Where was The Big Blue filmed?

In their childhood years growing up on Amorgos, Enzo dares Jacques to retrieve a coin from the sea floor but he refuses. The first instance of tragedy strikes when Jacques’s dad (Claude Besson) dives into the sea on a shellfish harvesting run, and his breathing apparatus fails. He uses a pump-supplied air hose on his diving mission but on that occasion, the apparatus fails. His rope also gets caught and the reef rocks puncture it. The two friends watch helplessly as the water weighs him down, and sadly, Jacques’s father dies. It brings up Jacques’s sentiments about the sea. “You go down to the bottom of the sea, where the water isn’t even blue anymore, where the sky is only a memory, and you float there, in the silence.” The Big Blue scenes where a young Jacques and Enzo started their rivalry were filmed in Manganari. Located on Los’s east coast, it is one of the Greek Cyclades islands juxtaposed between Santorini and Naxos. Besson reportedly spent time on Manganari in his childhood, and its pristine beauty stuck with him hence, inspiring one of the film shoot locations. The Manganari Beach is undoubtedly the main highlight, and the perfect spot to spend the day enjoying the peaceful environment. Daily buses departing from Mylopotas Beach Chora, or the Port can get you to Manganari Beach.

When Enzo settles in Sicily as an adult, he earns even more adoration after rescuing a diver trapped in a shipwreck. His actions earn him a $10,000 cash prize. When Roberto (Marc Duret) asks how he intends to spend the money, Enzo responds that he will repaint his car. Roberto points out that Giuseppe will do it for 25 dollars. Enzo shoots back, “then tell him to wax it too.” The Liveros Bay, located on the southwest corner of Amorgos, transformed into The Big Blue film set for the shipwreck scene. It is the Cyclades' easternmost island, and the Olympia wreckage which still rests on the bay is one of the area’s highlights. The legendary vessel sank in 1980, after running into stormy weather. From Santorini, Amorgos is accessible by boat and at Kalotaritissa beach, the shipwreck is located on a 15-minute descent.

Enzo doesn’t take it lightly when Jacques has broken his record. He sets out to top it off. The diving doctor warns against it, arguing that based on Jacques’s response, the pressure at depths beyond 400 ft. turns lethal. Enzo dismisses the doctor’s warning and goes ahead with the dive. He has difficulty making it back to the surface and Jacques dives down to his rescue. Enzo admits that Jacques was right all along, “it’s much better down there… it’s a better place…” Grief-stricken, Jacques refuses, and Enzo breathes his last in Jacques's arms. Finally honoring his friend’s wishes, Jacques takes Enzo’s body 400 feet below the water’s surface. The dive also takes a toll on Jacques who suffers a cardiac arrest. Panagia Hozoviotissa provided the backdrop for The Big Blue scene where the two friends return to Amorgos for the completion. Constructed in 1017 as a sanctuary for the Virgin Mary (Grace of Panagia), the monastery literally hangs on the cliffside. It went through renovations in 1088. The monastery is a religious retreat that welcomes visitors, and it’s worth noting that a modest dress code is required. Traveling from Chora, Panagia Hozoviotissa is about a kilometer away. Alternatively, it will take you half an hour to get to the monastery on foot. Some of the other Greek locales seen in the film include the Amorgos Island capital, Chora, Agia Anna, the rocky beach, and the Kalotaritissa Bay.

While working at the diving research center, Jacques brushes shoulders with Johana Baker (Rosanna Arquette). She is an insurance investigator sent on an assignment. Having heard his faltering heartbeat at the Taormina World Diving Championships, she concocts an insurance problem to investigate the issue. However, her mission is to meet up with Jacques again, and the pair falls in love. Jacques describes the intriguing tale about mermaids appearing and leading deep-sea enthusiasts into enchanted places. He says, “they come, and they greet you, and they judge the love you have for them. If it’s sincere, if it’s pure, they’ll be with you, and take you away forever.” Both don’t realize just how much Jacques is drawn to the murky depths of the waters. Facing off with Enzo, he beats him by 1 meter. His friend is a great sport and presents him with a crystal dolphin and a tape measure outlining the margin between their records. Abra La Raya provided the backdrop for The Big Blue scenes at the research center, and Johanna arrives at the La Raya Pass railway station. Lying 14,000 feet above sea level, the La Raya Mountain range provides spectacular views of the Andean plateau.

Johanna is based in New York, and after visiting the research center, she struggles to settle back into the hustle and bustle of the city. Her thoughts are on Jacques, despite Enzo describing his friend in a rather hilarious way. “Don’t think of Jacques as a human being, he’s from another world.” A blessing in disguise is when she gets the boot after her deception is uncovered. She leaves the Big Apple and embarks on the next chapter of her life with Jacques. While in the Big Apple, we see Johanna crossing the Manhattan Bridge in a cab. The insurance company she works at is housed within the foreboding One Liberty Plaza high rise, located on 165 Broadway. Once known as the U.S. Steel Building, the Lower Manhattan building rests on a block bounded by several popular locations. Broadway, Cortlandt Street, and Church Street are blocks away from One Liberty Plaza. Hop onto bus QM11, BM2, Mzo, or M55 to get to The Big Blue filming location.

Jacques is rescued by supervising divers and brought to the surface. After getting resuscitated, he is transported to a medical facility. His condition improves but he starts experiencing hallucinatory dreams. In one such instance, he dreams that the ceiling collapses and water fills the room. Another hallucination depicts him stuck in the middle of the ocean with dolphins surrounding him. Johanna checks up on him, he is lying awake but unresponsive. Jacques also has a bloody nose and bloody ears. She attempts to help him, but he veers towards a boat for one last dive. Johnna begs him not to go saying that whatever rests at the depths isn’t alive. She also tells him that they are expecting but eventually understands that he has to go. Before letting go, Johanna asks him, “promise you won’t forget me.” The filming crew recorded most of the diving scenes at the Hurricane Hole. Located within the Virgin Islands National Park, Hurricane Hole is the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. A series of shallow bays fringing the island’s shore create the Hurricane Hole. Red mangrove trees protect the shore, and it’s a wonderful place to go snorkeling. To get to The Big Blue location, take a ferry or barge from Red Hook. Three barge companies operate rides throughout the day taking visitors to Cruz Bay on St. John.