'Whale with Steve Backshall' Sky

Following on from the success of Sky Nature’s Shark with Steve Backshall, Steve sets out to reveal that whales are ‘mightier than myth’. In this brand-new series, Steve takes us deeper and closer to the most iconic, mysterious and threatened whales and their dolphin cousins.

As a naturalist, conservationist and Sky Ocean Hero Ambassador, Steve will free dive alongside whales in the world’s greatest oceans. We’ll meet mighty sperm whales, caring humpback whales, intelligent killer whales and ingenious bottlenosed dolphins, exploring their complex social relationships, revealing their surprising hunting techniques, and discovering that just like us, many whales have close family units. Teaming up with world-leading scientists and conservationists, Steve will uncover the secret lives of whales and dolphins, and confront the uncomfortable and urgent truths of overfishing and pollution. Joining whale advocates across the globe, he will discover why whales are essential for the health of our oceans, what we can do to ensure their survival, and reveal the most remarkable conservation story of all.

'Patrick and the Whale' First Encounter

While swimming near the Caribbean island of Dominica in 2019, Patrick Dykstra has a momentous meeting with a sperm whale - the following clip was filmed by Mark as part of the ‘Chasing Ocean Giants’ series however, this chance encounter became the inspiration and foundation of a feature documentary called 'Patrick and the Whale'.

Following this encounter Patrick was encouraged to gain further insights into the mysteries of whales; how they interact, sing to each other, form bonds, and express emotion. His quest to connect with and understand the hidden nature of the sperm whale is explored in ‘Patrick and the Whale’ a PBS film produced by Terra Mater Studios which shines a light on their intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting their current and past relationship with humankind.

Sadly Mark was unavailable for the follow up trip to Dominica but has an incredible memory capturing the Patrick’s first meeting with ‘Dolores’.

'Deadly Mission Shark' CBBC

Deadly Mission Shark is the toughest challenge yet, to protect the future of sharks who are facing extinction. Steve Backshall and a team of kids from the UK and Bahamas step in to inspire and change the world. But will the kids complete their mission and learn to dive with sharks?

Watch here

'Life on Our Planet' Netflix

Life's extraordinary journey to conquer, adapt and survive on Earth across billions of years comes alive in this groundbreaking nature documentary. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg and the team behind "Our Planet."

Chapter 1: The Rules of Life: Evolution. Competition. Mass extinction. Three fundamental rules have driven the rise and fall of life on Earth for over four billion years.

Chapter 2: The First Frontier: For billions of years, land on Earth was uninhabitable. But in the seas, predation allowed species to thrive before — and after — two mass extinctions.

Chapter 3: Invaders of the Land: Sprawling moss, towering trees, flying insects, limbed amphibians: Early species vied for domination as the land went from hostile to hospitable.

Chapter 4: In Cold Blood: After Earth's third mass extinction, mammals' surviving ancestors ruled the supercontinent Pangea. But lizards soon ushered in the age of reptiles.

Chapter 5: In the Shadow of Giants: The formation of continents with varied environments allowed for an explosion of biodiversity — and turbo-charged the evolution of mighty dinosaurs.

Chapter 6: Out of the Ashes: The dinosaurs met their end with a cataclysmic asteroid impact. Rising from the ashes, birds reinvented themselves into a dynasty 10,000 species strong.

Chapter 7: Inheriting the Earth: Emerging from the dinosaurs' shadows, mammals went from underdogs to global power, with game-changing adaptations that would conquer land, air and sea.

Chapter 8: Age of Ice and Fire: As the Ice Age thawed, humans rose above the rest. But the possibility of a sixth mass extinction now looms: Has our ingenuity caused our downfall?

