Admit it: You want to be a ­National Geographic explorer. We all do. But until that dream ­materializes, there’s good news. This fall, the ­discovery-centric brand will launch its newest venture: National Geographic Ultimate Explorer, a family entertainment arena offering between 12 and 15 attractions. Right now, three such indoor ­interactive centers are slated to open in China before the end of the year, with locations in the U.S. and ­elsewhere around the globe being ­announced shortly thereafter.

Picture it like a Dave & Buster’s, only this experience aims to educate and thrill, re-creating what it’s like to trek through jungles, uncover fossils and archaeological remains, or free-fall from 128,000 feet above Earth’s surface, as Nat Geo explorer and base jumper Felix Baumgartner did in 2012. That experience is called ­Mission Space Jump.

And, yes, attractions will also ­highlight the many wonders of the ocean.

One underwater experience will ­allow viewers to witness 360-degree short films, typically seven minutes or so in length. One of the films was shot off British Columbia by Scuba ­Diving contributing photographer Becky ­Kagan Schott.

She and her team had three weeks to shoot six minutes of footage of sea lions. They filmed using the Red Epic Dragon camera in 6K, which captures nine times more pixels than HD. Her team also shot using the 360Abyss V4 for GoPro cameras, with an output resolution of 8K, designed to capture spherical content underwater.

Because the footage will be ­projected on a 40-foot-tall screen that wraps around the entire viewing area, the cameras had to be operated from tripods to ensure the utmost clarity of every second.

Says Schott, “Shooting on a tripod sounds easy, but the rowdy sea lions saw the cameras as toys, and would frequently nibble on them and push them over.”

Also in the water was the host and voice for the experience, ­Bertie ­Gregory, a National Geographic Young Explorer. Gregory was outfitted in an Ocean Technology Systems ­Guardian mask so he could comment on the ­experience as it was happening, ­providing audio for the film.

Viewing is meant to be immersive, with watchers engaging with every bit of the surround-picture experience. Because ticket holders won’t likely sit in the same seat twice, it’s a new ­experience each time.

“Even if you went in 10 times, you would see something different each time,” says Schott.

Which also means, says Schott of the footage they shot: “You have to have something interesting ­happening on all sides of the frame. That’s ­pressure.”

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