Movies like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction (2018)
The best movies like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction (2018) are Sea of Shadows (2019), The Cove (2009) and Deep Blue (2003). If Vaquita: The Business of Extinction hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Vaquita: The Business of Extinction
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Cove (2009)8.0/10 from 705 votes
- NewestThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)Released 2026
Sea of Shadows (2019)
The vaquita, the world’s smallest whale, is nearing extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican cartels and the Chinese Mafia, who harvest the totoaba fish, the “cocaine of the sea.” Environmental activists, the Mexican navy, and undercover investigators are fighting back against this illegal multimillion-dollar business.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cove (2009)
The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDeep Blue (2003)
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuff: Wonders of the Reef (2021)
A baby pufferfish travels through a wondrous microworld full of fantastical creatures as he searches for a home on the Great Barrier Reef.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDolphin Reef (2018)
Echo is a youngster who can't quite decide if it's time to grow up and take on new responsibilities-or give in to her silly side and just have fun. Dolphin society is tricky, and the coral reef that Echo and his family call home depends on all of its inhabitants to keep it healthy. But Echo has a tough time resisting the many adventures the ocean has to offer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOcean with David Attenborough (2025)
David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020)
A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEarth (2007)
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet – polar bears, elephants and humpback whales.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAliens of the Deep (2005)
James Cameron teams up with NASA scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge, a submerged chain of mountains that band the Earth and are home to some of the planet's most unique life forms.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterstellar: Nolan's Odyssey (2014)
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Class of ‘92 (2013)
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Kill a Tiger (2023)
Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Mom Jayne (2025)
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeaspiracy (2021)
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeyoncé: Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Life Is But a Dream is a HBO documentary about the life of US singer Beyoncé Knowles during the years 2011 and 2012 and on the recording of her fifth album. The film was directed by Beyoncé herself. The film shows Beyoncé from intimate moments of her pregnancy to behind the scenes and rehearsals of the main concerts of that time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChina's Secret Monkey Kingdom (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Dolphin Man (2017)
As well as providing the subject for Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, Jacques Mayol did more than anyone to establish the sport of free diving to enormous depths without an oxygen supply. Using breathing techniques derived from yoga, he went to 50, 60, and even 100 meters—depths no one had considered to be within the bounds of human possibility. Mayol was a sportsman, a mystic, a vagabond, but above all, a man who believed in testing the limits of experience. This visually stunning tribute shows a man’s quest to be at one with the vastness of the ocean and to have no fear of the abyss within, where lurks serenity, freedom and finally, death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
On Dolphin Terms: The Story of Dean & JoJo (2014)
The true story of naturalist Dean Bernal and his efforts to protect his friend JoJo: a wild, sociable dolphin in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Dolphins in the Deep Blue Ocean (2009)
They are inspirational, playful, powerful, interesting and very intelligent animals, which have a magical bond with the people: Dolphins. You'll see these magnificent animals in their natural habitats - reefs in Eilat, the largest marine reserve in the world. And also be able to watch a dolphins dance and play with the camera, dive or just durachatsya. Never seen so close before!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Gibbons: The Forgotten Apes In Peril (2009)
Gibbons are highly intelligent, agile and acrobatic tree-dwelling apes, found in the tropical forests of Asia. Most of the gibbon species are highly endangered and are on the verge of extinction as a result of the destruction of their tropical rain forest habitat as well as being hunted for food.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Saving Flipper (2009)
Our love affair with dolphins began with 'Flipper' and ended in a multi-million dollar industry of abuse. From the dazzling sea shows where dolphins are driven to suicide, to an annual dolphin slaughter in a small cove in Japan, 'Saving Flipper' reveals the nightmare behind the dolphin's indelible smile.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Atlantis (1991)
Atlantis is filmmaker Luc Besson's celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, expanding upon themes touched on in his film The Big Blue. Combining stunning underwater cinematography and a hypnotic score by Eric Serra, Besson's singular vision defies dialogue or narrative structure to explore ocean life as you've never seen it before. Following the colossal success of The Big Blue, Luc Besson crisscrossed the world's seas and oceans to film the beauty and diversity of marine life: from the giant octopuses of Vancouver to the manta rays of the Pacific (New Caledonia), and the grey sharks of Tahiti. A film with no actors or sets other than the underwater world. A breathtaking view of marine species: sharks, dolphins, manatees, octopuses. An exploration of the seabed in the Bahamas, the Galapagos, Vancouver, and Tahiti.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDevils of the Deep (2003)
In the deep waters of Mexico's Gulf of California, large and ravenous predators are congregating and local fishermen fear them more than sharks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Le pari (2023)
During a long conversation between two friends, a bet is made. To direct a wildlife documentary, in the french mountains, in only one year, about rare and threatened birds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Arctic: 66.5 Degrees North (2023)
The beauty of the Arctic is breathtaking. For as long as we can remember, the Arctic has been associated with inhospitable cold. But the climate is changing, and with it the northern polar region, which begins beyond latitude 66.5 degrees north. Climate change is now happening four times faster north of the Arctic Circle than on the rest of the planet, making the future outlook dire. At the moment it is still possible for polar bears to raise their cubs, but hunting is becoming increasingly difficult on the drastically shrinking pack ice. The disappearance of the ice also affects the marine fauna. The wintry ice bridge between Canada and Greenland is threatened with collapse. The unstoppable melting of the permafrost, which has held the tundra together for thousands of years, is worrying. But the Arctic is still one of the wildest and loveliest regions on earth. A documentary visit to the Arctic - as long as it still exists.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction?
The closest matches to Vaquita: The Business of Extinction are Sea of Shadows (2019), The Cove (2009) and Deep Blue (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Vaquita: The Business of Extinction?
Start with Sea of Shadows (2019), the closest match to Vaquita: The Business of Extinction.
What is the highest-rated movie like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction?
The Cove (2009), rated 8.0/10 by 705 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction?
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Vaquita: The Business of Extinction?
Yes: Sea of Shadows (2019), The Cove (2009) and Deep Blue (2003).
How are movies similar to Vaquita: The Business of Extinction chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Vaquita: The Business of Extinction, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.