Animals turn the tables on BBC filmmakers for Planet Earth III

In making Planet Earth III, BBC film crews traveled to 43 countries across six continents to capture nature’s wonders. Their mission is to always observe and document, but sometimes, the tables are turned by the wildlife they’re filming or by curious bystanders.

An Amazonian tapir, sea lions, and a southern right whale each gravitated to the filmmakers. This behind-the-scenes video from BBC Earth Kids shares the delightful and unexpected animal encounters.

In Ecuador’s forests, the crew’s work filming a diverse group of treehoppers was observed by an inquisitive Amazonian tapir they named Gonzalito. This gentle creature, reportedly raised by humans and released back into the wild, became an honorary crew member – napping on set, following the team’s boat, and providing canine-like companionship.

Off North America’s west coast, crews’ attempts to film camouflaged angel sharks were constantly interrupted by a group of sea lions. With their bubble-blowing and photobombing antics, these mischievous creatures provided both a challenge and a source of amusement for our underwater filmmakers.

Despite the sea lions’ playful interruptions, the crew remained steadfast. Their perseverance paid off when the sea lions finally lost interest, allowing the filmmakers to capture this remarkable footage.

And along Argentina’s Península Valdés, BBC filmmaking crews worked to document southern right whale births. To capture one giant creature’s point of view, the team fitted it with a camera. What did the whale film?

Watch this next: The Bartering Monkeys of Bali.

Plus: A tapir, a bat, and a “giant pickle.”