Matthew and Alex are joined by Maxwell Hohn to talk about his contribution to the new Disney Plus series Secrets of the Octopus.
Vancouver Island underwater cinematographer Maxwel Hohn, and local octopus whisperer Krystal Janicki, were both a part of the new landmark wildlife series from Executive Producer James Cameron, narrated by Paul Rudd. Maxwel filmed the Giant Pacific Octopus (GPO), the largest octopus in the world. Adults usually weigh around 33 pounds, with an arm span up to 14 feet. The larger individuals have been measured at 110 pounds and have an arm span of 20 feet plus. GPO’s eat shrimp, crabs, scallop, abalone, cockles, snails, clams, lobsters, and fish. Their arms pull food towards their centre, where a parrot-like beak can be found! Giant Pacific Octopus have a total of 9 brains and 3 hearts and typically live 3-5 years.
Octopuses are regarded as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They have the ability to solve simple puzzles, open childproof bottles, use tools, and have visual and tactile memory centres in their brains.
National Geographic’s Secrets of the Octopus synopsis:
In every ocean, just beyond our shores, lives an animal with characteristics we think of as “human” - intelligent, social, curious, gentle, and fierce. They build cities, use tools, and collaborate with other species to hunt. They have personalities - some are bold, while others shy. These animals can change their skin colour, texture, and body shape in the blink of an eye and see in wavelengths beyond our vision. Recent studies reveal octopuses’ consciousness, sophisticated decision-making, and unique personalities. On tropical reefs, in frigid waters, from the shoreline to the deep sea and everywhere in between, the octopus have made a home. Join us as we reveal the ‘Secrets of the Octopus’ now streaming on Nat Geo TV, Disney Plus and Hulu.
The incredible visuals were filmed on Vancouver Island with assistance from a team of local divers: Tynan Callesen (Safety Diver), Shannon Groenewegen (Safety Diver), Manfred Lippe (Dive Supervisor), Russell Clark (Dive Supervisor), and Roger McDonell (Skipper). With dive support from the Campbell River dive store, OceanFix.
Maxwel Hohn is an Emmy Award-Winning Cinematographer from Comox Valley. But even for him, filming these giants wasn’t easy… Hohn says, “Octopus are cautious animals that spend a lot of their time living in dens. They’re so powerful they can actually move boulders to help protect themselves from predators, like hungry sea lions.”
And that’s not all, “Giant Pacific Octopus are masters of camouflage, they can change not just their skin colour, but also their texture - they blend into their environment very effectively. It became a real challenge for us to find our hero character.”
Maxwel continues, “Krystal and I spent hours underwater looking for the right octopus. We were starting to become discouraged until we saw an arm reaching out of a rocky den. We kept our distance, but as the octopus became more aware we weren’t a threat, she became interested in us too, and eventually came out of her den completely. It's like she chose to be with us. Every time we returned to the den she would come out to greet us. She even led us on a little tour to other parts of the reef. It was an amazing experience and it has made for some incredible TV!”.
Secrets of the Octopus is now streaming on the National Geographic channel of Disney+, within Canada.
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National Geographic: www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/nat...
Maxwel Hohn: www.maxwelhohn.com
Maxwel’s Instagram: / maxwelhohn
Krystal’s Instagram: / krystaljanicki
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The Underwater Photography Show is hosted by Alex Mustard (www.amustard.com) and Matthew Sullivan (www.9milesnorth.com).
You can find Alex on Instagram:
/ alexmustard1
You can find Matthew on Instagram:
/ formerlyhomelessphotographer
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