In July, 2024, award-winning Tasmanian filmmaker and inventor Pawel Achtel, ACS, achieved a remarkable milestone in wildlife cinematography, capturing the most extraordinary motion picture of whales ever seen. Employing his innovative 9×7 digital cinema camera and custom-designed Vanquish underwater housings, both of which have earned top international accolades, Achtel has produced footage of unprecedented quality.
Utilizing modified Nikonos submersible lenses—similar to those he used in James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water—Achtel achieved an astonishing 18.7K resolution displayed on screen. Such sharpness is exceptionally challenging to realize on land, even with large multi-camera arrays, and previously deemed unachievable underwater—until now.
Filming under a special permit and in collaboration with esteemed marine science researcher Professor Rob Harcourt, Achtel focused on documenting mother whales with their newborn calves for an immersive film project.
“The weather and the whales were mostly cooperative,” said Mr. Achtel from his camp on the shores of Vava’u, Tonga. “Occasionally we were with faced heavy rain and strong winds, but the underwater shots we captured were otherworldly. You can see every pore on the humpbacks’ skin, the fine hairs, and every bubble released from their fins—this is a magic that cannot be replicated, even through a diving mask.”
Each year, humpback whales gather off the coast of Tonga to give birth and mate, providing filmmakers a unique opportunity to document these surprisingly large yet elusive creatures.
What distinguishes Achtel’s new footage is its quality, which far surpasses current 4K and even 8K television standards, exceeding IMAX® specifications by a significant margin. Witnessing Achtel’s footage on a giant 32K LED volume stage, such as at Nant Studios in Melbourne, offers audiences an unparalleled experience that brings them close to swimming among these 15-meter giants.
“We’re filming humpback whales using my company’s revolutionary 9×7 Digital Cinema Camera, combined with lightweight titanium underwater housing and purpose-designed optics,” added Achtel. “This unprecedented achievement was made possible by overcoming the optical challenges of traditional underwater housings and the cumbersome nature of conventional underwater equipment. With our lightweight, maneuverable, and high-resolution camera systems, we can effortlessly follow the action.”
For more information, please contact: pawel.achtel@24×7.com.au