In October of 1992, the diving students of Pearson College were able to help with the underwater filming for the Canadian Underwater Safari production. This series of 24 one hour television programs was broadcast live to schools and museum audiences across Canada and the US on the Anik E2 Satellite. Since that time the programs have been broadcast across the world. We have made available at this location some of the unique underwater footage which was taken by the photographer Darryl Bainbridge. The project was an experiment in using technology along with many volunteer hours to help to bring the fragile ecology of this unique area to the world. Our thanks to B.C.Parks for the intial funding to launch the production. The Royal B.C. Museum and its staff , Shaw Cable, BC Systems, BC Tel and many volunteers who provided assistance with this project.
This video is of Pearson College student Jason Reid ( PC yr. 18) discovering a wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus while the program was broadcasting live. Cameraman Darryl Bainbridge followed the huge fish for some time and caught it feeding on a green sea urchin.
OTHER REFERENCES TO THIS PROGRAM ARE IN THESE POSTS:
https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/underwater-safari/
Living on a shelf off the North side of Great Rocks is a Wolf Eel often seen by divers. This very gentle fish cooperated with us for one session allowing some very interesting poses. On this dive, Jason Reid (LBPC year 18) encounters the wolf eel
The fish shows patience while looking for its favourite food
Jason offers the wolf eel a green urchin
as it eats, clouds of urchin roe puff out of he urchin
Swimming away with his “catch”
| A harbour seal was inquisitive with the divers |
A gentle nose to nose with a diver
There was a video published by the Friends of the Royal British Columbia Museum and authored by Brent Cooke and Roger Frampton on the Underwater Safari program: the following gives information on it.
https://www.worldcat.org/title/canadian-underwater-safari/oclc/41934389#borrow
