In February 2005, SCUBAZOO had the opportunity and privilege to work with Sir David Attenborough and the BBC Natural History Unit, as they filmed in Sabah for their latest blockbuster, 'Life in the Undergrowth'. 'Life on Earth' was first shown over 22 years ago and since then, nine further David Attenborough series have continued to entrance the world. In his latest series, we see the evolution of life on earth from the perspective of its most successful group - the invertebrates.

"This is a secret universe, teeming with life, which we never see and yet which is all around us. It is the world of invertebrates - a strange parallel universe that we are only just beginning to understand."

Throughout the series, an entire host of animals never before seen on television, and some new to science, will be shown - this new world will be revealed using a number of technical innovations such as low-pressure microscopy, new lenses with incredible depths of field and computerised motion control that allows the camera to move through this unique landscape.

The BBC travelled to Sabah to film the giant bee - perfect examples of social insects. Giant bees are renowned for the huge colonies they form in Sabah's largest tree, the Menggaris. They occur in many countries across Asia but the Agricultural Research Centre at Tenom is one of the best sites for seeing these insects and is an active research site. The sequence deals with how the bees feed, reproduce and defend themselves against predators and meant the crew, and David Attenborough, would be filming up to 40 meters high in the canopy.

SCUBAZOO were hired by the BBC to secure all the necessary permits, to scout locations and to arrange the logistics for both the natural history filming and the sync pieces. Working with local guide Eric Thien, Matthew Oldfield and Simon Christopher spent several weeks on the project, as well as scouting for further subjects such as mealy bugs and trapdoor spiders. The shoot was a great success and culminated with a farewell dinner hosted by Sabah Tourism.

Keep an eye out for further information about transmission dates on our home page. Additional photographs courtesy of Eric Thien.