When the shark alarm went off while we were swimming along the coast during the summer holidays, my kids didn't care in the slightest. Very intrigued, yes, but not at all scared — it was exhilarating for my two, who've had a fascination with the sea and many of its biggest creatures since they were tiny.

They know we share the ocean with these animals. My son's reaction went something like this: "Wow, they're really, really out there!" Yep buddy, for real life.

When we heard we'd be able to pop on 3D glasses and have a proper look at what lies beneath the waves in this new 45-minute documentary, we ran to IMAX Melbourne immediately.

It's become their new personality. From a passing interest to "I want to study marine biology" apparently now when they've finished school, Shark Kingdom 3D has had quite the impact.

It's now screening exclusively at IMAX Melbourne, and I'm already making the call that it's the best school holiday activity for inquisitive young minds (and their parents). Plus, it's the only place in Australia to see it (fast fact: IMAX Melbourne was designed and purpose-built as a 3D theatre).

Watching in 3D truly makes big sharks look even bigger with a clarity and colour unmatched for any regular cinema. It's quite an impressive family adventure into the oceans of the world, showing just how the underwater predator uses hidden 'super senses' to be a key player in this marine ecosystem of theirs.

Watch the official Shark Kingdom trailer. Post continues below.

The giant screen definitely adds to the immersion, making it feel like you're inside a giant tank. I mean, it's a seven-storey screen! You'll be right there in the deep as you see how each shark species wields unique powers to help them survive and protect their diverse habitats. The documentary follows Great Whites settling in the wild and windy seas of New Zealand, whaler sharks learning to co-exist with fishermen in Lord Howe Island, and Blacktip Reef sharks venturing from Tahiti mangroves to the open ocean.

Settling in for the screening is an adventure in itself. Armed with 3D glasses (and a box of popcorn from the snack bar), the screen is the largest in the southern hemisphere and an impressive sight before the show even starts! You're told when to pop the glasses on, and it's endearing to watch the kids reaching out to try to touch the sharks, and slide glasses down their noses to check what the screen looks like without the help of 3D lenses (okay, I admit that I also do this every time).

Image: Supplied.

Shark Kingdom 3D is filmed in some of the world's best diving locations — including The Bahamas and our very own Lord Howe Island — so you'll feel as close as possible to sharks without getting wet. Audience gasps and reactions can be heard in some scenes while in others there's complete silence… you know it's a great documentary when the kids don't blink and their hands hover the popcorn box before reaching back in again when the scene changes. 

Australian filmmaker Matt Tomaszewski said seeing what was "a really long and tricky project to finally come to fruition and see it on an amazing big screen is incredibly exciting."

"Sharks are not an easy thing to try to shoot from a filmmaking point of view. They live in very remote places, there are storms, there's weather, there's light and water clarity and then sharks are often dangerous and hard to get close to," he said.

"Filming them for IMAX was an incredibly big challenge… to find [the sharks] we had to go to the last shark kingdoms that exist to find enough in healthy populations where we could see them, so really the title of this film is really pertinent to the story."

The tight runtime is also a sweet spot for kids' attention spans. Long enough for a proper holiday outing but not too long that you'll be following them out in the middle of it for a toilet break, IYKYK.

My kids absolutely loved it and as a result, a shark theme has taken over our household. Books have been dragged out from the bookshelf; shark toys and games are being played with once again. I call IMAX documentaries incidental learning — lessons disguised as entertainment! I'm smug about it, but honestly, it's IMAX that has done the leg work.

Get tickets to Shark Kingdom 3D , showing exclusively at IMAX Melbourne.

Featured image: Supplied.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IMAX Melbourne

IMAX Melbourne is the place to be these school holidays. Catch the breathtaking Shark Kingdom 3D, and even find Mario, Luigi and Toad on the giant IMAX screen in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie 3D.

Tickets can be purchased at imaxmelbourne.com.au