To mark World Oceans Day on Wednesday, ET Canada is sharing an exclusive look at the Love Nature documentary “The Ocean’s Greatest Feast”.
“Outlander” and “The Hobbit” star Graham McTavish narrates the show, which takes viewers to the coast of South Africa where billions of little fish converge at the start of every winter in the biggest biomass migration on the planet.
A synopsis reads, “It’s the annual sardine run – a literal force of nature that feeds an entire coastline. Strangest of all – they don’t have to go. The sardines ride a cold current, through a gauntlet of predators, against all odds of survival, but the purpose of the journey remains a mystery.
“They race past a hungry seal colony, endure an aerial assault by gannets and face hungry sharks. When dolphins, their ultimate foe, show up, the feast kicks into even higher gear, before orcas arrive with a final surprise.”
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The epic journey of the sardines is a fascinating story that affects so many other species, from dolphins to sea birds. The amazing camera shots give an up-close look at these little creatures and show their incredible scale as an entity,” said McTavish in the announcement.
Speaking with ET Canada, McTavish — who’s narrated several documentaries — offered some insight into his process as narrator.
“I think the interesting thing about the sort of program is that like all acting, you’re telling a story,” he explained. “You’re taking the audience on a journey, whether it’s a journey that relates to sardines or whether it’s a journey that relates to, you know, Highlanders in Scotland or whatever… you take the material in this case, you know, a documentary about things and you invest it with with drama. What you’re doing, hopefully with your voice, is guiding the audience.”
McTavish also revealed that being a documentary narrator is more than a little educational.
“I’ve I’ve learned so much during these programs one way or another, not just the this one, but many, many, many of the other ones that I’ve done,” he said. “I think I’m pretty well versed in things that have been happening in nature. I watched, you know, ‘Planet Earth’. I know about these sort of things. But sardines, well, they’re very important in the food chain, let’s put it that way. They’re remarkable creatures — small but very, very mighty. I love a sardine.”
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Filming locations featured in “The Ocean’s Greatest Feast” include South African Parks, Cape Nature, Durban Film Office, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa.
A press release confirms, “The special harnesses an array of new filming technology including gyro-stabilized long lens drones, shotover cameras and a new remote underwater unit to capture the sardine run vividly in full 4K, giving audiences an immersive dive into the chaos and magic of the legendary natural phenomenon.”
“The Ocean’s Greatest Feast” premieres Wednesday, June 8, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Love Nature.
