Whale sharks in 3D

Whale sharks are truly astounding creatures. Speckled like a fawn, but the size of a bus. Gentle toward humans, but with Sarlaac-like mouths that must strike terror in the hearts of plankton*. They're completely mesmerizing—all the more so when you're looking up at them. I enjoyed that experience at the Georgia Aquarium several years ago, while walking through a clear tube that passes through the Aquarium's largest tank. I'd gotten so engrossed with staring out the tube's walls, that I forgot to pay attention to what was going on above me. That is, until the light was momentarily blotted out, and I looked up to find myself face-to-belly with a massive whale shark.

This 3D video, filmed at the Georgia Aquarium, doesn't quite capture that experience. But it's still pretty amazing—with whale sharks swimming through the frame several times and, at least once, getting right up against the tank wall.

But it is in 3D. So, here's what you do. Run out during lunch and get some 3D glasses. Then, you can enjoy the whale shark experience as soon as possible. Blorgggg, who both created and Submitterated this video, offers a little more advice for optimal viewing:

It's made for Red/Left Eye and Blue/Right Eye glasses. Apparently all glasses may not follow that same convention. In that case just flip them upside down if you can. I am not sure about the tilt. It works great for me. Don't full screen it, it was calibrated to be viewed at about the standard size of a small youtube screen at 720P.

Now, quick. Go! Get you some stupid glasses! The whale sharks are waiting.

*At least, those plankton what have hearts.

• [Anonymous]

  I just happen to have 3-d glasses next to me (kids have been watching Shrek 3-D). The video seems messed up. Red and blue images should be offset left and right. These seem to be more vertical, and an angle really. It almost works if you tilt your head 45 degrees to the left. But not quite.

  Here’s a real 3-D movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuQXPdoxxrY (flowers)

  • [Anonymous]

    It’s an aquarium so it should go in?

• [blorgggg]

  This is awesome! Thanks for sharing! We also made a short documentary which you guys might be interested in that will be ready soon which explains the discovery and function of the honeybee’s waggle dance . I’ll submitterate it when it’s ready. Thanks again!
  -Andy

• [mindysan33]

  Yay, ATL! The tunnel under the big tank is easily the best part of the GA aquarium. They also do a scuba program where you can swim in the big tank if you are a scuba…er person. They do a sleep over program for kids too.

  Atlanta has lots of cool stuff going on lately. Well worth a visit.

• [blorgggg]

  Here’s a 3D video of the beluga whale tank too (shorter, fewer other things): http://youtu.be/DdcE5UL2yYM?hd=1

• [jeffguevin]

  My Tron:Legacy glasses don’t work. ;_;

• [blorgggg]

  BTW, this was created by Georgia Tech’s (newly renamed) MARS lab (http://borg.cc.gatech.edu/) for part of the Accessible Aquarium Project (http://sonify.psych.gatech.edu/research/aquarium/)

• [blorgggg]

  -and that’s all part of http://www.ic.gatech.edu http://www.kinetrack.org

• [Zan]

  This video (or a similar one) is part of the demo loop for Sony 3D HDTVs. Instead of running out to get red.blue glasses, run out to your local electronics store that carries high-end Sony stuff. It looks much better through shutter glasses than through red/blue glasses on a computer monitor. You might, however, have to sit though the demo of bad 2D-to-3D still image conversion first.

• [stevecopley]

  Whilst living in Seychelles for a few years, my wife and I had several opportunities to snorkel with these huge and beautiful creatures…

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvLyJdy1PX8

  Quite an amazing experience!

• [monopole]

  I really wish they would repost the video in an format compatible with the yt3d flag on youtube. At that point a tab on you tube allows you to recode the video to just about any 3D format out there:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ANcspdYh_U
  works great with my Zalman Trimon 3D display

  • [blorgggg]

    Here is the same video but using Youtube’s awesome 3D features (full color for red/blue glasses!):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0hVT8i-jxY&yt3d

  • [InsertFingerHere]

    Agree. Too many flavours of 3D out there, I got a stack of 3D glasses from Canada Post for the Queen thing (wish I watched that in HD), blue one side, ND on the other, haven’t found anything online that works with these things. You Tube should offer more colour options.

  • [blorgggg]

    Ooh! that’s awesome Ill have to try that out and report back!
    Thanks for the advice!

• [toresbe]

  The anaglyph display makes it fairly obvious that the camera pair is misaligned. There should never be vertical skew between the eyes, only horizontal. It seems as if it’s in proper registration at the top, and then just gets more and more disastrous towards the bottom.