Super slo-mo Jesus lizard walking on water

By Holden Frith | 16 October 2009

The BBC has been playing with its ultra-fast cameras again, following the astonishing footage of a surfer in a barrel wave with an equally impressive selection of clips from its new series, Life.

Narrated by the venerable David Attenborough, the series explains and illustrates the survival mechanisms employed by our planet's plants and animals. Among them is the curious behaviour of the Basilisk lizard (above), which rears up on its hind legs and runs across water to escape from aerial attacks. This survival trick earns it the nickname of the Jesus Christ lizard.

The slow-motion parts of the clip were filmed with a Typhoon TD4 high-definition camera at 2,000 frames per second, 80 times faster than real life. The technical advances that make this possible create problems for the poor sod behind the camera, who has to keep up with action that's over in a split second.

"The key to success was using the latest digital slow-motion camera that continuously records into a memory buffer," the production team said. "When the cameraman hits the trigger button he downloads the action that took place a second or so before that moment. Whenever a lizard sprinted past the cameraman over the water the cameraman hit the trigger, desperately trying to keep the lizard in the frame and in focus."

The result is a perfect blend of science, technology and culture that's cinematic as well as educational. Lord Reith and CP Snow will be smiling as they wait for YouTube to buffer.

Komodo Island:
Almost entire Komodo Island are hills and barren, except palm tress and woods. This island is famous with its giant lizards which are considered the last of their kind remaining in the world today. To many modern naturalists, East Nusa Tenggara is particularly interesting because of its unique species, called the komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis).

The local people call the animal "Ora". It is a giant lizard with 3-4 meters length whose ancestors roamed the earth about half a million years ago.

Komodo lives by eating carcasses of goats, deer, and even of its own kind. The only human population in this island live in fishermen village. They also breed goats which are used to feed the giant lizards.

Komodo is protected by law and though they are considered harmless, it is advisable to keep them at distance. Komodo is now preseved at national park. The national park is home to a number of rare species, deer, and wild pigs, which are prey to the lizards.

To see komodo at day time, baits have to be set in the hinterland where local guides are needed. The sea surrounding the island offers sea life, crystal clear water, and white sandy beaches. The only accommodation available is simple guest houses in the fishermen village. It is advisable to carry food supplies. The best time to visit the island is between March and June, and between October and December. Komodo Island is accessible only from sea. From Labuan Bajo, visitors can travel to the island by boat about 3-4 hours.

Source: East Nusa Tenggara Brochure
Tourism Deparment Office of East Nusa Tenggara
Kupang - NTT - Indonesia