'Evolution Earth' PBS, Sky Nature & NOW

Traveling to the far corners of the world, we discover the extraordinary ways animals are adapting to our rapidly changing planet. We witness nature’s remarkable resilience, as our perception of evolution and its potential is forever transformed. A series revealing how the animals around us are adapting to our changing planet and evolving before our eyes. Narrated by Shane Campbell-Staton

On the Galápagos Islands, Greg Lewbart and his team are trying to catch a marine iguana. Their goal is to study the iguana’s unusual adaptation. They have evolved the ability to shrink and regrow their vertebrae in response to changes in food availability. These conditions arises when the Pacific Ocean that is home to the algae they feed on warms, a result of the weather system known as El Niño.

S1: E1: Earth
S1: E2: Islands
S1: E3: Heat
S1: E4: Ice
S1: E5: Grasslands

Now available in the UK on Sky Nature and NOW TV.

'Expedition with Steve Backshall' (S.2) PBS

Host Steve Backshall travels the world seeking out adventurous expeditions such river rafting in the Himalayas, trekking through the jungles of South America and climbing mountains in the Middle East.

'Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory' Disney+

“I had the pleasure of joining Bertie and the Epic Adventures (series one) team in October 2020 to film around the island of Cocos, 550km off the coast of Costa Rica. It was my first shoot back after six months of lost work due to the Covid lockdowns that year and this was the first shoot in Cocos in a run of three I did there within 12 months. We stayed on the M/V Sharkwater, which is operated by Fins Attached NGO. We had some great encounters with Galapagos, scalloped hammerhead and tiger sharks, as well as huge schools of jacks and a general abundance of aquatic life as a result of Cocos being a protected area, although the threat of illegal fishing seems like an ongoing nearby threat.”
— Underwater Cameraman Mark Sharman

Part wildlife and part adventure show, follow the escapades of young National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory as he travels the world capturing extraordinary footage of wild animals. Using a combination of technical wizardry, secret fieldcraft and extreme perseverance, he and his team try to overcome the challenges and dangers and get as close as possible to wildlife on its own terms.

'Shark with Steve Backshall' Sky

Shark with Steve Backshall is a revelatory series that celebrates the wonder of sharks and dispels the myth of sharks as just cold blooded killers.

Steve Backshall, a naturalist and shark expert, gets us closer to sharks, to encounter a diverse and incredible family of over 400 different types. This global journey will take us to the remotest parts of our planet, from the sun-drenched tropics to the mysterious depths of our oceans. Teaming up with world-leading scientists, Steve will make stunning discoveries, revealing glow in the dark sharks, sharks that walk on land and ancient sharks over 400 years old. Now more than ever this incredible family needs our help. Every hour we lose over 11,000 sharks to overfishing, shark finning and habitat destruction. Steve will confront the uncomfortable truths and join shark advocates across the globe to help turn the tide for sharks. Coming eye to eye with this feared yet misunderstood predator, Steve will reveal sharks in a brand new light.

In the Eastern Pacific lies Cocos - the island of the sharks. While filming for ‘Shark with Steve Backshall’ Steve, Mark and the team battled weather and stormy seas to document the shivers of hammerheads that gather here…

British Cinematographer Magazine Interview

As natural history production explodes, programmers are looking to connect audiences with wildlife in new ways. Three wildlife cinematographers shooting with RED cameras share the techniques and technology they use to capture the natural world.

It just might be the golden age of natural history programming. BBC, PBS, National Geographic, and Discovery, the traditional homes of wildlife documentaries, are being joined by streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and AppleTV+. Series like Blue Planet  spun away from presenting earth as a perfect Eden to confront issues of animal and human preservation. Advances in technology, including drones, UHD cameras and infra-red imaging have also enabled new stories to be told in a more cinematic way. On the frontlines of this still growing genre are the cinematographers who are shooting incredibly compelling wildlife imagery while embedded in natural habitats.  

Matthew Goodman 

The Emmy-nominated Serengeti series follows the interconnected stories of a cast of savannah animals in a bold new dramatised natural history format produced for Discovery and the BBC. The intimacy established between viewers and animals is the result of some virtuoso camera work by producer John Downer and his team, which includes cinematographer Matthew Goodman.  

