Spitting dolphins star in a new Blue Planet
Wildlife filmmakers hailed as ‘true pioneers’ as BBC unveils ‘extraordinary’ sequel to ocean series
DOLPHINS which spit to lure fish have been captured by BBC filmmakers who spent four years diving beneath the world’s oceans for the new groundbreaking series Blue Planet II.
Some 16 years after the seminal Blue Planet series was released, the corporation’s natural history unit has once again explored uncharted regions and undersea forests, spending 1,000 hours filming in the deep sea.
The seven-part series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, airs in October and showcases astonishing characters, other-worldly locations and extraordinary animal behaviour new to science.
Yesterday’s preview of the series unveiled an array of alien-like creatures lurking in the ocean depths, backed by a score composed by Hans Zimmer and the band Radiohead.
White dancing yeti crabs are shown undulating together and waving their claws rhythmically in deepsea vents, while dolphins are filmed spitting into the air to trick fish into leaping out of the water, where they can be more easily eaten.
Sir David, 91, said: “New science and new technology allows us to voyage further and deeper than ever before. From the restless shores of our coastline, where dolphins spit to trick their prey, to enchanted undersea forests where fairytale creatures dwell. Across vibrant coral cities, bustling with indigenous inhabitants, to the vastness of The Big Blue, home to fearless ocean wanderers, and down into unchartered depths where some of Earth’s best kept secrets hide.”
Since 2012, the Blue Planet II team have mounted 125 expeditions, visited 39 countries, and filmed off the coast of every continent and in every ocean.
Tony Hall, the BBC director general, told premiere guests including the Duke of Cambridge, the production team behind the new series were “true pioneers” who had pushed the boundaries of science and filmmaking.