Marine film shot in Kenya wins prestigious award

By Philip Mwakio

A Kenyan produced marine documentary on the ocean’s largest mammal, the whale shark, has won the prestigious Golden Sea Star award.

The film, Papa Shilingi (Swahili for whale shark), was adjudged the best during the annual film festivals in the German city of Dusserdolf, according to East Africa Whale Shark Trust, official Ms Nimu Njonjo.

The award was conferred to producers Volker Bassen and Katrin Ender. It was filmed entirely in Diani Beach, 40 kilometres South of Mombasa.

Nimu said the film will now be screened across Europe’s different film festivals.

Amazing animals

"We wanted the film to promote Kenya as a unique tourist destination. There are no other countries in the world where you can swim with the biggest fish on the planet in the morning and track the biggest land animal, the Elephant, in the afternoon. It is an unbeatable combination!" Bassen said.

The film was shot in conjunction with East African Whale Shark Trust’s annual tagging expeditions, an event that started in 2006 and takes place every year between February and March.

By using a micro-light airplane, used for spotting whale sharks and guiding the boat directly to the amazing animals, the success rate was almost 100 per cent.

Favourite habitats

Meanwhile, this year’s whale shark tagging expedition that starts in February will have award winning underwater cameramen Volker Bassen and Jody Baker as expedition leaders.

The whale shark, scientifcally known as Rhincondon Typus is a slow moving filter feeding mammal.

It is found in tropical warm oceans and lives in open sea and has a life span of about 70 years.

The Kenyan coast is one of its favourite habitats where its roams in the Indian ocean waters.

Despite its size, it does not pose significant danger to human beings.

They whales are docile and sometimes allow swimmers to ride on them.