Cinematographer Matthew Goodman brings the imaging tools and storytelling techniques of a conventional drama into the domain of wildlife

Cinematographer Matthew Goodman brings the imaging tools and storytelling techniques of a conventional drama into the domain of wildlife

“The idea is to engage people who wouldn’t normally watch nature docs by trying to capture more intimate, emotionally driven stories,” Goodman says. “We’re bringing the imaging tools and storytelling techniques of a conventional drama into the domain of wildlife.”   

The New Zealand-based cinematographer pairs the RED DRAGON with a Canon 50-1000 lens which is becoming the standard for filming wildlife. “There is such a wide range of focal lengths with this lens that you can get wide landscape scenes yet also zoom right in to get full faces of the subjects while maintaining a distance from them that doesn’t disturb them. The last thing you want to be doing in environments where it’s this dusty, or in heavy rain is to be exposing the camera to the elements.  

“It’s also important to streamline what you take,” adds Goodman. “Most of the filming in the Serengeti was vehicle based but the style is often run and gun. You need to be ready to always capture behavior which is why I use a Shotover F1 [a 6-axis gyro stabilised rig] to film when the vehicle is moving. With a Shotover you can film as you approach and pass something and keep the shot stable.”  

When shooting for months on end in remote regions, as Goodman did in the Serengeti National Park, he needed gear that was going to hold up in extreme conditions. “The more experience you get, the more you can identify what kit is going to work and whether you can troubleshoot it if something goes wrong. You’ll be waiting weeks if you have to fly something back for repair. With RED I’ve never had a problem.”  

Erin Ranney   

Erin Ranney is based in both Alaska and Washington state. While she gets sent on location all over the world, a lot of the time she is filming in the remote landscapes of Northern America. Ranney, who completed a master’s in Wildlife Documentary Production in England, is also a trained guide and naturalist in Alaska’s bear country. 

While Erin Ranney gets sent on location all over the world, a lot of the time she is filming in the remote landscapes of Northern America

While Erin Ranney gets sent on location all over the world, a lot of the time she is filming in the remote landscapes of Northern America

“If you’re looking for really specific behavior with wildlife, it can mean months of waiting for it to happen,” says Ranney. “When it does, you need to be ready so the pre-record is really handy for those few extra seconds before you can hit the trigger. It took a lot of trial and error to combine my field skills with my developing camera skills, but nothing replaces actually working through problems yourself,” she says. “I don’t come from a technical background but there are great user guides online and I found the EPIC-W easy to use.” 

Supplementing the RED with a A7Sii and drone, Ranney’s work has appeared in shows for BBC, PBS, Smithsonian, and National Geographic. “I tend to shoot 6K and push the frame rate off-speed, especially when going close up with bears. You want the detail because they move a lot quicker than people expect. When they’re going after fish it’s nice to have that grand slow-motion shot but keep it high resolution.”  

A Canon 50-1000mm CINE-SERVO is her go-to lens for achieving both wider shots and intimate moments without having to take her focus away from eyepiece. “Shooting from a distance means you are able to let the animal act more naturally. Having that range allows you to peek inside a world you wouldn’t normally get to see without disturbing the animals.”  

Mark Sharman  

“The approach to filming wildlife is now more akin to feature film production, but with far fewer people involved,” says cameraman Mark Sharman. “My role is multi-faceted and covers cinematographer, operator, grip and sometimes even the gaffer. We’re always thinking about how we can cover the behaviour effectively, whilst also trying to make the sequence as cinematic as possible with both the underwater and topside visuals.”  

Cameraman Mark Sharman requires specialised equipment alongside the main camera to capture underwater sequences in a beautiful and dynamic way

Cameraman Mark Sharman requires specialised equipment alongside the main camera to capture underwater sequences in a beautiful and dynamic way

Sharman studied Television Production at Bournemouth University and qualified as an HSE commercial scuba diver before going on to specialise in filming wildlife and people in marine environments for high-end natural history productions. He has filmed across the globe with credits including Night on Earth (Netflix), Blue Planet Live (BBC One), Chasing Ocean Giants (Discovery+) One Strange Rock (National Geographic) and Jago: A Life Underwater (BBC and Netflix).  

