DOLPHINS - SPY IN THE POD
Dolphins - Spy in the Pod is yet another amazing nature documentary in the series of "spy camera" documentaries produced by John Downer Productions.
It was broadcast in two parts on BBC One starting on January 2, 2014 at 8:00 PM.
The series was narrated by David Tennant who has served as narrator for four other Downer series, Earthflight, Polar Bear Spy on the Ice, Swarm - Nature's Incredible Invasions and Penguins-Spy in the Huddle.
John Downer says: “Unlike Penguin-cams, this time our spy creatures had to keep pace with fast-moving dolphins, often out in the deep ocean. The dolphins were very curious about their new neighbours and allowed them into their lives.”
The team created tunacams, turtlecams, squidcams and of course dolphin cams to keep up with the pod. They also had the added problem of filming underwater, they had one penguincam in the last series that did dive but in this new series they spent a large amount of time under the sea.
“In some of the places where we are filming there’s 7000 feet [of ocean] below us – we are out in the real deep blue with creatures that are intensely mobile, so we have to keep our cameras moving.”
Even though the spycams are becoming “more and more realistic”, he said there was no intention to “fool” the dolphins, which are on a “higher plane of intelligence” to penguins. “You create something they are very comfortable with because it fits in with their environment,” he said. “Dolphins are intensely curious and will often follow rays to see if they are going to take them to food. They go out of their way to find other creatures in the ocean.” - John Downer
“In some of the places where we are filming there’s 7000 feet [of ocean] below us – we are out in the real deep blue with creatures that are intensely mobile, so we have to keep our cameras moving.”
Even though the spycams are becoming “more and more realistic”, he said there was no intention to “fool” the dolphins, which are on a “higher plane of intelligence” to penguins. “You create something they are very comfortable with because it fits in with their environment,” he said. “Dolphins are intensely curious and will often follow rays to see if they are going to take them to food. They go out of their way to find other creatures in the ocean.” - John Downer