The crew behind the most watched programme on television have revealed the death-defying lengths they faced to bring the show to our screens.
Viewers of Blue Planet II last night watched the horrifying moment sixgill sharks attacked the crew’s submarine after mistaking it for a predator.
Crew members feared for their lives some 700 metres below the ocean surface as they were faced with seven of the 20ft sharks attempting to smash the glass of their sub.
On Blue Planet II viewers saw the moment sixgill sharks attacked the crew’s submarine after mistaking it for a predator
Crew members feared for their lives some 700 metres below the ocean surface as they were faced with seven of the 20ft sharks attempting to smash the glass of their sub
Fortunately the sharks soon turned their attention away from the team and back to the 30 tonne whale carcass, ripping into it in the deep abyss.
The sixgill sharks tore into the carcass, sending plumes of blood into the water, with the force of their bites shook the 30 tonne carcass like a rag-doll.
Sir David Attenborough’s BBC nature series – usually heralded as ‘calming’ and ‘soothing’ enough to make fans nod off – ventured into The Deep on Sunday night, looking at some of the unusual creatures living at the bottom of the ocean.
They included fish that walk instead of swimming, worms that feed exclusively on bones and shrimps that spend most of their lives imprisoned with their mate in a cage of crystal sponge.
Will Ridgeon, Assistant Producer on The Deep, said: ‘We wanted to show what happens to a whale after it dies – how its body sinks and becomes the basis for an entire deep-sea ecosystem.
‘Now we just had to find and film the carcass in the inky depths. By 200 metres deep, only a very faint blue light is left. Below 300 metres, it is completely dark. After descending for 45 minutes, the barren, muddy bottom appears.’
Fortunately the sharks soon turned their attention away from the team and back to the 30 tonne whale carcass, ripping into it in the deep abyss
He added: ‘It has been hypothesised (probably because only single sharks have previously been found on whalefalls) that these sharks defend a carcass from others like a territory, and these sharks were certainly aggressive – biting and bumping each other.
‘It was a very unnerving place to be.
‘And as more sharks arrived, they began to turn on the sub, bumping and biting at the acrylic dome and pushing us around.
‘The sub is very sturdy, but you can’t help wonder what damage these powerful sharks are inflicting – even the experienced pilot Joachim admitted he was a little afraid!
‘The sharks quickly realised the sub was not competition and their attention returned to the carcass and camerawoman Kirsten was able to film the first deep-sea, sixgill shark feeding frenzy ever witnessed.
‘After 4 hours and with the sub’s batteries depleted, we began our long ascent to the surface, leaving the sharks to their meal.’
The highly-anticipated show was watched by some 10.8million people last night – up from the 10.3million who tuned in last week.
However it’s still someway off episode two of Planet Earth II last year, which at 13.1m was the BBC’s most watched natural history programme for at least 15 years.
Strictly also got more than 10million last night while the X Factor was trailing far behind with just 2.8million.
Viewers were left worrying about having nightmares after the latest instalment of Blue Planet II
But viewers thought the subject matter was a little frightening.
‘Why do I watch £BLUEPLANET when I’m alone?? ‘Zombie Worms’….that’s tonight’s nightmare then!’ posted one person on Twitter.
‘Some of these creatures look like the mutant toys in Toy Story,’ said another.
One fan admitted: ‘The Depths’ are basically my worst nightmare. This is why I never jump off boats to go swimming.’
‘Is like scary movie this week. Everything menacing,’ tweeted another.
One viewer said: ‘If someone told me I was watching a scary sci fi film with alien attacks I would believe them.’
‘I signed up for a calming nature show and I’ve just been shown all the creatures from my nightmares and a fish with a foot,’ said another.
Nightmares aside, viewers declared it a fitting end to the week.
‘Watching £BluePlanet in the bath and could not be more relaxed if I tried. Perfect way to feel on a Sunday evening,’ said one fan.
The seven-part programme was filmed over four years and is a sequel to the 2001 original series.
Film crews mounted 125 expeditions across 39 countries to capture footage which Sir David has called ‘astounding’.