Underwater camerawork requires specialised equipment alongside the main camera, often a RED DSMC2 GEMINI 5K S35 in a Gates Pro Explore underwater housing. Sharman uses a range of additional kit to capture full sequences in a beautiful and dynamic way. This could include using underwater optical (Nikonos) lenses manufactured for analogue SLR use in the 1990s, which together with an adaptor can be used in combination with the latest digital cinema cameras in the DSMC2 range. He also employs a powerful zoom lens (50-1000mm) housed in a Shot Over M1 that he positions on a jib arm off a boat to smoothly track fast moving wildlife at the surface. A Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DVP) with an underwater camera attached is used to help track marine life at speed. 

“The big advantage for underwater use of the GEMINI is the dual ISO sensor and fantastic dynamic range. Even on a bright sunny day the natural light levels drop the further you descend and being able to use the native 3200 ISO low-light sensor is a massive advantage, as it gives me a couple of extra stops. We’re often filming macro subjects and you need to let in as much light as possible whilst reducing any unwanted noise. 

“The other issue is when pointing the camera upwards the light will be extremely bright with blazing shards of sun hitting the surface but when you tilt the camera down, it’s a very dark sea below. The wide dynamic range of the GEMINI really helps because you can’t usually open up or close down the iris during a shot.”  

Another essential function of the RED DSMC2 range is the pre-record, which gives a minimum of 4 seconds (up to 20 seconds) for insurance. “That is one of the key advantages of shooting on RED cameras for wildlife. You haven’t got unlimited card space and often you’re waiting with your finger on the trigger for a particular action or behaviour to happen. You can’t keep rolling for minutes on end, so to have the ability to set the pre-roll even when shooting high frame rate off-speed is a big advantage and it has helped capture some big moments!”

Interview by Adrian Pennington

'Chasing Ocean Giants' Discovery+

Ocean explorer, adventurer and filmmaker Patrick Dykstra sets out on a mission in search of the most elusive ocean giants on the planet. He uses innovative technology and new science to uncover extraordinary secrets of the ocean.

  • S01 E01: Whale vs. Squid: Patrick travels to the volcanic island of Dominica in the Caribbean. Whilst there he captures an epic hunt between a sperm whale and a diamondback squid.*

  • S01 E02: Panama’s Boiling Sea: Patrick heads to Panama, where his desire to witness the spotted dolphin and yellowfin tuna working together lands him in dangerous territory.

  • S01 E03: Humpbacks After Dark: The remote island of Gorgona in Colombia is Patrick’s next stop. During a two-night dive, he captures how humpback whales communicate through song.

  • S01 E04: From Russia With Bowheads: Patrick travels to Russia to find a bowhead whale. After a near death experience with this species years ago, he is determined to examine their behaviour.

  • S01 E05: Whale Sharks Of Qatar: Patrick travels to Qatar to find a newly discovered cluster of whale sharks. High winds and extreme sea temperatures prove to be big challenges along the way.

  • S01 E06: Manta Ray Tornado: Patrick heads to the Maldives to dive alongside the giant manta ray. He witnesses the fabled "Manta Ray Tornado" and examines the behaviour of this incredible species.

  • S01 E07: Shark City Of Palau: In Palau, Patrick tackles his most difficult dive ever. He battles typhoon-like weather in order to witness the mass spawning event of red snappers.

  • S01 E08: Killer Whales Of Norway: Patrick travels to Norway with hopes of diving alongside killer whales. Whilst there he examines how these creatures adapt their hunting behaviour.*

*Mark filmed underwater and topside (sync and aerial) for E01 sperm whales in Dominica and E08 orca in Norway. He also filmed footage in Norway and Sri Lanka for the pilot episode to help get the series commissioned as well as shooting the first episode which helped establish the visual style and tone for the series.

'Earth At Night In Colour' Apple TV+

Narrated by Tom Hiddleston and filmed across six continents, this docuseries uses cutting-edge camera technology to capture animals' nocturnal lives, revealing new behaviours filmed in full colour like never before.

