Our Planet II

Netflix & Silverback Films

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Director of Photography 

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Ancient Murrelets are a small hardy seabird found in the cold waters of the North Pacific. We traveled to a remote island in the Haida Gwaii Archipelago to film their chicks emerging from island nests, following their perilous journey over land to the ocean to meet their parents. The small birds, quick but clumsy, must navigate treacherous terrain, and avoid waiting predators to reach the water. The chicks do not get fed in the nest before they leave, so they only have enough energy for one attempt to reach their first meal out in the open sea. During the day the island was calm and peaceful but at night, it came alive with the sounds thousands of seabirds, guiding their chicks towards the Pacific Ocean. Once night fell, the moon lit mossy forest provided a spectacular backdrop as we filmed the adult birds flying back from the ocean to the island to call their chicks. An amazing sight on the busiest night, as hundreds of tiny chicks would dash out of their nests in all directions. They were incredibly quick, so challenging to keep up with and keep in focus. It was very satisfying watching the chicks that finally plopped into the sea, to be greeted by their parents. For the ancient murrelet chicks, leaving their nests and scrambling over land to reach the sea is only the start of their epic journey, they then have to swim large distances to reach their first meal, a huge feat for such a tiny creature. 

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