Encounters with the ocean’s most charismatic animals.
How does it feel when you’re eye to eye with a whale? To share with a seal the deep blue of the open ocean or the ice world beneath the frozen polar sea? How can a cetacean dive to almost three thousand metres depth, and navigate thousands of miles on his annual migrations? We know we can whisper to a horse, can we talk to a whale? And is she listening anway?
Doug’s unique experiences over fifty years of diving and filming have given him privileged, intimate glimpses, and deep personal knowledge of marine mammals. With its blend of stories, science and soundscapes, In the Company of Giants will by turns amaze, encourage and inspire. While climate change is affecting the world’s oceans there are ways we can all become better caretakers of our marine world environment.
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Doug Allan’s career began with a passion for diving, which took him to marine biology, expeditions and finally the Antarctic in 1976. A chance meeting with David Attenborough in 1981 opened his eyes to wildlife film making, particularly in the poles.
He’s contributed memorable sequences to classic BBC series like The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Ocean Giants and many others. He is a popular public speaker in UK and internationally on issues of marine ecology, conservation and climate change.
He has two Polar Medals, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. In 2018 he was awarded the RSGS Mungo Park Medal for his outstanding contribution to geographical knowledge through exploration. His photographic awards include eight Emmys and five BAFTAs.
'Wildlife cameramen don’t come much more special than Doug Allan' Sir David Attenborough