International film crew catch up with Plett

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Filming a mega pod of common dolphins was just one of the highlights an international film crew has caught on camera along the Plettenberg Bay and Eastern Cape coast while following the annual sardine run.

The sardine run is described by John Jackson, director of photography of La Caz'a Productions, as the world's largest bio-mass migration event – even more impressive than the land-based gnu migration in East Africa.

The sardine run starts at this time of the year with the fish spawning on the Agulhas bank. Some sardine schools then move up the west coast, while others choose the east coast. It is important to preserve their ecosystems, says Jackson.

Jackson and his co-director of photography and drone pilot Thomas Labourasse were at sea on a boat belonging to Plett-based Pro Dive last Friday, 10 May, filming the activities of seals off Robberg. La Caz'a productions is working with the 1 Ocean Foundation, under the banner of Unesco, the United Nations environmental agency.

Members of the team have had a close relationship and worked with the acclaimed French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau for many years. La Caz'a is working on three films for the French-German public TV channel, Arte.

They are following the ocean ecosystem, linked to the sardine run, along with Unesco-designated explorer-ambassador Alexis Rosenfeld, who is also a photographer and co-founder of 1 Ocean.

"The main characters are predators: common dolphin, Cape gannet, Bryde's whale, some sharks and seals," says Jackson.

Part of the reason for being in Plett are the seals and their interaction with white sharks, the predation and even mobbing of young seal pups – and how the pups learn to avoid sharks. Also, how they learn to forage for sardines, the main part of their diet.

"We create awareness through the beauty of the ecosystem, giving voice to scientists," says Jackson.

Another reason for being based in Plett is that they had access to Dr Gwenith Penry (NMMU), a marine mammal scientist and a world expert on the Bryde's whale, who accompanied them on some of their shoots.

The film production was done with support from Pro Dive under Louis van der Aardt who is, says Jackson, "a naturalist and awesome spotter at sea on anything that moves."

Without his help they would get only a fraction of what they were getting. "He loves what he does and it is a pleasure for us to work with him."

And about the film: "It is a lively mix of film – science in action".

Back from a film shoot off Robberg: Louis van Aardt, owner of Pro Dive (seated), John Jackson, co-founder of 1 Ocean Foundation, and co-film director and drone pilot Thomas Labourasse on the right.