Bertie Gregory Reveals Tech Secret Behind Nat Geo’s ‘Secrets of the Bees’ (VIDEO)

It doesn’t get buzzier than this: National Geographic’s award-winning explorer Bertie Gregory is back for another entry in the Secrets of franchise, Secrets of the Bees, executive produced by James Cameron and premiering on March 31. And with over 20,000 species of bees, responsible for pollinating a third of the food we eat, this was no small undertaking.

“It’s very easy for people to connect with a bear or a wolf, because they’re big and charismatic, but with bees, it’s more difficult,” admits Gregory, who also worked on 2025‘s Secrets of the Penguins. He quickly realized that he needed to get right into the hive. So, Gregory used a probe lens on his camera — a wide-angle macro lens — that focuses not just on the bees, but the environment around them.

“Suddenly, daisies look like skyscrapers,” the cinematographer notes. “You’re taking the viewer down to the bees’ scale, and you realize that bees are just as charismatic as a lion, we just needed this technology to show it.”

And once you see them, it’s hard to look away. Over two parts, viewers will learn all about how the highly intelligent insects use tools, communicate with a “waggle dance,” what happens when they need to find a new home, and how they sacrifice themselves when the hive is attacked by vicious predators. “Every other scene, [makes you go], ‘What the heck is going on?'” adds Gregory. “You’re going to have your mind blasted by bees.”

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Gregory — who actually learned while shooting that he’s now quite allergic to bee stings — hopes viewers will also take away a new appreciation for the world around us, even in our own backyard. “If this film does one thing other than getting people to see the importance of bees and how amazing they are, is when in nature, just stop and take a minute, because it’s amazing the things that are happening under your nose,” he says.

Check out TV Insider’s exclusive Secrets of the Bees trailer above for a first-look at this incredible docuseries.

Secrets of the Bees, Tuesday, March 31, 8/7c, National Geographic (Both parts stream on Wednesday, April 1 on Disney+ and Hulu)