Eco-tourism and Dolphins
The Dolphin Research Center Mozambique blends conservation with tourism in a respectful way that supports the dolphins of Ponta Do Ouro. Strict rules have been established by the center and is the only one of its kind allowed in the area.
While filming in the African wilderness, the Running Wild crew cooled off in the ocean off the coast of Mozambique. On the border of South Africa and Mozambique lies a small city with zero docks called Ponta Do Ouro. In this town is a place called the Dolphin Research Center Mozambique where tourists are allowed to swim with the wild dolphins of Ponta Do Ouro, but under strict supervision of founder Angie Gullan.
When tourists arrive at the dolphin hut in the town of Ponta Do Ouro, the morning is early and the sun is just barely breaking out from below the horizon. This is when the briefing occurs and visitors learn about the importance of dolphins in the ecosystem, dolphin facts and the natural history of the dolphins that live off the coast and, more importantly, visitors are taught how to respect these animals and the rules of engagement for successful interactions.
Unlike most dolphin interactions, the Dolphin Research Center Mozambique has no fences, visitors are not allowed to touch the dolphins, the dolphins are free to come and go as they please and dolphins are not rewarded with food for their encounters. The time spent with dolphins is decided by the dolphins and when they have had enough, they simply swim out into the ocean. "Every time we take our boat out there, every-time we try and swim with them we do create a certain level of stress! Our job is to limit that stress and this we do through DolphinCare's Code of conduct. No feeding, touching, chasing or diving down is our philosophy as is respecting a one boat & two drop policy." - Angie
Angie has been instrumental in developing the appropriate code of conduct when interacting with the dolphins and her center is the only one of its kind allowed to operate in the area. In addition to partnering with local conservation organizations, the Dolphin Research Center Mozambique also works with the World Cetacean Alliance and has its very own dolphin identification database created by collected images of dorsal fins. They have one of the largest datasets in Africa regarding these incredible marine mammals.
To learn more about the center and to arrange a visit, go to http://www.dolphincenter.org/about
Safaris don't need to be expensive, grab your own truck and go!
The secret to an incredible safari on the cheap is out, the answer? Rent your own Avis Safari Vehicle and take off into the wilderness. These vehicles are equipped with everything you need from days to weeks in the bush.
The Avis Safari Rentals offer several vehicles built for your custom safari. Each vehicle generally has a personal refrigerator, freezer, water tank, rooftop tent, backup battery and solar panels. These vehicles can be rented in just about any major city in the Southern countries of Africa including Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique. To see a full up to date list, check the Avis website.
The Running Wild Media team picked up a Ford Ranger from Avis Safari Rental in Windhoek for the four week trek across Africa's greatest wilderness. This ranger was equipped with a two person rooftop tent that "popped" up for easy set up and break down. Another tent attached to the side of the vehicle and is easily removed for ground set up. This tent holds two more people and two cots, which are provided with the rental. The roof top rig come with an awning that is super convenient for blocking out the hot African sun while having lunch or keeping the rain off when setting up for dinner. In terms of dinning, the vehicle includes a folding table, fold out chairs that match the number of people in the party, a side table that attaches to the vehicle (perfect for preparing food) a 90 liter twin refrigerator and freezer and a burner that is connected to the tailgate with it's own propane tank, conveniently hanging on the back of the truck.
When we got ahold of the vehicle, the first thing we did was drive it to the supermarket and load up on beer and ice cream... and maybe some real food, but the freezer was plenty cold enough to keep our ice cream from melting and the fridge was cool enough to keep the milk from spoiling, even in the Namib Desert. The main objective of having the vehicle was to give us the freedom and mobility to film wildlife. We needed to drive great distances between the National Parks and with the big fuel tank included, we could get 800 km's or so between fill ups. In order to get the animal shots we needed, we rigged up a platform on the door of the vehicle and mounted a tripod head, lens, camera and HD monitor to see the shots that we were collecting. While out in the parks, the vehicle handled itself beautifully. We only got it stuck twice, the first time being our fault by not releasing enough air out the tires before tackling the deep sand of the Namib Desert. The other time was when we tried taking on a giant puddle of water that had feet of mud around the water. This one was easy to get out by rocking the car back and forth till the front tire caught some ground and pulled us right out.
