California’s Monterey Bay is getting its own reality TV show thanks to a partnership between PBS and the BBC showcasing marine life in Monterey Bay. For three nights starting August 31, viewers will get a live look at whales, sea otters and other critters that call the bay home.
“Big Blue Live” will have separate east and west coast feeds. Viewers can tune in to watch marine life in Monterey Bay as nutrients that rise from deep-water canyons this time of year turn the bay into prime feeding grounds for marine life.
According to a story in the Associate Press, producers and camera operators are already preparing, having travelled to Mexico to film whales that migrate to Monterey Bay and New Zealand for birds that make the long journey over the Pacific Ocean. Ships, even drones, are being employed to keep producers informed about the areas of greatest animal activity.
The BBC is holding its own live broadcasts this week that inspired PBS to join in. It made sense for PBS according to a spokesperson. “This is live natural history that can engage our audience and it was right in our backyard,” Bill Gardner, PBS vice president for programming and development said.
Although they can do their best, working with nature can be challenging as its hard to capture wildlife in action. Although the whales are the star, its hard to predict if and when they’ll be active, so the team are preparing stories in advance for the quiet times.
The program will consist of hour-long telecasts that will begin at 8 p.m. on both coasts. Although the east coast viewers will get to view late afternoon activity, the west coast feed will be a bit later as it approaches night giving viewers a chance to see the activity transition from day to night.
[via SF Gate]
