Where was In The Heart of the Sea filmed? All shooting locations explored
In the Heart of the Sea is an adventure-drama film released in 2015 by Ron Howard. The movie is based on the true story of the whaleship Essex, which was attacked by a massive sperm whale in 1820. The movie is inspired by Herman Melville's classic novel Moby-Dick. With Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, and Tom Holland, the film has once again gained popularity, topping the Amazon Prime Video charts as of January 2025.
The story is about the Essex crew on a deadly journey from Nantucket to the Pacific Ocean, with a party of whalers who went out there for whale oil. The story takes a great tragic turn when an angry sperm whale sinks their ship, leaving the crew stranded at sea fighting for survival.
The production used numerous carefully selected shooting locations to enhance the authenticity of the 19th-century sea setting, taking scenes to locales such as Canary Islands in Spain and using Warner Bros. Studios in England to recreate the sheer vast open sea and the period backdrop.
In the Heart of the Sea's major filming locations explored
1) La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain
The film's ocean scenes were shot on location in La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands in Spain. The island's calm waters and dramatic coastlines offered a perfect backdrop to shoot the vast Pacific Ocean.
The production team chose La Gomera because it can replicate open-sea conditions without the uncertainty of shooting on the real ocean. This helped to have better control during shooting, ensuring the safety of the cast and crew while capturing the expansive maritime environment that was essential to the story.
2) Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
The second island in the Canary archipelago, Lanzarote, was used for more oceanic scenes. Famous for its volcanic landscapes and long coastline, Lanzarote provided the filmmakers with different settings that made the film more visually authentic.
The varied landscape of the island enabled the filmmakers to shoot the different aspects of Essex's journey. Serene waters and more dangerous seascapes, which added more dynamism to the narrative's portrayal of the crew's ordeal, were shot here.
3) Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, England
Warner Bros. Studios, located in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, was utilized for scenes shot under controlled environments, especially storm sequences and those that involved shooting the inside of the ship.
The facility at the studios made it possible to build giant water tanks and replica ships, enabling the simulation of the turbulent conditions at sea. It was used in the heavy storm sequences wherein 500 gallons of icy water were poured through cannons to mimic the harsh sea conditions that befell the Essex.
4) London, England
Additional shooting was done on location in London. The period architecture and equipment of the city served as great backdrops to film scenes about 19th-century Nantucket and port scenes. Because shooting was done on location in London, the filmmakers were able to shoot a range of period locations, which served to enhance the overall historical quality and sense of immersion of the film.
Plot of In the Heart of the Sea
The film starts with Herman Melville visiting the last remaining member of the crew, Thomas Nickerson, to understand what happened in the ill-fated voyage of the Essex. Hesitantly, Nickerson shares his gruesome experience with Melville of how it all started in the summer of 1819 when the Essex sailed from Nantucket.
The crew, under the command of Captain George Pollard Jr. and first mate Owen Chase, sets out on a two-and-a-half-year whaling expedition. Tensions between Pollard, inexperienced yet of noble lineage, and Chase, a seasoned sailor from a humble background, are evident. Despite early challenges, including storms and scarce whale sightings, they eventually venture deeper into the Pacific, driven by the promise of abundant whales.
The two eventually find themselves in a desolate region, where they see an enormous white sperm whale. The beast attacks the Essex ferociously, ramming it multiple times until the ship sinks. Thousands of miles from the shore, the surviving crew members are left to drift in small whaleboats with little provisions.
Facing starvation, dehydration, and exposure, the men make desperate decisions, including drawing lots to determine who will be sacrificed for the others to survive. Chase emerges as a resilient leader, striving to maintain hope and order amid the despair. After months at sea, the remaining survivors are finally rescued, their ordeal leaving lasting psychological scars.
The story ends with Melville being inspired by Nickerson's tale, which he then uses as his imagination for writing Moby-Dick, thereby immortalizing Essex's tragic voyage. The movie poignantly explores human endurance, the consequences of man exploiting nature, and the haunting memories that their survivors carry.
In the Heart of the Sea is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
