Filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert have become the first to capture footage of lake whitefish spawning within our great lakes. This accomplishment is not just a win for the documentary filmmakers, but a win for fisheries and indigenous communities impacted by the changing fresh-water ecosystem.

To optimize their chances of capturing the rare scene, Melnick and Drebert headed out in their boat between mid-November and early December, in the dark.

It took several weeks to capture the footage. (Victoria Fenn Alvarado)

The cold and snowy conditions created challenges, but with perseverance and a high-tech underwater drone, the pair captured the shot, eventually.

Tech used to capture the footage. (Victoria Fenn Alvarado)

“It took us about 20 days of filming to capture the spawning activity,” Drebert tells The Weather Network.

As part of their continuing science work, this footage has become a key part of their documentary series All Too Clear, featured by TVO. The series shines a light on the evolving Great Lakes ecosystem. The work is being done in collaboration with the Saugeen Ojibway Nations, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert. (Victoria Fenn Alvarado)

“This big change [in the lake’s ecosystem] involved the collapse of the lake whitefish… this is a significant fish species to commercial fishers in the upper great lakes and to indigenous communities as well,” Melnick says.

“A lot of fish science deals with fish caught in nets, studying them after they have died. What we are able to do is show fish in their natural environment,” Drebert adds.

This rare footage has accelerated the understanding of this species.

“It’s a key for scientists to understand their behavior a lot better, and maybe we can help them,” Drebert says.

Header image: A shot taken out on the water. (Victoria Fenn Alvarado)