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THE GIANT SQUID IS CAPTURED ON VIDEO IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT FOR THE FIRST TIME AND REVEALED ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL AND NHK

NHK and Discovery Channel Crews Come Face-to-Face with the Giant Squid

January 7, 2013

Contact - Paul Schur
Group VP, Communications
212.548.5588

(Los Angeles, Ca.) - Discovery Channel and NHK have joined forces to undertake the most ambitious search ever mounted to find the greatest mystery of the deep, the giant squid. With razor-toothed suckers and eyes the size of dinner plates, tales of the creature have been around since ancient times. The Norse legend of the sea monster the Kraken and the Scylla from Greek mythology might have derived from the giant squid. This massive predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, and every attempt to capture a live giant squid on camera in its natural habitat, considered by many to be the Holy Grail of natural history filmmaking, has failed. Until now.  Mankind finally confronts the creature of the deep as the first ever footage of the giant squid where it lives is revealed in Discovery Channel's MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL which premieres on January 27, 2013 at 8 PM ET/PT as the season finale of CURIOSITY. NHK will air their special on the first ever footage of the giant squid this month.     

"When Discovery does natural history it sets the bar high, and this ground breaking project features the very first ever footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Our crew came face-to-face with the giant squid, and it's the ideal season finale for our CURIOSITY series that stirs the imagination of our audience, bravely asking questions and fearlessly seeking answers. This latest production, four years in the making, is a world-first achievement for television, and I'm excited to share it," said Eileen O'Neill, Group President of Discovery and TLC Networks. 

Discovery and NHK captured groundbreaking imagery below the Pacific waters during a mission that included over more than 285 hours in the abyss, 55 sub dives, some at depths greater than 3,000 feet, and a crew of scientists, including oceanographer and marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder, marine biologist Steve O'Shea and zoologist Dr. Tsunemi Kobodera of the National Science Museum of Japan, in addition to engineers, technicians and sub pilots. To catch the animal's majestic power - as well as its ultimate fragility - MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL utilized the latest cinematographic techniques and technology, including two deep sea submersibles with panoramic views, ultra-sensitive camera systems with light invisible to squid, bio luminescent lures and secret squid attractants.   

The NHK crew has been studying and filming the underwater life in this region for over 10 years in cooperation with Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science. The collaborative Discovery and NHK crew led to a face to face encounter with the giant squid deep below the water's surface. Other previous attempts to capture footage of a live giant squid yielded the first-ever still photographs of a giant squid in 2004 and another giant squid was captured floating on the water surface in 2006. This is the first ever footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat and a significant contribution to science.

MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL is produced by Discovery Channel and NHK. Hiromichi Iwasaki serves as Executive Producer for NHK. Michael Masland is Executive Producer with Leslie Schwerin as Producer for Discovery Studios. Christine Weber is Vice President of Production and Development for Specials and also serves as Executive Producer for Discovery Channel.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 149 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

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