Whale Shark Documentary

For several years sightings of whale sharks have been made around the platforms that make up the Al Shaheen Field off the coast of Qatar. A long-term research project sponsored by Qatar’s Ministry of Environment is underway to find out what draws them to the field each year. Myriad Global Media were privileged to be asked by Maersk Oil Qatar to make a documentary film about this intriguing project.

Interesting Facts From Behind The Scenes:

• The team encountered a group of more than 70 whale sharks on their first full day at sea. Michael Pitts, Myriad’s Emmy award-winning cameraman captured two of them on film.
• The research team take skin biopsies from the whale shark’s skin which is then analysed to reveal their genetic history in the labs located in Doha
• Whale sharks can grow to 20 metres in length and weigh as much as 30 tonnes.
• A BBC crew accompanied the trip to film part of their ‘Wild Arabia’ series

This multi-award winning Whale Shark Documentary entitled ‘A Gathering of Giants: The Whale Sharks of Qatar’ follows the story of the Research trip undertaken by the Maersk Oil Research and Technology Centre (MO-RTC) in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment’s Whale Shark Research Project.

Leading the Myriad Global Media team of underwater cameramen was an Emmy award winning Director of Photography. All the footage was captured on the Red Epic and, as such, has captured the majestic nature of these mysterious ocean wanderers.

The Whale Shark Documentary footage, accompanied by engaging interviews and delicately produced graphics created this dynamic, informative and exciting film. This video production project went on achieve over 90,000 views on YouTube and picked up a total of 3 awards at The New York Film Festival and the WorldFest-Houston awards in 2013. 

It was later screened on National Geographic and Discovery Channel as well as being available to view on Qatar Airways flights globally.