"Giant Squid: Last Mystery of the Deep" production

Atlantic Productions to Produce the English Language Versions of GIANT

SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP
CANNES, France, Oct. 6

NHK Enterprises, Science Channel and Atlantic Productions have teamed up for the largest-ever international quest for a living giant squid. Though scientists have tried for decades to find this creature in its natural habitat, researchers have had but the merest glimpse of this notoriously reclusive animal. Through a new multi-million dollar expedition, scientists will study, for the first time, Architeuthis dux in its native environment and viewers around the world will see the last great leviathan of the deep.

NHK's Executive Managing Director, Hidemi Hyuga, expressed his excitement on behalf of both NHK and NHK Enterprises, which is their biggest production arm, "This is the start of a dream-come-true venture for NHK. We have long been in pursuit of the giant squid and have caught glimpses of it in the past 10 years, but we have never succeeded in filming it in its natural habitat.

With our partnership with the Science Channel, I am convinced that this ambitious project is in the hands of an ideal team."
"We are proud to partner with NHK on this impressive and exciting adventure to the deep ocean home of the giant squid," said Clark Bunting, president and general manager, Discovery Emerging Networks. "The research, technology and expertise brought together for this endeavor give us the best shot ever of finding and filming the giant squid in action and we look forward to working with other broadcasters around the world on this important project."
Scheduled to air in 2012, the global production will result in a multi-part special following the incredible technological and scientific effort required to find and film the giant squid, in cooperation with marine biologist and giant squid expert Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera. The program will also explore the other exotic and unusual beasts inhabiting this largely unexplored deep sea region. Bringing the recesses of the ocean vividly to life, the special will showcase other nearly unknown creatures including the mysterious mega-mouth shark and a predator that resembles a 350 million year old sea serpent. These unusual ecosystems will be unveiled in vivid detail for the first time in GIANT SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP.

Measuring over 30 feet long, with enormous tentacles equipped with serrated suckers and a razor sharp beak, a live giant squid has been filmed only once before, by a research team led by Dr. Kubodera in 2006, who saw and filmed an ailing creature on the surface of the sea. Previously, in 2004, Dr. Kubodera was on the scientific team that first captured live images of a giant squid attacking bait.

Using the latest in submersible technology, including cameras specially designed for these expeditions, scientists believe they now have a new lure for the mysterious animal. A companion high-tech submersible support ship, equipped with millions of dollars of specialized equipment designed for this mission, is capable of completing dozens of dives in the search for the marine creature. Additional camera power will come from deep sea fixed position cameras as well as unique pressure-resistant cameras affixed with extremely strong suction cups to the backs of whales. A deep rover submersible will allow scientists to explore previously unstudied depths.


source: science channel