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North Atlantic – The Dark Ocean ***NEW SERIES***

Ken O’Sullivan’s North Atlantic – Episode 1 – The Dark Ocean

Ken explores the dark ocean waters to the north of Ireland. Here, he encounters monstrous winter storms and discovers that these are a huge source of fertility in the ocean. He meets a group of Minke whales lunge- feeding on shoals of sprat, and travels to Arctic Norway in search of massive herring shoals that once abounded in Ireland. 

In Norway, Ken not only finds herring, but a functioning marine ecosystem that we once had in Ireland. He meets the ocean’s greatest predators, Killer whales and humpback whales.


Over the course of the documentary, whilst searching for whales, we begin to understand how the marine eco-system works with these animals and what they feed on. We discover that their main food, herring and sprat have undergone a massive decline.

We see how the darkness of winter in our latitudes, creates fertility and an abundance of fish on the ocean, but that fish stocks have been massively depleted in Irish waters, consequently impacting their predators, large whales.

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North Atlantic reveals never-before filmed behaviours of iconic creatures, with stunning imagery, and original soundtrack performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra 

RTÉ is set to broadcast an extraordinary new series from Irish underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan. North Atlantic – The Dark Ocean will begin this coming Sunday 14th May, 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. 

The series features iconic creatures and marine life of the North Atlantic from Ireland’s shores and reveals never-before-seen behaviours and challenges of some of our greatest wild animals. 

Inspired by the spirit of adventure of early explorers such as St Brendan the Navigator, Ken journeys out into the open North Atlantic in search of the great sea monsters described in their early texts. After more than ten years, Ken finally swims with a fin whale and captures incredible footage that documents its individual patterns. 

Using an unmanned submarine aboard the Celtic Explorer, Ken journeys to the deepest parts of Ireland’s Atlantic waters, wherehe discovers thousands of cat sharks in a deep-water nursery. Ken also addresses the decimation of sharks in Ireland and across the globe. Prepare to be immersed in the waters of the North Atlantic like never before. 

North Atlantic also deals with the concerning issue of the treatment of our oceans and its creatures. The series explores concerns such as toxicity in whales from human activity in the ocean and the decimation of fin whales due to whaling. The series emphasises how society must work harder to conserve these precious ecosystems. 

In Episode 1, broadcast this Sunday, 14 May, Ken explores the dark ocean waters to the north of Ireland. Here he encounters monstrous winter storms and discovers that these are a huge source of fertility in the ocean. He meets a group of Minke whales lunge- feeding on shoals of sprat, and travels to Arctic Norway in search of massive herring shoals that once abounded in Ireland. 

In Episode 2, Ken travels the south coast of Ireland searching for fin whales. These hugely enigmatic creatures are the second largest animals to have ever lived, but almost nothing has been documented about their migration routes, especially for breeding, until now.  

Ken voyages 1,500km out to the Mid-Atlantic ridge in search of more fin whales. Here, he finds sea mounts, oases of life in the open ocean, and gains a deeper understanding of the ocean’s eco-system.  

Iin the series finale, Ken embraces the spirit of early explorers, and gains an understanding of some of the ocean’s greatest and most diverse animals, from the surface waters to the deepest parts of the North Atlantic. He documents more than thirty basking sharks engaged in a courtship ritual – possibly the largest ever group of their kind captured on camera. 

The series also features an original classical music soundtrack by young composer Bradley Ayres, performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. 

North Atlantic will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from Sunday 14th May, 6.30pm 

Ken O’Sullivan photographing whales in the Atlantic
Humpback whale blowing with rainbow in the North Atlantic, off Ireland

Puffin, Cliffs of Moher, Ireland, North Atlantic
Ken O’Sullivan filming a blue shark in the North Atlantic, off Ireland Photographer – George Karbus
Ken O’Sullivan filming in the Atlantic, Clare, Ireland
Ken O’Sullivan filming a blue shark in the North Atlantic, off Ireland
Killer whale feeding on bait ball of herring, North Atlantic, northern Norway
Killer whale feeding on bait ball of herring, North Atlantic, northern Norway
Ken O’Sullivan filming a blue shark in the North Atlantic, off Ireland