Hidden Below: The Great Lakes Dives Into Production

Beneath the surface of our lakes and rivers lies a vast, unseen world that supports the water, wildlife and communities we depend on. Award-winning filmmakers Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick are setting out to reveal it in their most ambitious project yet: Hidden Below: The Great Lakes — a new TVO Original wildlife documentary exploring the Great Lakes watershed.

Production is already underway, with Drebert and Melnick deploying next-generation underwater drones capable of reaching the deepest depths of the lakes. 

Over the next two years, the team’s cameras will capture a hidden world of survival and spectacle — deepwater sculpin guarding their nests hundreds of metres below the surface, rare lake trout with oversized fins gliding along the cliffs of unexplored submerged mountains, flocks of ducks plunging into dark waters for fish eggs, and vast schools of gizzard shad fleeing lethal cold in numbers rivalling the greatest wildlife migrations on Earth.

For a project of this scale, Drebert and Melnick will not be working alone. Hidden Below is being created in collaboration with a network of scientists, conservation organizations and community partners across the Great Lakes region. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the project’s Lead Impact Partner, contributing scientific expertise and helping translate discovery into lasting freshwater conservation.

“Healthy freshwater systems support our communities, our economy and the wildlife we depend on — yet much of this world remains out of sight,” says Aaron Bilyea, Chief Marketing Officer, Nature Conservancy of Canada. “Hidden Below brings these critical ecosystems into view, helping people better understand both their importance and what’s at stake. As Lead Impact Partner, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is proud to support this work and to collaborate with partners to advance lasting conservation across the Great Lakes and beyond.”

“Freshwater life is among the most threatened on Earth,” says Yvonne Drebert, Producer. “Yet our TV screens are filled with coral reefs and ocean giants, while the vibrant life of freshwater ecosystems remains largely unseen. Hidden Below is about changing that.”

First Production Breakthrough: Coaster Brook Trout in Lake Superior

The team has already achieved an important early milestone. Last fall, working closely with Parks Canada staff in the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, the filmmakers documented Coaster Brook Trout spawning near the epic outer islands of the protected area. Read more about the discovery and watch an incredible snippet of footage here!

Explore Alongside the Filmmakers — Live

While Hidden Below will premiere in 2028, audiences don’t have to wait to begin experiencing the underwater world of the Great Lakes. Drebert and Melnick are inviting the public to join them in real time as they explore the depths with underwater drones on Hidden Below: LIVE.  Hidden Below: LIVE is brought to you by Great Lakes Now/PBS Detroit and TVO’s The Rundown. Visit hiddenbelow.live for details on upcoming missions.