A film crew from National Geographic in Australia came aboard the 2007 expedition in Hervey Bay and captured this remarkable encounter with Nanda & Bala. We were reminded of the importance of the ‘Mediums of the Media’ and the role they play, often unwittingly, in the conservation of whales and dolphins.
Above: The National Geographic Crew and Nanda, face to face.
In 1999 a film crew from Japan spent two weeks aboard the Whale Expedition and filmed two young Japanese students assisting with the humpback whale research and their reactions to encounters like this one with Nanda & Bala. Twenty million Japanese households watched their experiences and encounters. A recent documentary on the migratory humpback whales ‘Ocean Voyagers’ narrated by Meryl Streep, captures and portrays the incredible relationship between a newly born humpback calf and its mother. The academy award-winning documentary ‘The Cove’ has highlighted to the world the plight of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The new media - the Internet - has revolutionised the capability of conservation organizations, small and large, to reach a world-wide audience. Three million people over the last two years on YouTube, have viewed the humpback whale films, being produced by The Oceania Project. The 'Medium of the Media' plays a vital role in whale and dolphin conservation.