Filming in the Oldest Desert in the World
The Running Wild Media crew made the desert trek across the Namib to film the elusive desert gemsbok. They found gemsbok, spoiler alert, but also found other weird things.
The Namib desert, meaning "vast place," is approximately 1,200 miles long and stretches along the Atlantic Ocean in the country of Namibia. This is thought to be the oldest desert in the world and has some of the largest sand dunes. These dunes regularly change shape, size and location because of the ever blowing winds and can engulf an entire ecosystem in a matter of, well... years. The Running Wild Media crew made the great trek to visit the Namib desert to visit with a fascinating gazelle that calls this arid and hostile environment home.
The sand is so red because of rust and is a characteristic feature of the Namib desert. While filming, temperatures rose to 112 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind blew sand at 30 miles per hour. This made filming extremely difficult, especially when the camera gear was exposed to blowing dust and sand. Despite the major desert obstacles, Co-founder Justin Grubb still managed to have a nice hardy glass of milk and a sleeve or two of Oreo cookies. "Was the best damn cookies and milk I've ever had." - Justin.
This desert was silent, and the immense openness was intimidating. Scattered sparsely throughout the landscape were dead trees and small tufts of grass. The air was the driest air we had ever experienced and sweat would dry up in a matter of seconds. It was crazy to think that a large mammal has adapted to this type of ecosystem. We had our doubts, but the evidence was apparent, every once in a while we would see gemsbok scat or an actual gemsbok roaming around off in the distance. Our goal was to get close to one to take photos and film such an incredible desert dweller.
Once we trekked deeper into the desert with our Avis Safari Vehicle, we came across an area with a few trees and grasses. Here we had found the gemsbok haven, everywhere we looked there were gemsbok moving in pairs and seeking shelter from the sun. In fact, during the day, almost all of our gemsbok encounters were in shade under trees. We were cautious when approaching them for photos because we knew they would defend their shade ferociously. While heading to the final destination of the Namib, our vehicle got severely stuck and wouldn't make it across some of the dunes. We kept pushing our vehicle in an attempt to reach the most famous dune Big Daddy. As we were trying to dig ourselves out, we could hear the gemsbok laugihng at us.
Diving Wild Media in Mozambique
Running Wild Media spent several days scuba diving off the coast of Mozambique to capture the beauty of the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and to continue the journey through Africa.
Where the hot dry African land meets the cool blue sea of the Indian Ocean, lies a little town called Ponta Do Ouro. This place exists in Mozambique but sits right on the border of South Africa. Getting here is not for the faint at heart and requires a lengthy border crossing process and a long off-road drive through sand dunes. Once there, visitors are rewarded with a bunch of restaurants and souvenir shops. The Running Wild Crew visited for something else entirely, diving the coral reefs.
One of the most prevalent organisms, perhaps more prevalent then on other Running Wild trips, were the green sea turtles that continuously approached us as we were diving around the reefs. Other organisms were common as well such as stingrays, big grouper, schools of fish and dolphins. The deepest dive, which was completed by co-founder Justin Grubb, was 135 feet on the reef wall and had about 15 minutes of bottom time. On this dive, Justin encountered a hammerhead, which was the first time he has ever seen one in the wild.
Perhaps wilder then the reefs around Ponta Do Ouro, was the way the divers got to them. There were no docks in Ponta Do Ouro, so boats had to be pulled to the beach by tractors, the pushed into the water by the team of divers. In most cases, the boats were huge rubber zodiacs that held around 20 divers and had twin engines so pushing them in was no easy feat. Once the boat was pushed around to face the water, all 20 divers had to cooperate to push it into the surf as waves pushed the boat back to shore. Once overcoming the tide, the divers had to jump in, one by one and clamor around until they found their seat. Putting gear on while on these boats seemed even more difficult, with 20 people all moving around trying to get their gear on, finding any space to do so was nearly impossible. Once the dive was completed and the divers pulled themselves up nearly 4 feet out of the water back onto the boat, the next stage of the adventure just began. Once again, since there are no docks along the beach, the only way to get the boat were it needs to go, is to ride a wave coming in, then gun the engine to ramp off the wave and on to the beach with a boat full of people and divers. Instructions were clear, hold onto something, you didn't want to be the one flying off the boat as it was midair hurdling towards sand.
