Sea-life stories

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As someone who has spent countless hours underwater, immersed in the breathtaking beauty and heart-wrenching struggles of marine life, I can confidently say that “Our Oceans” is an unparalleled journey into the hidden world beneath the waves. The series masterfully combines awe-inspiring discoveries with stark reminders of the environmental challenges our oceans face.

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At 3 o’clock and 10 o’clock respectively, orcas and humps (short for humpback whales) are present! It’s a challenge to decide which direction to focus as these marine creatures – whales and sea lions – encircle the boat I’m on, sailing in the expansive Pacific Ocean near Monterey, California.

The lady seated nearby is enthusiastically snapping photos with her iPhone and swiftly moving from one side to another to capture the best vantage point of the spectacle. This behavior would typically be expected, except that she’s Inka Cresswell, a member of the team who spent six years creating the five-part documentary series, “Our Oceans.

Aren’t you taking a break from what you normally do?” I inquire. “But it’s quite refreshing,” she chuckles. “I never grow tired of the sea. In fact, I wanted to go scuba diving during our honeymoon, but we decided that might be pushing it too far.

I’ve been extended an invitation to collaborate with executive producer James Honeyborne, series producer Jonathan Smith, and researcher Cresswell to explore the effort and processes involved in creating the awe-inspiring new Netflix production.

Over a period of more than five years, the team worked extensively in over thirty countries, accumulating approximately 53,000 hours in the field. This included spending 500 days at sea and 4,000 hours submerged underwater. The captivating series that emerged from this work is narrated by the former President of the United States, Barack Obama. Remarkably, these explorations have led to the publication of twenty new scientific papers based on their groundbreaking discoveries.

Amazingly, we find ourselves thrilled about a five-hour boat journey, operated by a company that typically organizes whale-watching excursions for tourists. Remarkably, our luck has been outstanding as we witnessed pods of orcas instructing their offspring on hunting sea lions, and hundreds of sea lions feasting on a massive swarm of anchovies, all while eight humpback whales were present.

Smith expresses, “We’re just as thrilled by these instances as anyone else. If we can capture that excitement, enchantment, and awe on the screen, it will help us preserve our oceans.

Key to Our Oceans was not just telling ground-breaking stories but finding a connection to sea-life. The team wanted to show those who grew up fearing the ocean after watching Jaws that life under the waves is full of stories that are completely relatable. Jonathan Smith explains: “The species living under or beside the water are sharing the same challenges and joys of life that we all are. It’s only by starting to understand this world that you realise, ‘This isn’t something to be scared of. This is something to be in love with.’”

Speaking about his work on the BBC1 series “Blue Planet II”, Honeyborne remarks, “We aim to transform the way people view fish and cetaceans, breaking free from the stereotypes of them being cold, slimy, and otherworldly. Often, we find ourselves looking at a fish in amazement, realizing they’re more intelligent than previously believed. It’s heartwarming to witness parents caring for their young, or love stories unfolding – that’s the magic of it.

The team worked for six months on selecting tales to capture on film, and some of the most intriguing discoveries turned out to be unscripted incidents as Smith points out. “We may write stories, but nature doesn’t follow the script. This can make things complicated, yet it occasionally brings us delightful surprises.” One instance he particularly enjoys is that of the minuscule veined octopus in the Indian Ocean, which conceals itself among ocean floor debris to hunt.

We see parents fussing over kids and love stories emerging

Initially, they captured footage of an octopus concealing itself inside a transparent plastic cup. However, it soon became apparent that if she could observe her surroundings, potential predators could do the same. Consequently, she adapted her strategy and discovered two parts of a clam shell, which turned out to be an ideal hiding spot for hunting crabs.

As the fish swam by, the clam stayed put and lingered, prompting the octopus to employ its siphon to gather pebbles which it then hurled at the fish.

Smith stated, “The narrative took an astonishingly unexpected twist at that point. She grabbed a stone, killed the fish with it, and essentially transformed herself into a weapon! It was magical and demonstrated her ingenuity. A scientific paper is being drafted about it currently. This is our aim for every story – to transport you on a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns as captivating as top-tier Hollywood movies.

Due to the octopus being quite small, approximately six inches, and the event happening swiftly, the team didn’t recognize what they had captured until they had removed their wetsuits and were in their hotel rooms reviewing the footage. “What they discovered,” Honeyborne explains, “was a fish approaching the octopus, startled as if it had been smacked. It wasn’t until they slowed down the video, frame by frame, that they noticed a pebble. That was when the realization hit them. They then spent an additional 100 hours filming it.

Among the notable events was capturing on film the narwhal, a mysterious Arctic marine creature often referred to as the “sea unicorn.” Using its unique tusk with remarkable skill, this elusive animal was seen separating and stunning fish. Honeyborne, the researcher, expressed his excitement, saying, “It’s one of those rare, nearly mythical creatures we don’t know a lot about. To witness such an astonishing action was truly captivating.

The team successfully captured footage of this peculiar behavior thanks in part to an aerial drone camera that followed the elusive narwhal from above. Additionally, they were able to film species like vibrant deep-sea starfish, which reside at depths of up to 3,000 meters in the dark and frigid environment, with the aid of newly developed equipment.

In addition to exciting discoveries, there’s also a strong emphasis on human impact on our oceans, particularly illustrated in a tragic scene involving a polar bear cub struggling to keep pace with its mother and sibling. Sadly, nearly half of these cubs don’t live past their first birthday due to shrinking ice caps. Exhausted, the mother must assist the cub in climbing the ice. A chilling incident occurs when the cub begins to play with a discarded rope on the beach and gets tangled as a result.

Filmmaker Alex Vail notes, “The expression on the young cub’s face clearly showed fear. Although the rope fell loose, the situation was definitely nerve-wracking.

Following the global outcry over single-use plastics inspired by “Blue Planet II”, Honeyborne anticipates that “Our Oceans” might provoke a similar reaction. As we observed after “Blue Planet II”, people developed a stronger emotional bond with marine life, leading to beach cleanups and reduced use of plastic. This is the heartwarming impact of human compassion. If watching this documentary stirs such a connection with ocean life in viewers, inspiring them to take action, that would be truly delightful.

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2024-11-15 22:36