Adam Ravetch `On Thin Ice' Doc on Search for Bowhead Whale on MSNBC June 27 as Part of National Geographic Ultimate Explorer Series

Business Wire, June 22, 2004

VANCOUVER ISLAND, British Columbia -- Award-winning filmmaker Adam Ravetch launches ON THIN ICE, a search for the Bowhead whale, a giant that can live over 200 years, in the extreme cold of the Arctic! ON THIN ICE airs this Sunday, June 27, on National Geographic Ultimate Explorer on MSNBC, 8 p.m. ET/PT.

This is Ravetch's 6th documentary following the success of BATTLE OF THE ARCTIC GIANTS which aired April 8, 2004, on MSNBC's National Geographic Ultimate Explorer. Ravetch spent two seasons in the Arctic to capture some of the most unusual footage ever seen. Winner of many prestigious awards including the Palme d'Or at the Mondial de L'Image Sous Marine in France 2001. Ravetch lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and three children.

Ravetch's work also has appeared on National Geographic, MSNBC, CBS, PBS and was recently profiled by National Geographic as an "American Original" in the True Original series.

ON THIN ICE PREMIERE

Logline: Ultimate Explorer special correspondent Adam Ravetch sets off amid the frozen waters of the Arctic in search of the elusive bowhead whale, an endangered creature that weighs some 40 tons and can live to be 200 years old.

Description: As spring dawns on the frozen waters of the Arctic, National Geographic Ultimate Explorer special correspondent Adam Ravetch sets off on a mission to film one of the earth's most elusive creatures: the bowhead whale. Longer than a school bus and weighing nearly 40 tons, the bowhead is a mighty behemoth that can live to be 200 years old. In the 15 years that Ravetch has explored in the Arctic, he has never before filmed the endangered bowhead up close. Now, with the help of a unique team of researchers, the most modern equipment available, and the persistence that has made him one of the world's most respected underwater cinematographers, he will finally have his chance.

On the trail of his quarry, Ravetch travels to Greenland for a rare natural occurrence. For three weeks each spring, bowheads gather off Greenland's frozen coast.

Armed with satellite transmitters, tiny, whale-mountable cameras, and a state-of-the-art research vessel, Ravetch and the researchers gain a never-before-seen look into the lives and habits of these massive mammals.

Then, on a traditional Inuit whale hunt in northern Canada, Ravetch explores the cultural significance of the bowhead to the people who depend on its meat and blubber for survival. Diving below the icy waters of the Northwest Passage, Ravetch swims among the wild and wonderful creatures that share the bowheads' world, including Greenland sharks, unicorn-horned narwhals, and polar bears.

But a look at bowheads would not be complete without a visit with their frequent companions, Beluga whales. Little is known of the relationship between these two Arctic whales, but they are often spotted together near the edge of the ice floe. Some even refer to belugas as the dogs of the bowhead. Observing their behavior in the presence of bowheads, Ravetch attempts to unlock the secrets of this mysterious association.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Adam Ravetch is available for interviewing at the phone number below and via email.