Mark filmed the following for the series: timelapse and scenics in Los Angeles (July 2019), behavioural sequence in Miami (January 2020) marine based timelapse in Thailand (February 2020) and a behavioural sequence in Norway (March 2020).

  • Episode 1 ‘Lion Grasslands’ After dark on Kenya’s Masai Mara grasslands, a lioness won’t rest until she finds the young cubs she’s lost.

  • Episode 2 ‘Tarsier Forest’ As darkness falls, a family of tiny primates in Sulawesi ventures into the jungle to find food while protecting their babies.

  • Episode 3 ‘Jaguar Jungle’ A jaguar fights to keep his river home in Brazil as the night brings both challenges and opportunities to hunt.

  • Episode 4 ‘Bear Woodlands’ In the boreal forests of Europe, a young brown bear clashes with wolves—and tries to find a mate beneath the stars.

  • Episode 5 ‘Wild Cities’ When Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto light up at nightfall, they create worlds of opportunities for the cleverest animals willing to take the risk.

  • Episode 6 / “Cheetah Plains” In Kenya’s Masai Mara, two cheetah brothers attempt a high-speed night hunt with a gang of powerful hyenas on their trail.

A further six episodes will be released during 2021.

‘Night on Earth’ Netflix

New technology reveals wonders of the planet in a completely new light. Across the globe we discover a hidden side to the world's greatest landscapes and animals. This series lifts night’s veil to reveal the hidden lives of the world’s creatures, from lions on the hunt to bats on the wing.


Mark’s work features in the following episodes (*)

Night on Earth: Dusk Till Dawn The night unfolds to reveal magic in the air, drama in the deep and danger on the ground as animals across the planet rise with the sunset (*orca in Norway - see a selection of stills taken from Mark’s sequence above)

Night on Earth: Shot in the Dark This look behind the scenes shows how worldwide camera crews climbed, dived and froze to capture the documentary's ground breaking night footage (*behind the scenes in Norway - see a selection of stills captured from location above)

Night on Earth: Dark Seas The oceans’ tides ebb and flow in concert with the moon, and so do the lives of the creatures below, from the largest whale shark to the smallest prawn (*manta ray and plankton in Hawaii)

A selection of publicity stills taken from across the series:

#HelpOurKelp Campaign Success

“The loss of the Sussex kelp forests over the past 40 years is a tragedy. We’ve lost critical habitat that is key for nursery grounds, for water quality and for storing carbon. This marine rewilding project, if approved, will ensure the Sussex seas remain healthy for generations to come, and could have far-reaching impact for other parts of the UK coast.”
— Sir David Attenborough
kelp-graphic.png

During the summer whilst on paternity leave Mark played a small part in filming both healthy and bare kelp patches in the coastal areas off his hometown of Selsey for inclusion within this film produced by Big Wave Productions, Chichester.

Kelp once stretched along 40 km of the West Sussex coastline from Selsey to Shoreham, forming an underwater forest that extended at least 4 km seaward. It provided a vital habitat, nursery and feeding ground for seahorses, cuttlefish, lobster, sea bream and bass.  It locked up huge quantities of carbon, helping us to fight climate change while improving water quality and reducing coastal erosion by absorbing the power of ocean waves.

But within living memory, kelp in Sussex waters has diminished to almost nothing. Storm damage, changing fishing practices and the dumping of sediment spoils by dredging boats have taken their toll on this sensitive habitat.  The wildlife associated with it has all but disappeared, and the vital ecosystem services it provided have been lost.

