GREAT IDEAS

Explore the Galápagos Islands through 360-degree video

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The Washington Post has launched a 360-degree video experience of the Galápagos Islands in which readers can fully explore the relatively unknown volcanic archipelago. Reported by Washington Post travel writer Andrea Sachs, the project combines narrative with a dynamic presentation of mixed media including six engaging video stories captured with 360-degree cameras of the island and its surrounding reefs.

"We wanted to offer unique access using 360-degree cameras both on the ground and under the water to give users the feeling of actually swimming among fish, exploring the jungle and observing life on the island," said Jeremy Gilbert, director of strategic initiatives for The Washington Post. "By combining written narrative with video that the user can control, we're able to create a very contextualized and immersive storytelling experience."

As users scroll through the story on desktop, various key points in the text displayed on the left side of the screen will trigger a new 360-degree video story appearing on the right side of the screen creating a seamless reading experience. The user can navigate within the video to explore the full environment. When on a mobile device, the project features panoramic images which can be expanded for full screen viewing.

Created in collaboration with Steven King, assistant professor of multimedia and interactive journalism, and his team from The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the project features six video scenes of the exquisite islands. Highlights of the footage include:

  • Swimming with a sea lion at Kicker Rock, two volcanic cone formations off the coast of San Cristobal.
  • Being encircled by a school of fish underwater at Kicker Rock.
  • Visiting a tortoise sanctuary and a local fish market overrun by hungry pelicans and sea lions in Santa Cruz.

The Washington Post's Galapagos 360-degree video experience is sponsored by Lincoln Motor Company.

video, Washington
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