November 2022 - Shark Bay Films

A different project for we Cornish marine filming specialists. Just back from an amazing filming trip to Palau.

Rock Islands, Palau

While most divers go there for the great corals and fish life – plus the sharks – we went on a very different mission. Because our aim was to film the remains of the Second World War – both underwater and above. Although many people overlook them, there is a true fleet of sunken and virtually intact ships – and plane wrecks too.

Plane wreck under the ocean

The new documentary

We had planned the expedition carefully. As this was a shoot for our next television documentary. We had our own dedicated dive boat, driver, and two very experienced underwater guides with an intimate knowledge of the wrecks.

Penetrating the wreck

Palau was a crucial pivot in the Pacific War. Because not only was it a vital naval base. But it also had an airfield on Peleliu controlling vast tracts of the region. Whoever controlled the airfield had control of thousands of square miles of ocean.

WW2 tank Peleliu

Peleliu

Peleliu was one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of WW” in the pacific. Although a tiny island just 5 miles square, it took almost 3 months for the US Marines to take. The Japanese fought to the last man – virtually the entire Japanese garrison of 11,000 was wiped out.

Today the remains of that battle litter the island – from tanks and field guns to a huge Japanese tunnel system.

Wartime tunnel system Peleliu

Ghost Fleet

Underwater the shipwrecks are fascinating. A huge ghost fleet of intact ships. We dived deep into many of these, exploring engine rooms, cargo holds and bridges. Sometimes we found it scary – so deep inside these undersea graves that daylight never penetrated.

Deep into the wreck…

We have already produced one film on the remains of war in the Pacific. We have made many successful sales of our film from Truk Lagoon to television stations around the world. So we are hoping to cash in on that success with this follow-up.

Just another day’s work for the leading Cornish marine filming specialists.

Marine Filming Cornwall and Beyond

I was flattered and amazed to find a YouTube page dedicated to all our boating videos They have created a whole catalogue of our history of marine filming in Cornwall and beyond.

Motor Boat and Yachting Magazine have collated them all as a special collection. And seeing them together brought back some great memories.

The Great Motorboat Tour

Our first big adventure was a circumnavigation of the British Isles in 2010 on my Sealine 34 Shark Bay. That series of articles and videos was published by now defunct Motor Boats Monthly magazine.

The Great Motorboat Tour Biscay

How to follow that up? Having gone round Britain, our eyes turned South, and we headed down through Biscay on Shark Bay to the north of Spain.

Celtic Crusade

After that, on our next adventure we explored the Irish Sea and some of the Scottish Islands – the regions we had missed on our Round Britain trip. The magazine titled this “Celtic Crusade”.

A new boat – Cecienne

Cecienne and Shark Bay together for the last time

The Med

Because with the arrival of our new boat Cecienne we had bigger challenges. I’d seen a Princess 39 in a marina in Southampton and it was love at first sight. So I eventually found one for sale in Majorca. With low engine hours and immaculate condition she was perfect. So we flew out and brought her home. Plus we included a stopover in Morocco, passing through the Straits of Gibraltar, and heading north. So the magazine called resulting series “The Long Way Home.”

Arctic Circle

On our next adventure we reached Norway’s Lofoten Islands, taking Cecienne north of the Arctic Circle.

Secret Devon and Cornwall

Because of covid we spent a summer closer to home, exploring our local seas. And as a result we produced our “Secret Cornwall” and Secret Devon” suite of videos.

And to Russia

Perhaps the most ambitious trip was our voyage to St. Petersburg in Russia, heading through the Baltic just after the winter pack ice had melted. For this reason MBY’s creative team called this series “To Russia With Love”.

Our latest project

Our 3 part “Irish Adventure” has just been released. This documents our exploration of Ireland’s south west coast. And we were blessed with amazing weather throughout our trip to this amazing location.

And next?

So in conclusion – we have already planned the destination and route. Plus the articles and videos are already commissioned. So watch this space!

Cornish marine filming specialists – in Palau