“ If we want healthy seas that are sustainable for wildlife and fishing for generations to come, we urgently need to give our kelp forests a chance to regenerate. The introduction of a new bylaw to restrict trawling along the Sussex coast is critical.”
— Dr. Sean Ashworth, Deputy Chief at Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA)
Historically, Kelp was abundant along the West Sussex coastline (left image: 1980) but this important habitat has diminished over time (right image: 2019)

Historically, Kelp was abundant along the West Sussex coastline (left image: 1980) but this important habitat has diminished over time (right image: 2019)

Proposed trawler exclusion zone

Proposed trawler exclusion zone

Big Wave Team L-R: Researcher Eoin Dillon, Exec Producer Sarah Cunliffe, Sir David Attenborough, Mark Sharman and James Blake

Big Wave Team L-R: Researcher Eoin Dillon, Exec Producer Sarah Cunliffe, Sir David Attenborough, Mark Sharman and James Blake

Latest news: The campaign has now achieved its first major milestone as the introduction of a critical new byelaw (which will see trawling excluded from a vast 304 km2 of Sussex coastline year-round) agreed by the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority on 23 January 2020. The decision was made following an extensive consultation period, which saw overwhelming support demonstrated by almost 2,500 people in response to the ‘Help Our Kelp’ campaign.

Sussex IFCA’s decision brings the first ever marine kelp rewilding initiative one step closer, and aims to give the kelp the breathing space it needs to recover. Over time, repeated passes by trawling vessels have torn kelp from the sea floor and prevented natural regeneration, so the alleviation of this major pressure is the critical first step towards recovery…

Help Our Kelp’ has been formed in partnership with the following organisations:



Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
Big Wave Productions
Blue Marine Foundation
Sussex Wildlife Trust
Marine Conservation Society

Thanks also go to Steve at Mulberry Divers who are based in Selsey, West Sussex.

Ice and Cavern Diving at Plura, Norway

Plura is one of the biggest underground rivers in Norway and the unique diving opportunities here offer incredibly good visibility (up to 75m during April/May), beautiful underwater, marble caves and thick ice cover over the lake during much of the winter.

Ice-Diving-800x508.jpg
Cavern-Diving-800x508.jpg

Thanks to Jani for passing on the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive underneath surface ice including techniques, specialised equipment and communication methods - all essential skills when diving in an overhead environment.

“The cavern diving at Plura is spectacular and Jani introduced me to this fascinating underwater world helping me to independently plan and conduct cavern dives within the light zone at depths of up to 30 meters”
— Mark

Thanks to Ina for warm hospitality and the amazing hand-built Finnish sauna beside the river at her Norwegian mountain farm located an hour south of the Arctic Circle.

Creative Scramble Podcast Interview

“As film-makers, film lovers and creative entrepreneurs we like to share our knowledge and learn from others as much as we can. The Creative Scramble podcast gives us the opportunity to chat to a variety of industry professionals - ranging from commercial directors to accredited film crew to dissect their road to success.”
— Dead Pixel Films

Apple podcast: Listen here
Mark gives an insight into the world of underwater film-making and seeing nature up close and personal

‘The role is a multi-faceted one…. it’s technical in that you work with the Producer to establish the best tools for the job (camera, lenses, lighting, grip and even sometimes developing new kit such as underwater sliders or quadpods). You also wear an editorial hat in the field – we are storytellers too and an important part of our role is to interpret the storyboard when on location; it’s a collaborative process. In the moment (when the wildlife behaviour presents itself) the creative juices are flowing and you are firing on all cylinders to make sure you get the shots in the bag’

Norway+2018.jpg

‘It’s like I’m a miner with a pickaxe – all you can do is to keep on digging and then provide a truck load of raw material; dirt but also gold and gems! It’s then down to the Editor and the Producer to finely craft the pieces into a work of art. It’s really satisfying and exciting to see the sequence come together… it takes me right back to the shoot and that specific moment on location’

‘You’re doing everything you can to minimise your presence in the water; rebreathers don’t produce bubbles and are much quieter, you can wear camouflaged dive gear so that you can blend in visually too and gradually edge closer to your subject. What I feel I can bring to the table is to be very calm within that environment – almost taking on the mindset of the animal and doing what I can to remove ‘myself’ from the scenario and ‘not be there’ whilst getting the footage’

‘The fundamental rule of anyone wanting to get into underwater camerawork is that you’ve got to be an absolute master scuba diver and conquered the skill of neutral buoyancy; that needs to be second nature so it’s a completely automatic process allowing you to be weightless underwater and in a position to move and follow wildlife without even thinking about it’

To view and listen to more interviews from The Creative Scramble courtesy of Dead Pixel Films click here

'Earth from Space' BBC

Cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand new perspective, revealing new discoveries, incredible colours and patterns, and just how fast it is changing.

