Sam Wigfield’s wildlife dream comes true on TV show

Nov 16 2009 By Dave Himelfield

“The south right whale (so-called by whalers because they were the ‘right’ whales to hunt) was amazing. It was huge. We went to watch it and it swam within five feet of our boat.

“I used to watch the BBC science series Planet Earth and it was stunning. It always whets your appetite for nature.

“You never really think you will see something as exotic as that and when it comes along it’s amazing.

“Anchovy bait balls are big enough to fill a stadium.

“I would love to be a wildlife cameraman. It’s not just watching animals but showing other people how important they are.”

And what was the worst part of the trip?

Sam said: “When we drove back from a penguin shoot and we took a wrong turn ... and it was getting dark.

“We were on a dirt road and the air-conditioning had broken, dust was circulating in the car and we couldn’t see where the road was. It was surreal.”

Other Inside Life adventures include gibbon spotting in Thailand and Polar Bear Watching in Alaska.