Produced and directed by George Casey, Great Barrier Reef is noticeably different from Mr. Casey's previous Science Museum films in that there are few aerial scenes. Most of the action takes place under the sea. The story follows marine biologist Soames Summerhays and Australian photographers Ron and Valerie Taylor as they investigate the beautiful and fragile ecology of the reef. They describe the sea as a great costume ball. There are animals that look like plants, fish that look like butterflies, sharks that look like coral and a shovelnose ray that blends into the sea bottom.
Sharks are an important part of the reef ecology.
The crew had difficulty attracting them at first. One day, dozens of sharks up to eight feet in length appeared. Fortunately for the film crew, they seemed more interested in eating other fish and each other than dining on people. This spectacular film demonstrates that the hemispheric film format can take the viewer anywhere in the Universe, including the bottom of the ocean. The effect is almost the same as being there, except you won't get wet.