Click here to view series trailer

Click here to view the ‘Colourful Planet’ episode trailer

EFS.jpg

‘Earth from Space’ Satellites follow an elephant family struggling through drought, reveal previously unknown emperor penguin colonies from the colour of their poo and discover mysterious ice rings that could put seal pups in danger. Using cameras on the ground, in the air and in space Earth from Space follows nature’s greatest spectacles, weather events and dramatic seasonal changes. This is our home, as we’ve never seen it before.

‘Patterned Planet’ Earth’s surface is covered in weird and wonderful patterns. The Australian outback is covered in pale spots, the work of wombats; a clearing in the endless green canopy of the Congo rainforest has been created by an incredible elephant gathering; and the twists and turns of the Amazon make a home for rehabilitated manatees. 

‘Colourful Planet’ We think of earth as a blue planet but satellite cameras reveal a kaleidoscope. The astonishing colours of the aurora are towering vertical streaks hundreds of kilometres high; phytoplankton blooms turn the ocean into works of art triggering a feeding frenzy; and for a few weeks a year China's Yunnan province is carpeted in yellow as millions of rapeseed flowers bloom. 

‘Changing Planet’ At a time when the earth’s surface is changing faster than ever in human history watch cities grow, forest disappear and glaciers melt. In the ever growing grey of cities one man is feeding thousands of parakeets; in Sumatra a female orang-utan and her daughter face life in a forest under threat; while in Tanzania local people use satellites to re-plant a forest, securing the future for a family of Chimpanzees. This is our home as we’ve never seen it before.

Click here for episode details and clips

Click here for The Guardian review

'Blue Planet Live' BBC

Blue Planet returns – Live from three different locations:
East Coast of the United States, The Bahamas and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Mark filmed science and conservation VTs (underwater, topside, drone ) in Madagascar, Bahamas and Dominica for the series.

Click to see Mark’s filming in Madagascar: The mysteries of the whale shark with Stella Diamant
Click to see Mark filming BTS in Dominica: What does it take to film a sperm whale from the air?
Click to see Mark’s filming in Dominica: Tagging sperm whales with Dr Shane Gero
Click to see Mark filming BTS in Dominica: Filming sperm whales underwater

In an exciting week of programmes Blue Planet Live (BBC One) will celebrate marine life around the globe to explore the health of our oceans - view clips here

Blue Planet UK (BBC One) explores our seas closer to home and also features some behind the scenes clips from global locations - view clips here

“Across a week in March 2019, BBC One will celebrate marine life great and small, as we take the audience on a deep dive into the world’s oceans in Blue Planet Live. Broadcasting live from three different locations across the planet: East Coast, USA; the Bahamas; and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content, says: “Blue Planet Live will thrill the millions of viewers who discovered so much from last year’s ground breaking series that shocked the nation. BBC One continues to lead that conversation as we travel live around the globe to witness first hand the magnificent marine life within our oceans and wake up to one of the biggest environmental crisis of our times.”

Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual, says: “Blue Planet Live promises to bring spectacular encounters with some of the most extraordinary marine life on the planet whilst also giving the BBC One audience a new appreciation of the wonders of and the challenges facing our oceans”

In 2017, the multi-award winning Blue Planet II wowed over over 62% of the UK population (37.6m people) with never seen before footage of life in our oceans, revealing its complexity and the extraordinary variety of creatures that inhabit them. Across four live shows, we’ll be on location with many of the exciting marine animals that breed and feed at this time of year, bringing the audience closer than ever before to different species of turtles, sharks, whales and much more. We’ll also be exploring the last oceanic frontier that is ‘The Deep’ live for the first time on television - the beating heart of our planet.

