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Earth’s Natural Wonders – Whale Sharks

Project Summary

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Genre
Documentary
Featured Content
Culture, Fishers, Underwater, Whale Sharks, Wildlife
Islands
Papua
Regions
Papua
Talent

Olivia Colman

Producers

Jobim Sampson

Sarah Conner

Matt Barrett

Director

Rob Sullivan

Matt Barrett

Camera Operators

Johnny Rogers

Sound Recordists

Nick Allinson

Other Crew

Katy Engels

Fiona Dorman

Jenni Shaw

Earths Natural Wonders Poster
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FORMAT

TV Series

RELEASED

2014

Overview

Documentary series examining what it takes to survive in some of the most extreme places on the planet.

In This Sequence

Whale Sharks

Jungle Run Production Services

BBC Earth set an ambitious schedule for this shoot -- just four days for a blue-chip, character-led sequence, ideally recalling a Hero's Journey. Plus whale sharks, preferably in frame with our fisherman protagonist.

Given changeable weather and viz, no chance to recce fishermen in advance, and no guarantees that whale sharks will appear under any chosen fisherman's boat... we were sweating bullets. Then come to find out there's conflict brewing between the Bugis fishermen and the Papuans who own local fishing rights.

There was little sleep on this shoot, what between research, noctural fishing and sharks, and delicate community negotiations by day. But fortune favors the bold, perhaps a little more so in Indonesia, and pieces fell into place around a young man seeking "rejeki" -- good fortune often associated with whale sharks. We felt some of that rejeki rub off on us, too.

Djuna's favorite job on this outing? Entertaining whale sharks. While they generally descend during the day, and resurface at another boat, our fisher friends suggested they tend to hang out around activity. Sure, enough, Djuna's long hours spent snorkeling, somersaulting, and playing chicken with oncoming sharks kept them close at hand while our dive crew got in their surface intervals.

Gallery

Locations

Papua

Papua

Cendrawasih Bay

Production Companies

Shadow Industries
BBC Scotland

Distributors

BBC Worldwide
Polyband
BBC Earth
PBS