Spectacular footage of sea snakes hunting in the coral reefs of the Banda Sea, Indonesia, will be among the underwater action in the second helping of the BBC documentary Planet Earth.

"The amazing sea snakes in the Banda Sea provided a real coup for us," says producer Mark Brownlow. "We found a 30-strong band on the hunt with jacks. The sea snakes were trailing the jacks as they drove little fish into crannies in the coral heads. The snakes would go in and flush them out for the jacks to gobble up."

The result can be seen in Shallow Seas, one of six new episodes in the ground-breaking wildlife series. The programme airs on December 12 - but divers will be able to get an early preview at the forthcoming DIVE 2006 show.

BBC cameraman Peter Scoones, who played a key role in filming underwater sequences for the series, will be making a presentation at the show. In addition to sea snakes and jacks, his audience is promised amazing footage including pygmy seahorses head-butting each other in a territorial dispute and an "electric" clam which uses tiny hairs to reflect light.

Also among the formidable line-up of marine life experts at DIVE 2006 will be Monty Halls, who'll be previewing his latest series of Great Ocean Adventures with footage including killer whales in Canada, spinner dolphins in Brazil, and terrifying Humboldt squid in Mexico.

Shark diver Mike Rutzen will also be at the show, describing filming around the world with various shark species for Animal Planet. And, closer to home, BBC Coast presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff will be talking about her recent dives filming basking sharks off the Isle of Man and blue sharks off Cornwall.

DIVE 2006 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 14 and 15. Tickets can be booked in advance for £7.50 each (until October 9) instead of £10.50 on the door.

Find out more and book tickets here . Advance ticket sales close late Monday 9 October.

Related links
Dive Show website

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