They’re very, very comfortable with us now.
Maybe a bit too comfortable, I’d say.
The mangrove habitat in Raja Ampat, Indonesia,
is an important ecosystem for many diverse species.
It’s full of all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures.
On a boat packed with equipment, every day for five weeks,
the Planet Earth III team head out to film a predator
hunting with an amazing and unusual technique.
The archer fish.
So I’m just about to jump in the water and check whether there’s any archer fish around.
They can be quite timid.
So we’re hoping that there’s some big numbers of them in there.
But despite the big numbers, it doesn’t mean it’ll be easy.
Archer fish are a very challenging fish to film. They’re small,
they move erratically. Pretty shy,
so they don’t really like the camera
being turned on them and they often move away.
So it’s really a game of patience and, yeah, perseverance.
These fish have developed an incredible specialism,
which means, unlike most fish,
they can hunt above the surface of their own watery world.
They can spit water very, very accurately and knock down
insects, crabs, snails, anything they can see on the mangroves.
Filming this incredible behaviour is proving challenging,
but it’s not the only problem that the crew are facing.
The threat of crocodiles is very real.
While patrol boats keep watch,
camera operator Roger Munns is employing an unorthodox technique.
The theory is that crocodiles don’t like being watched.
So while we’re filming, our fake eyes are sticking out the back of our head
and the croc will just turn away because it thinks it’s being watched.
Next on the list of difficulties for the crew –
the weather.
Ten days and five different
locations into the shoot and the fish are proving elusive.
Oh, that was tough.
Very… Super-dark in the mangroves, and the fish just weren’t doing their thing.
Hours later, still no luck.
But then, a sign of hope.
They’re definitely there.
There’s about eight of them.
The crew rally into position.
Could this be the moment they’ve been waiting for?
We’ll see how we go.
Using the latest technology, the crew’s camera systems
allow them to film under and above the water
in super slow motion.
All of this is to film one key behaviour.
The archer fish are incredibly accurate,
shooting from fish to target in about a 10th of a second.
While Mitch is having an interview about how the shoot is going,
he’s made the crucial mistake while in the presence of archer fish –
he’s forgotten to look down.
And he’s not the only one.
It just got me right in the eye.
Ah! They’re spitting at me.
That’s exactly what happens with archer fish.
They’re very, very comfortable with us now.
Maybe a bit too comfortable, I’d say.
After five gruelling weeks, the skill and commitment of this team has paid off,
with unforgettable footage.
That was awesome.
We had some really cool split shots.
So cool.
The naked eye can’t see just how incredibly accurate they are,
the power. It’s an amazing thing to see.
My favourite part of the shoot is being able to just use
these amazing new camera technologies.
It’s been incredible.
The shots I’ve been seeing are some of the best I’ve seen.
It’s really cool.
