This video was filmed on November 14, 2011 as part of the National Geographic Live! Lecture series at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Introduction

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in underwater and marine-related subjects and stories. Since 1998 Skerry has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine, covering a wide range of assignments.

Outline

• A new population of southern right whales (start-0:41 min.)
• Callosities and getting close to a right whale (0:42-1:38 min.)
• Photographing humans and right whales (1:39-2:48 min.)

Strategies for Using Video in a Variety of Learning Environments

• Have students preview several of the videos and choose the one they find most inspiring. Have students describe in writing a conversation they might have with the speaker(s).
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• Have students determine what they think the key message of this video is. Was the speaker effective in getting his or her message across?
• Show a short clip to engage students during class, and then have students watch the full video at home and write a paragraph responding to the content or a question you give them.
• Have students note statements that represent facts or opinions, including where it’s difficult to tell the difference. What further research might help distinguish facts and opinions? How might the speaker’s viewpoint compare with others’ viewpoints about a topic?

Transcript (English)

- [Brian] We went to the sub Antarctic in wintertime because we were told that there was a new population of southern right whales that had only been discovered about 10 years before and had probably never seen a human being before. Certainly not underwater. It was a very speculative trip. I didn't know what we'd find, but got there and lo and behold, these animals just couldn't have been more curious. I dove pretty much alone most of the time I was there. We had some bad weather, but the visibility was really good for sub antarctic conditions. And here you see two of these right whales just coming right in. I should also mention that right whales have these things on their head called callosities. These are, they're born with rough patches of skin in about the same place that humans have hair, so on the top of their head, over their eyes, like an eyebrow and on their chin, and they get occupied by barnacles and little crabs called Syamids which give 'em shape and color. But these animals were just so curious. I mean, these were 45 foot, 70 ton whales that came right up to me, allowed me to make full frame, you know, pictures of just the eye, this very soulful eye of this whale, you know, about the size of a softball, just looking at you and thinking, and, you know, you just can't help but wonder what they're making you out as, you just don't know. You know, in the days when the visibility wasn't so good, I sort of dropped down and made silhouette pictures. This is a courtship of a male and female. I was careful not to get in between. That would've been very bad. But, and then, you know, after doing this for a number of days and getting a few pictures, I had an idea in my mind I wanted to make a photograph of a human with one of these whales. So I asked my assistant, Mauricio, to get in the water with me, never knowing if the whales would cooperate or not, but sure enough, as if central casting this, this beautiful female whale just came down and spent about two hours with us on the bottom. This is Mauricio standing on the bottom at a depth of about 70 feet. And this thing that's the size of a city bus, just swimming right up to you and hanging out with you. You know, you couldn't believe it. As I made these pictures, I was swimming along the bottom, and you've got a dry suit on and a steel tank and all this weight, about 100 pounds of equipment. And after a while, you know, you gotta catch your breath. So I just sort of knelt down and tried to catch my breath that I was sure this whale would just keep me in the dust leave, leave me in its wake. But it actually turned and came back and stopped and waited for me. I was looking at that big softball eye, it was if to say, you know, "I'll wait for you. You gotta catch your breath. I know you can't swim very well." And then, you know, off we went.

Transcripción (Español)

- Buceando con ballenas Brian Skerry

- [Brian] Fuimos al subantártico en el invierno porque nos dijeron que había una población nueva de ballenas francas australes que solo se había descubierto unos 10 años antes y que probablemente nunca habían visto a un ser humano antes. Ciertamente no bajo el agua. Fue un viaje muy especulativo. No sabía lo que encontraríamos, pero llegamos y he aquí, estos animales simplemente no podrían haber sido más curiosos. Buceé prácticamente solo la mayor parte del tiempo que estuve allí. Tuvimos mal tiempo, pero la visibilidad era muy buena para las condiciones subantárticas. Y aquí ves a dos de estas ballenas francas acercándose directamente. También debo mencionar que las ballenas francas tienen estas cosas en su cabeza llamadas callosidades. Nacen con parches ásperos de piel en aproximadamente el mismo lugar donde los humanos tienen cabello, en la parte superior de su cabeza, sobre sus ojos, como una ceja y en su barbilla, y los ocupan percebes y pequeños cangrejos llamados Sámidos que les dan forma y color. Pero estos animales eran tan curiosos. Digo, eran ballenas de 14 metros y 70 toneladas que se acercaban a mí. Me permitían tomar fotos de cuadro completo de solo el ojo, este ojo tan lleno de alma de esta ballena, del tamaño de una pelota de sóftbol, solo mirándote y pensando, y simplemente no puedes evitar preguntarte qué están pensando de ti, simplemente no lo sabes. En los días en que la visibilidad no era tan buena, más o menos me sumergía y tomaba fotos de siluetas. Esto es un cortejo de un macho y una hembra. Tuve cuidado de no interponerme. Habría sido muy malo. Pero, y luego, después de hacerlo durante varios días y obtener algunas fotos, tuve una idea en mente Quería tomar una fotografía de un humano con una de estas ballenas. Le pedí a mi asistente, Mauricio, que se metiera al agua conmigo, sin saber si las ballenas cooperarían o no, pero efectivamente, como si fuera un casting central, esta hermosa ballena hembra simplemente bajó y pasó unas dos horas con nosotros en el fondo. Este es Mauricio parado en el fondo a una profundidad de unos 21 metros. Y esta cosa del tamaño de un autobús, nadando directamente hacia ti y pasando el rato contigo. No podrías creerlo. Mientras tomaba estas fotos, nadaba por el fondo, y llevas un traje seco y un tanque de acero y todo este peso, alrededor de 100 libras de equipo. Y después de un rato debes recuperar el aliento. Así que simplemente me arrodillé e intenté recuperar el aliento. Estaba seguro de que esta ballena simplemente me dejaría en el polvo, me dejaría en su estela. Pero en realidad se dio la vuelta y regresó y se detuvo y me esperó. Miraba ese gran ojo de sóftbol, era como si dijera: "Te esperaré. "Debes recuperar el aliento. "Sé que no puedes nadar muy bien". Y luego nos fuimos. Fotografía de Brian Skerry Producido por National Geographic Missions Media Derechos de autor © 2012 National Geographic Society. Todos los derechos reservados.