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Capturing the magical waters of Bosnia

By Jody Bourton, Producer for Danube, Earth's Great Rivers II

I’ve never seen a river like it, the extraordinary colours and the ability to see under the surface from above, it was magical.
Jody Bourton, Producer for Danube, Earth's Great Rivers II

Often rivers can be full of sediment making them appear cloudy or muddy. So this set the Danube team with a unique challenge - how do you film what lives in the river when you can’t see anything?

However, whilst researching the Danube, the team became aware of a special part of the Danube system, the river Una in Bosnia, a tributary of the Danube fed by underground springs. Here the waters are crystal clear and coupled with a light-coloured riverbed, you can see right to the bottom.

Knowing this, the team were able to use drones to capture its stunning beauty and in some cases, what lives under the surface!

The team travelled to Bosnia to find a very special area of the Danube that offered exciting filming opportunities. (Image by Dominic Houghton)
The clear waters combined with the sandy coloured riverbed produced magical shots when seen from above. (Image by Dominic Houghton)
Cameraman Stuart Dunn skilfully flies the drone above the river. (Image by Dominic Houghton)
Dissolved minerals in the Una river harden and build to create a special river of miniature waterfalls and pools. (Image by Stuart Dunn)
Using a drone and positioning the camera so it points directly downwards allowed the team to see everything in the water with amazing clarity. (Image by Stuart Dunn)
From directly above fish are easily spotted against the light-coloured riverbed. (Image by Dominic Houghton)
Cameraman Stuart Dunn (L) and Producer Director Jody Bourton (R) review footage from this remarkable river. (Image by Bethany Staley)

Bosnia’s magical waterfalls

When conditions are perfect in the Una River, flowing waters form magical waterfalls.