This breath-taking video was shot by the Spanish director Rafa Herrero, one of the early members of YouDive.tv team. He filmed it with a Red Epic Dragon 6K digital cinema camera which has a resolution six times higher than FHD.

The video features Miguel Lozano, silver medalist of the 2015 Apnea World Championships, free diving with pilot whales.

These marine mammals are a specie close to the dolphins and are part of a genus called globicephala. They live in groups of individuals from the same family, always led by a matriarch female. These groups have a complex social structure, similar, from many points of view, to human societies. It places them at the top of the evolutionary ladder of the ocean.

The pilot whales can keep family bonds and friendships for life, spend much time at the surface, have an intense social life and live up to 60 to 70 years!

Pilot whales can be more than 15 ft. long and weight more than 3 tons while being able to reach 20mph speed thanks to their powerful tail. They can go as deep as 3,300 ft. in one breath.

The Canary Islands, with Hawaii, are the only two places in the world where it is possible to watch residing populations of pilot whales.

However, Rafa Herrero is warning us:  « It is our responsibility to protect these groups of pilot whales, whatever it takes, not only for their survival but also to ensure their well-being.»

© Rafa Herrero Massieu www.aquawork.com  / Music by Odin Gil