On assignment with Nat Geo Wild
Running Wild Media's Co-founders Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb went to South Africa for an assignment with Nat Geo Wild and spent a week with Safari Live.
11/30/2016 - Running Wild's Co-Founders Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb Traveled to the Djuma Game Reserve in South Africa to film promotional material and behind the scenes of WildEarth's brainchild "Safari Live.' This show takes viewers on a live safari twice a day for four hours and is filmed entirely in the bush. Safari Live has a small group of wildlife presenters, cameramen and a whole team that runs the "mission control" center which allows the live broadcast of the show. While on assignment, Running Wild Media went on constant game drives looking for wildlife and spent eight days with the amazing WildEarth team.
"This ain't your average everyday safari." Justin Grubb joined Nat Geo Wild presenter James Hendry on a live broadcast and found himself surrounded by a pride of lions.
The time spent in Djuma was full of excitement and unforgettable memories. On the first day of arrival, Alex and Justin got to see elephants and white rhinos for their first time ever in the wild. "As we were driving through the bush, our guide thought he heard the squeak of a rhino baby, but as we turned the corner, there were two full grown males fighting with each other." While observing this rare behavior and noticing the battle scars left on the rhinos, Alex commented, "Stop don't you guys know you're endangered?" The trip had more heart stopping moments, like when a young bull elephant started sizing up the safari truck the crew was in and got too close for comfort for some people. The crew also got to witness a mother leopard named Karula drag a baby impala across the bush to her cub and watched as the cub pounced on and played with the body of the impala as if it were a giant furry cat toy. One of Justin's favorite moments is when, on a safari drive, there was a giant pile of fresh rhino dung on the ground covered in dung beetles. Justin wanted to film the beetles and asked to get out with the camera. The guide gave him permission and as Justin was about to leave the vehicle, two large white rhinos came out of the treeline just feet from the vehicle. "It is a damn good thing I wasn't out of the vehicle at the point, who knows how they would have reacted." Animals in popular safari spots are habituated to vehicles, but once a person leaves the vehicle, the animals typically react as if there is a predator on the loose.
Safari Live in an important show because it gives viewers the opportunity to experience a true safari from the African bush miles away in the comfort of their home. Not everyone can go on safari, but with the current benefits of technology, one can go on the next best thing, a virtual one. This generates an interest in the lives of the animals portrayed on the show by thousands of viewers and spreads awareness of the conservation issues facing this region. When people have a love for an animal or a species, they are more willing to act to protect it, even if it is half a world away. Another important lesson for viewers of Safari Live is that these animals are wild and are not taken care of by anybody. If a lion cub is dying, it does so with no intervention by humans, assuming the death is not caused by human intervention in the first place. Presenters admit, it is difficult to watch nature take its course, but it is a vital part of the evolution of life and what has made the Djuma Game Reserve such an amazing place.
Photo by Niki Nilchian
With the conclusion of their assignment in South Africa, Goetz and Grubb will continue their journey in Africa and will head to Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana to continue filming wildlife.
Science Communicators Camp in Malibu
Co-founders Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb travel to the second annual Science Communicators Camp in Malibu California for a camp-style retreat with other science communicators
Co-founders Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb travel to the second annual Science Communicators Camp in Malibu California for a camp-style retreat with other science communicators from around the Country.
https://scicommcamp.wordpress.com
Science communication is a growing field that is vital, especially in the United States where so many misconceptions of science exist. The better science communicators work together to address misinformation and misunderstandings about science, the better informed the public will be when making choices like while voting for who will represent this country. As a media organization that specializes in conservation and communication, it has never been more important for us to dedicate our time to spreading scientific information. Running Wild Media will continue to build relationships within the science and science communicator community to be ready to inform the public on topics involving wildlife, conservation, sustainability and the environment.
