While out in the Straight filming, the crew hat to outrun the Moroccan coast guard on a regular basis: Following the whales involves getting very close to the Moroccan coast and leaves no time to notify the Moroccan authorities.
The crew was attacked by a single angry pilot whale while the majority of pilot whales accepted the divers in the water. The animals even came close enough to touch.
Diving in the Straight of Gibraltar was only possible with a special permit from both the Moroccan and Spanish authorities. The Straight is not a suitable area for sport divers because of strong currents and the dangerous ship traffic.
Cameraman Gerd Hägele and director Daniele Grieco narrowly escaped death: They almost got sucked into the propeller of a ship crossing the Straight. The incident occurred on a very foggy day when navigation by sight had become impossible.