5 October 2026
The harbour tank is open: what 6 metres of water lets you shoot
After two years of digging, sealing and testing, the harbour tank took its first wet day in September. Here is what the water can do, and what we learned filling it.
Why a tank, and why here
For years, Nigerian productions shot water scenes at real beaches and lagoons, at the mercy of tides, weather and crowds. A tank gives you water you can direct: the same swell on take one and take twelve, warm enough for actors to stay in, with divers at arm’s length.
The shape of the water
The tank is 60 metres by 40, with a 1.2 metre shelf on three sides and a 6 metre well under the horizon wall. Actors can stand safely on the shelf in wide shots, while boats sink and cameras dive in the well.
Waves, rain and wind
Four paddles at the east end make swells up to 0.8 metres. Rain bars hang from two cranes, and four large fans on dollies give wind. The first production used all three at once for a ferry sinking at night.
Filling it took nine days
The tank holds 9.6 million litres from our own boreholes, filtered and tested every morning. We keep it full from October to May, and plan fills with productions in the wet season.
On day one we sank a 24 metre ferry and got the whole cast home dry and warm by midnight.
Ibrahim, marine coordinator, example quote
What is next
A second horizon wall, painted for a Lagos skyline at night, is being built for 2027. Productions can already book underwater camera kits and a dive camera operator with the tank.
Related
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Next step
See it for yourself
Book a recce or join a night lot tour to see the tank, the stages and the plant room.