On the East Coast of America, Chris Packham will be at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, meeting with scientists, experts and conservationists on the front line of new research. Here he will be uniquely positioned to delve into the ocean’s little explored ‘Twilight Zone’, to find out what secrets the deep holds for the future of our blue planet. He will also be assessing the health of the world’s whales at a time of year when many are breeding, and finding out why these gentle giants are such important bell weathers of ocean health. Deploying a helicopter will give him an eye in the sky over this wildlife spectacle, as whale mothers and babies come together.

Over 1,000 miles south, one small island in the Bahamas is known for its extraordinary shark gatherings. Here Steve Backshall will undertake a series of live missions to bring us closer to the ocean’s top predators which gather here in their masses to breed and feed.

On the other side of the world in the Pacific, dawn breaks over the Great Barrier Reef where Liz Bonnin is helping to monitor how new life is faring in this fragile place. Turtles and birds are nesting, and on the coral reef an underwater metropolis is alive with colourful and charming characters. This busy nursery provides plenty of drama that unfolds live before our presenter at this bustling location. Following her recent investigation into the damage plastic is having on the oceans, Liz will also be reporting on the challenges facing all marine life and the efforts being made to save our oceans.

Across the series we will be revisiting some of the key locations and animal characters from Blue Planet II as well as encountering new ones. At all three locations, we’ll uncover in real-time the health of our marine life, while wildlife films from across the world will give us a truly global picture.”
— BBC Media Centre

RSPB celebrates 130 Years (1889 - 2019)

The RSPB was formed in 1889 to counter the trade of bird feathers for women's hats in the late Victorian era - 130 years on, the organisation is still working tirelessly through research, partnerships, landscape conservation and policy work to help species recovery.

Read more about RSPB’s history here

Read more about RSPB’s mission here

Formed in 1953, the RSPB Film Unit is the oldest professional wildlife filmmaking organisation in the UK. Since this time the unit has collaborated with many well known camera operators including Hugh Miles, Mike Richards, Ian McCarthy and John Aitchison.

Mark got his first wildlife camera break with the Film Unit based at RSPB HQ in Sandy, Bedfordshire - he shares more details below:

Question: What is your connection to the RSPB Film Unit?

“I worked for the RSPB on a couple of placements pre-2000 during my university holidays. The Film Unit were extremely welcoming and I was lucky enough to assist the in-house cameraman at the time on some projects on the Isle of Coll and the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides where we were filming white-tailed sea eagles. ”

RSPB are still tracking white-tailed sea eagles in Scotland - click here to read more

Question: How did RSPB’s emphasis on conservation help shape your attitude towards the environment and wildlife?

“Whilst at university, The Blue Planet (2001) was broadcast and it formed the backbone case study to my dissertation: Why do environmental issues tend to be avoided in BBC blue chip wildlife documentaries? I’m so pleased that 16 years later the Blue Planet II team focused on conservation of the oceans leading to the well documented Blue Planet effect. At last a positive response born out of the bravery to expose issues such as plastic pollution head on. The call to action has got peoples attention and I feel like we are more engaged than ever before - hopefully it is not too little too late, and there is still time to turn things around for our beautiful blue planet.”

Question: Which RSPB reserves do you feel especially passionate about and why?

“I now live in Selsey, West Sussex - a little fishing village right on the coast sandwiched between RSPB Pagham Harbour and RSPB Medmerry. Up until 2011 Medmerry was low-lying farmland and hundreds of nearby houses (mine included) were under constant threat of flooding. The Environment Agency’s solution was to create the largest flood risk management scheme of its kind ever undertaken in Britain - what they have achieved alongside RSPB is incredible”

Read more about RSPB Medmerry here

Read more about RSPB Pagham Harbour here

Mark filming with wildlife presenter and RSPB President Miranda Krestovnikoff

Mark filming with wildlife presenter and RSPB President Miranda Krestovnikoff