A documentary which offers groundbreaking insights into the complex pelagic social lives of North Atlantic humpback whales has claimed a top prize at a global film festival.

If They Were Us: The Humpback Whales of the Sargasso Sea stood toe-to-toe with major, studio-backed documentaries and won the first place in the Marine Ecosystems Film category at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, which was held in Monterrey, Mexico, last week.

It was named runner-up in the Best Feature Finalist category and third place for Best Cinematography.

The independent documentary by researcher and film-maker Andrew Stevenson features two decades of dedicated marine research and the identification of nearly 2,500 individual whales from the researcher’s Bermuda Humpback Whale Catalogue.

It features content from several papers published in leading scientific journals which Mr Stevenson authored and co-authored.

The 47-minute documentary offers six years and 180 hours of previously unseen aerial and underwater footage, the researcher said.

The film explores the annual migration of these marine giants through the uniquely vulnerable ecosystem of the Sargasso Sea.

As the whales navigate escalating human threats, from plastic pollution to industrial ocean noise, the documentary delivers an urgent plea for international environmental action.

The film-maker said the documentary presents an intimate look into a complex social world shaped by co-operation, long-term familial networks and cultural transmission spanning the entire ocean basin.

“The title is an open challenge to the audience,” he said.

“How would we treat the oceans if we viewed these whales not as separate entities, but as a reflection of our own society?” he asked, noting that the film is both an intimate tribute to the beauty of the Sargasso Sea and the humpback whales, as well as an urgent plea for its international protection.

“Our survival is entirely intertwined with theirs,” he said.

An overwhelmed Mr Stevenson told The Royal Gazette that the film was uniquely narrated and written from the perspective of his two daughters, Elsa and Somers.

“I am frankly very surprised at getting the award … I like to call the film a home video,” he said.

He said he felt extra special when he considered the work and effort which he dedicated to the project, including parts where a bedroom closet at the family’s home was converted to a makeshift studio.

Mr Stevenson said the film included new footage which he had been compiling on marine life stretching as far back as 2019.

He noted the role technology played in his work, adding that he was able to use the features of drone and underwater camera technology for the project.

“The technology made it easier but probably the most important thing here is telling the story,” he added.

He said his daughters had been by his side for previous projects and he noted that they were equally excited about the result. “The girls are used to it by now,” he added.

“It is very satisfying to get this type of recognition in the wider world,” he said.

The film will be screened locally at various venues and Mr Stevenson said people can check his Facebook account for updates on dates and venues.

The film follows Where the Whales Sing, narrated by the then six-year-old Elsa.

It won the Best Underwater Film-maker award at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in 2010 along with the Masterworks/Charman Art Prize.

The film was also featured as in-flight entertainment for several airlines, including Air Canada.

Its successor, The Secret Lives of the Humpbacks, a character-driven nature documentary based on 15 years of insights into the mid-ocean social lives of the North Atlantic humpback whales, was completed in 2019.

The documentary is narrated by Elsa and Somers, who were aged 15 and 10 at the time.

It won the Best Oceans Film award at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in 2019 and the Festival International du Documentaire Maritime in France, 2022.