Wild Jamaica: Cays, crabs and cucumbers
(1968)
Broadcast as part of the The World About Us strand, Cays, Crabs and Cucumbers is the second of two programmes examining the rich abundance of species found on Jamaica's shores. Following a group of Oxford zoologists as they finish their explorations, it is an early example of Oxford Scientific Films' (OSF) thorough and academic approach to wildlife cinematography.
The founders of the company, Gerald Thompson, Sean Morris, Peter Parks and John Paling, use impressive technical photography to record a wealth of flora and fauna. Porcelain crabs camouflage themselves in conch shells, puffer fish swell when cornered and bottlenose dolphins frolic in the ocean's clear waters.
Together with the previous episode, Trapdoors, Tyrants and Tadpoles, Cays, Crabs and Cucumbers provides an outstanding insight into Jamaica's natural history, and helped OSF build their reputation for detailed and high quality wildlife photography.
Wild Jamaica: Trapdoors, Tyrants and Tadpoles (1968)
Gerald Thompson
