This afternoon Mark Brownlow, Producer/Director of Ocean Giants, a three-part series being filmed for the BBC, will end a 12-day shoot in Dominica.
Mr. Brownlow is accompanied by some of the industry’s top nature cinematographers like Didier Noirot, Doug Allan and Richard Wollocombe as well as sound recordist Mike Kasic.
The BBC Natural History Unit’s Production Coordinator Sandra Forbes has been working with Carla Armour of Dominica Tours, A division of Anchorage Ltd to make this a reality. Braving rumours of hurricanes and unpredictable weather, a team of 14 have been at sea for 11 days capturing footage of Dominica and the Sperm Whales.
The BBC crew are accompanied by an Anchorage Whale Watch crew, some of Dominica’s leading whale watching guides and experts, like Andrew Armour, Dave Favian, and Pernell Francis on Miser’s Dream, captained by Francis Charles and first mate Philbert Daisy.
Researcher Shane Gero, PhD Candidate of Dalahousie University in Canada who has used Anchorage as a base for over five years was also recruited by BBC to accompany them providing them with scientific data to further enhance their production.
Ms. Armour and the producers are impressed with the level of assistance provided by Anchorage Hotel Whale Watch & Dive Center for the support and service provision which has made for an almost seamless 12-day shoot; and also gratitude goes out to The Dominica Film Commission, Discover Dominica Authority, Fisheries Division and LIAT who facilitated the excess baggage, customs and immigration clearance and the warm and professional welcome to Dominica.
Anchorage Whale Watch & Dive Center Manager Ms. Daryl Aaron along with the rest of management join their directors in expressing gratitude to the BBC for selecting Dominica and for entrusting their company to manage the project.
Carla Armour said that “this is an incredible opportunity for Dominica to be showcased by such renowned international film-makers and the BBC. The public awareness of Dominica is certain to be heightened upon the release of the series next year. The crew has expressed their fascination for Dominica’s natural beauty and hope to return for personal reasons sometime soon.”
Hi Everyone,
Juat fely that I should give a little perspective on the BBC shoot
Regarding those of you holding your breath for the series, don’t….you have time as the producer has up until next June to deliver the finished product. After that is the whole BBC distribution and scheduling. So lets figure near the end of next year. He, Mark Brownlow, says expect 18 months.
The series is called Ocean Giants. It features these two top level photographers with some of the more challenging large creatures of the oceans.
One of their missions in this project is to film The Blue Whales off Sri Lanka, I guess with the civil war over in that country it is now possible to go in and do that sort of work.
One of the photographers, Didier Noirot, was down here four years ago photographing sperm whales. He saw my boy Scar on his one before his last day on the water and did not bother to go out the last day as he stayed poing and playing around him long enough to get all he needed and knew that was most likely the best he would get.
Most of the pictures you see of sperm whales in Dominica feature Scar, who was first seen in January 2000. That makes him 10 yrs and nine months. Most of the literature says that the males leave between 6 and nine yrs of age so he is overdue to leave us. He is a male and yes we have pics showing just how much of a male he is :-)
The success of the diving with the whales is based on the fact that the same sperms stay in our waters for a much longer time than in most places. That means that we have been able to forge relationships. They will only let you come to them or they come to you if they want to. They can swim at least 4 to 5 times as fast and dive at least a hundred times deeper.
The success of the diving with the sperm whales is a delicate balance which we MUST be careful how we handle. Remember these animals have the largest brains in the world and will never forget a negative experience.
The trip with the BBC was HARD work covering over 100 miles searching for many days. Thanks to Igna Mitchell (POssie) who gave us the news that the whales were 15 miles outside Pointe Ronde. We went out and went alongside a baby and mother feeding. As soon as the mother dove down the baby come to our boat, Miser’s Dream and gave us ten minutes in the sun. The highlight being when the mother and babysitter came back to take their baby from us.
Sorry about beihg so long, but felt i should share it!
Andrew Armour aka The Whale Whispere
Does anyone know when it will be showed on the telly
That;s Great,
We thank you all for that.I can’t wait to see that.
Tha’s Great .
We thank you all for that.
we just need international airport as this nightlanding isnt so friendly from what ive been hearing still some dark issues…
This is refreshingly positive news. Dominica is indeed one of the most exotic places on earth, but for those of us priviledge to dive her waters, you are dwarfed in the presence of beauty of untold proportions. I feel so blessed to call this island home, but even more so i’m awed by her majesty!
I look forward to seeing this documentary with baited breath.. imagine what the raw taping without editing looks like.
Wonderful reviving the promotional initiative of the 80’s and 90’s
See national geographic documentary of 1991
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZVZvc9Y1h0
Looking forward to watching this series. Dominica is truly beautiful and sometimes we forget that. I love my Dominica.
Dominica is rapidly becoming famous for its sperm whales and that makes me so proud. When I’m describing DA to foreigners I always mention our sperm whales which they find quite facinatingl. We should all use that to promote DA. The little things we take for granted a pretty big out there.
i really want to see that,,, i hope dno will be around to let us know when that will be aired,,,,
Can’t wait, the BBC.