We run a wide range of extra curricular clubs at Thornton, and a recent and extremely popular addition is the Marine Biology Club. This week, members of the club and also senior school Photography students were treated to a talk from Doug Allan OBE, a highly regarded wildlife documentary photographer and cameraman. Doug originally trained as a Marine Biologist and shared with the students a snapshot of his extensive experience and portfolio.
A regular collaborator with Sir David Attenborough and the Natural History Unit, Doug spent many years filming in the Arctic and Antarctic, and told us that his favourite animal to film is the polar bear. We saw photographs of the camp Doug stayed in and the challenges the bears now have because of climate breakdown. One of the student questions related to how safe he felt and Doug shared that polar bears can smell humans from a mile and a half away!
Doug also filmed some amazing footage of killer whales working together to isolate and catch seals. He explained that there are seven different species of killer whales, and within pods of six to twenty, they have strong social connections. Weddell seals have more than 2 inches of blubber, which makes them particularly attractive to killer whales. Doug recorded a small group of whales identifying a Weddell seal on ice and by beating their tails, they created a wave to wash the seal off the ice. He worked alongside two scientists to monitor the whales using laser pointers on Nikon cameras to identify markings on their dorsal fins and saddles. By pinpointing measurements and then taking blubber samples, the team knew the length and weight, age of members of the pod, what they ate and who was male and female.
In 1981 Doug began working with Sir David Attenborough, filming emperor penguins, this being the beginning of many of their joint ventures. Doug’s advice to students was to be curious, learn to trust yourself, seize the day and remember that life is not a straight line. This was an amazing talk and we feel extremely lucky that Doug gave up his time to share his fantastic experiences with us.
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