Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory on Nat Geo and Disney+ Streaming September 13

Nature enthusiast and award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory had a remarkable experience while filming in Antarctica. While documenting the rare type B1 killer whales, known to be endangered with only approximately 100 remaining, Bertie witnessed two humpback whales come to the rescue as the killer whales hunted a Weddell seal weighing around 1200 pounds. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the humpbacks were unable to save the seal.

This extraordinary moment revealed a unique interaction between different species of marine animals. Scientists believe that the adult humpbacks intervene during killer whale hunts because they occasionally prey on humpback whale calves. This protective behavior has been observed before. You can witness this captivating interaction in the “Antarctic Killer Waves” episode of the new natural history series, ANIMALS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY, streaming on Disney+ starting September 13th.

Check out the trailer

Bertie and his team embarked on a challenging 1000-mile boat journey across the tumultuous Drake Passage and the Antarctic peninsula. They then ventured into the treacherous Gullet, a narrow channel that leads to the impassable ice sheet deep within Antarctica. During their trip in January 2022, they witnessed the breaking ice chunks in the Gullet that serve as resting spots for Weddell seals between feeding sessions.

The purpose of their expedition was to film the B1 killer whales employing their sophisticated hunting tactics, such as wave washing. These whales work together to create a massive wave, forcing seals off the ice sheets and into the water. They are the only species known to do this. Orcas, being intelligent predators, also swim under ice floes in a coordinated manner, creating enough force to break the ice and leave their prey stranded. It was during this fascinating behavior that the humpbacks interrupted.

To capture this rarely seen behavior, Bertie and his team used state-of-the-art drones for aerial shots and employed a gyro-stabilized camera on the boat for steady footage.

All episodes of Animals Up Close With Bertie Gregory will be available on Disney+ from September 13.

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