FROM THE SHADOWS – SHORT DOCUMENTARY

JACQUES DE VOS

Being underwater that close to them...at night and seeing that kind of behaviour is just...unbelievable.

SARAH GARDNER (NARRATION)

Well within the Arctic Circle...lies a city often called ‘The Arctic Gateway’.

In the North of Norway and at roughly the same latitude as Siberia and Alaska, this region has a surprisingly mild climate due to the warm currents of the Gulf Stream.

Each year thousands of tourists visit this vibrant city which is located at the heart

of the Northern Lights Oval and famed as a viewing point for these magical lights.

Rich in history the city’s historic center on the island of Tromsø, is distinguished by its centuries-old wooden houses surrounded in stark contrast by much more recent and modern architecture.

At the core of this regions rich history which varies from the Sami people of Arctic Europe...who lived here before any national borders existed to the earliest Polar Expeditions...lies arguably its most valuable cultural heritage and industry…Fishing.

The nutrient rich gulf stream moves along the Norwegian coast right up to the Barents Sea and has provided an abundant fish stock for centuries.

Cod (or skrei) is perhaps the main reason why people live in the Arctic. Its been the most important commodity for both domestic consumption and export for as long as its been fished here and remains a very important part of the North Norwegian livelihood.

During the winter months fishing boats set out for one of the biggest seasonal migrations of fish along the North Norwegian coast.

Norwegian Spring Spawning herring.

Each winter...between six and seven million tonnes of herring enter the shallower fjords and bays as part of their migration path. A valuable food source for everything from cod, seagulls and eagles to the ultimate apex predator. orcas.

An interesting relationship has developed here between man and orca.

BØRRE HANSEN

I'm a professional fisherman, Captain on a fishing boat...about 125 feet long and we fish for herring and mackrel.

The relationships between fishermen and orcas in Norway yeah, its kind of mixed but, uhm... sometimes its like kind of like we help each other. We...when we see the orcas we know, we see on the behaviours, we know there is, can be herring around...and but we are not that pleased when we...when they come close to our nets or if, if they come inside our nets. We try all the time to avoid that to happen, so...

SARAH GARDNER (NARRATION)

Having figured out that feeding alongside fishing boats is an easy alternative to carousel feeding, the sound of fishing boats pumping their catch works like a dinner bell and can be heard by the orcas from a distance of at least 18 km away.

Pods travel at top speed to quickly converge around the boats. Once there...these pods can form super pods numbering within their hundreds. Orcas hang around the boats in anticipation of the herring which they know will slip out of the nets.

The fish...being both tired and lethargic makes them an easy catch for the orcas. But its not only the orcas who have figured this out...

Humpback Whales... will often follow the same strategy even feeding right alongside the orcas.

BØRRE HANSEN

You have to check that there isnt any orcas close to where you try to put out your net, that is the biggest challenge. And uh...and sometimes when you unluckily got orcas inside, you just have to to open up and let the orcas swim out. Maybe also the herrings also go out of the net, but  for us its no problem.

SARAH GARDNER (NARRATION)

The orca  is the most widespread vertebrate on earth  and recent research has revealed that there are at least 10 recognizable forms (or ecotypes) of orcas. Each of these ecotypes have different physical features, prey preferences, distributions, social structures and even acoustics (or languages).

As night falls and northern lights dance over the skiesthe ocean is steeped into pitch black darkness. Like beacons of light... fishing boats continue to work in this impressive darkness. and with several tons of herring already in their net... they are being watched closely from the shadows.

'Spyhopping', an orca keeps an eye on the activities on the boat.

Starting the pumps, the catch is transferred from the net to the hold of the boat causing a slick of foam and fish scales to cloud the water, creating a haunting world underneath the surface...

Captured here for the first time at night we catch a small glimpse into the secret lives of orcas at night.

The orcas wait patiently for some of the fish to spill while some continue to spyhop, looking for opportunities as the net draws smaller.

And when the feeding starts a beautiful dance unfolds. Picking off a single herring at a time, the orcas move slowly, almost clumsily around each other.

Exhaling to try and achieve neutral buoyancy at this shallower depth...allowing them to hang effortlessly while enjoying their spoils.

As another pod arrives something very interesting happens...

JACQUES DE VOS

So, as I'm watching them, a large male from a second pod appeared made a small turn and then cruised right into the center of activity. While doing this,he even brushed another males belly with his dorsal fin.

The more I watched them, the more I could see playful and inquisitive behaviour between them and at the same time the vocalizations underwater were also becoming more intense. Seeing some interacting with each other, another one playfully chasing a single herring, or even just hanging upside down. It was incredible.

It became clear that this was as much of a social 'get together' as it was about the feeding.

SARAH GARDNER (NARRATION)

This incredible footage shows a completely relaxed, five and a half ton orca bull as he hangs lazily at the surface, carefully inspecting each herring before eating them one at a time.

As the last of the herring is picked off the pods slowly dive down into the darkness…listening carefully for the next meal.

Watching the same pods during their complex carousel feeding the next morning, its hard not to marvel at their ingenuity and their ability to recognize opportunity where it arises, all in a relentless pursuit of survival.

Since 1961, 144 of these animals have been taken from the wild for exploitation in marine parks. Despite our atrocious behaviour in keeping them captive, we have made little progress in understanding or learning all there is to know about orcas.

Today, in the wake of the so called  ‘Black Fish' effect, the tides against captivity are slowly changing  and more research as well as conservation work is being done in the wild.

Most of these efforts are made without financial backing or support by governments and rely heavily on contributions and donations.

For all these animals have suffered at the hand of man, is doing our best to understand and protect them not the least we can do?