Octopuses are featured in a segment of the premier episode of 'World Gone Wild',
to air at 8 pm on Wednesday, 6th October 1999
I went to Kasitsna Bay in July 1999 for the filming of a segment of the new Fox Family Channel wildlife series World Gone Wild, to begin airing Fall 1999. Here you see me (trying to get the segment's star octopus, named Oscar Gone Wild, out of a bucket and released back into the bay) with the show's OTHER star (Michelle Garforth, the anchor) as the camera looks on (cameraman Richard Neill).
The segment is going to be short (less then ten minutes, I guess). I have not seen it yet, but have read a script. The show has a light-hearted attitude towards nature education, and the script is a cuddly introduction to octopuses and their habits. Both Oscar and Ophelia, another octopus friend of mine currently kept at the Alaska SeaLife Center, will be featured. Ophelia will appear with her keeper Vallorie Hodges. There is nothing in the segment about my research specifically.
Here is the star of World Gone Wild, Michelle Garforth, in front of a map of the Kasitsna Bay area where we did the filming. In true Hollywood-style, Michelle was introduced to me as "The Talent" for World Gone Wild. She prefers being known as the anchor for the show.
The World Gone Wild Alaska film crew was a great bunch to work with. In addition to Michelle and Richard, there was Jason Cohen on Sound, Tom Pillifant on Underwater Camera, and Caroline Vaughn who helped out with all the Alaska logistics.
This was my first trip to Kasitsna Bay to look for octopuses. There were lots of 'sign' on the beach, especially drilled shells of the Pacific Littleneck clam. From first impressions of this area, octopuses here eat a lot more clams than the octopuses do in Prince William Sound.
 Fox Family Channel 6th October 1999 |