Join us at next years Sci Comm Camp on October 13-15, 2017 in Malibu, California.
Filming Meso-American Reef in Honduras
The Running Wild crew headed down to Honduras to film many conservation initiatives working around the second largest and oldest reef in the entire world.
The crew, joined by Kaelen Bell, Danielle Therrien and Kallie Stuckey visited Utila and Roatan Honduras to film the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center, Roatan Marine Park and the Shark Legacy Project.
Starting off on the beautiful island of Utila, the crew met up with the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center to talk about conservation and research regarding whale sharks, lionfish and coral reefs. While visiting, everyone got to see the new military drones carrying receivers employed by WSORC to pick audio signals from tags placed on whale sharks in the area. This allows researcher to see where the sharks are going and how often individuals appear around the islands of Honduras.
The crew also participated in a lionfish cull out of the reefs. Lionfish are invasive predators from the Indian and Pacific Ocean and are having adverse effects on the environment in the Caribbean because they lack natural predators and can eat dozens of reef fish a day. How the lionfish made it to these waters is a mystery, but in order to correct their appearance, scientists work to remove these fish through targeted fishing. WSORC partnered with Operation Wallacea and the University of Cambridge to research the diets of these lionfish in Honduras and the Running Wild crew got to dissect and work with these scientific organizations.
In addition, the crew met with the Shark Legacy project which was initiated to prove that sharks have more economic value through eco-tourism then they do shark fining. This was an effort to convince the government to protect the sharks rather then allow them to be hunted and removed from the Honduran reefs. Sharks are incredibly important to the ecosystem by regulating the food chain from the top down and controling fish that would otherwise damage the reef beyond repair. When swimming in these waters, it is scarier to not see sharks, then it is to see them.
Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb use the drone to get amazing shots of the reef from above. Only from a birds eye view is the geology behind the reef apparent.
Co-Founder, Alex Goetz, in Havana, Cuba
Co-founder and Cinematographer, Alex Goetz, was hired to travel to Havana, Cuba to produce a piece about some of Havana's local artists.
Our Co-founder and Cinematographer, Alex Goetz, was hired to travel to Havana, Cuba to produce a piece about some of Havana's local artists. Words can't even describe how excited Alex was to get to set foot in a country many American citizens haven't had the opportunity to see yet. Check back soon for photos, with a short teaser video of Havana soon as well!
"To the Explorers," on NatGeo Wild tv April 22nd at 6:30pm!
Tune in to Nat Geo Wild on Earth Day to see the short film "To the Explorers" created by Running Wild Media and produced by the Toledo Zoo.
On April 22nd, Earth Day, Nat Geo Wild will be airing the 2016 "Wild to Inspire" film competitions finalist videos as well as the winner "To the Explorer" created by Running Wild Media. The result of this competition is that Co-founders Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb go on assignment in South Africa with Nat Geo Wild.
In Production!
This weekend, April 15th, begins the production of a new documentary our team here at Running Wild will be producing. We are super excited to be working with such an amazing story, and upon completion hoping to take this film on an extensive film festival tour. We don't want to give away all the details, so we will throw some a hint out there in the photo below, and provide lots of BTS photo/video from this weekend starting next week, to get everyone as hyped up as we are!
Earth Touch: The Wild Life (EP 18): Wildlife Filmmakers Justin Grubb & Alex Goetz
'The Wild Life' is coming at you this week from snowy Sun Valley in Idaho! Wildlife filmmakers Justin Grubb and Alex Goetz are finalists in Nat Geo WILD's 'Wild to Inspire' film competition, which is part of the Sun Valley Film Festival. They talk with Jason about wildlife filmmaking in Central America, how films can be used to inspire conservation and more. Follow Justin and Alex on Twitter: @RunningWildTV.
