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Natural History Museum and Atlantic Productions collaborate for David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive virtual reality experience.
Book tickets: www.nhm.ac.uk/reefdiveVR
Media preview: Tuesday 8 December 2015, 8.30-10.00
Travel deep beneath the waves of a natural wonderland in David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive and discover a breathtaking world of vibrant corals, darting fish and deadly reef sharks. In a state of the art submersible, Attenborough will guide you through this extraordinary community of life, which with over 3000 reef systems, forms one of the most important natural resources on Earth.
Running from 11 December 2015 in the Museum’s Attenborough Studio, the experience coincides with BBC ONE’s new landmark series, David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef, which premiers this winter in the UK.
Created by Atlantic Productions and its virtual reality studio Alchemy VR, the experience will give you a rare opportunity to come face to face with the incredible diversity and abundance of the Great Barrier Reef. Part of the experience was filmed in conjunction with Jaunt and their pioneering camera system.
A giant Turbinaria coral specimen collected 120 years ago will also be brought out from behind the scenes and displayed outside the Attenborough Studio to complement the experience. Many of the coral species seen in the VR dive are also present in the Museum’s collection and used daily in research by scientists.
Historic corals such as the Turbinaria help researchers understand the past and predict the future response of reef to human caused environmental change, one of the biggest challenges facing our natural world today.
The approximately 15 minute experience plays on Samsung’s latest wearable technology, the Gear VR Innovator Edition virtual reality headsets, a continuation of the collaboration with the Museum for the critically acclaimed David Attenborough’s First Life VR.
Sir Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum, says: 'Virtual reality is a powerful way of transporting us to some of the most extraordinary environments on our planet. At the Natural History Museum, we’re always looking for new ways to challenge the way people think about the natural world – its past, present and future. This experience provides a rare insight into the beauty and diversity of the Great Barrier Reef. It highlights the knowledge from research that is so vital for understanding and adapting to environmental change in one of Earth’s most important ecosystems.'
Anthony Geffen, CEO of Atlantic Productions and Alchemy VR adds: 'We are continuously innovating and providing more immersive and compelling natural history content. David’s exploration of the Great Barrier Reef is the latest example of this: using a host of pioneering technologies and research to shed new light on this magnificent habitat. Through VR, we are able to bring the audience on an unforgettable journey, side by side with David Attenborough.'
Book tickets: www.nhm.ac.uk/reefdiveVR
Admission: £6.50 for adults, £4.50 for members and patrons
Visitor enquiries: 020 7942 5000
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Twitter: @NHM_London
Media preview of David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive is at the Natural History Museum on Tuesday 8 December 2015, 8.30-10.00. For further information email press@nhm.ac.uk (not for publication).
Images: Please download from https://nhm.box.com/s/xpks1h7coa3hnjw66wl0nvvd1ta87z5n