain.

  • Jose Hernández Viera
    Director
  • Felipe Ravina Olivares
    Writer
  • Jose Hernández Viera
    Producer
  • Felipe Ravina Olivares
    Producer
  • NIKA
    Key Cast
  • Felipe Ravina Olivares
    Key Cast
  • Sergio D. Hernández Herrera
    Key Cast
  • Mirna Piñero Mesa
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    NIKA, EL CALDERÓN TROPICAL
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Social, narrative, enviromental, ocean, realism
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • CimaSub
    Pais Vasco
    Spain
    November 21, 2024
    Pais Vasco
    Barandilla de Oro 2024
Distribution Information
  • Kinema Producciones SL
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Jose Hernández Viera

Jose Hernández is a Spanish filmmaker and an unconditional lover of the sea.
Everything that Jose films bears the stamp of his subtle art direction accompanied by powerful visual narratives that give each of his works an exceptional nature. With a long professional career behind him linked to advertising work for renowned brands, the young filmmaker deliver his second documentary work within this genre after his great debut with IBALLA CORAZÓN DE ESCAMAS (Spain, 2021).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Nika, the pilot whale' is going to “reach deeply into the heart of each viewer and will create awareness” because “the paradise in which we live is not going through its best moment, and this reality not only affects people, but “It also generates unsustainable pressure on the ecosystem.