All language subtitles for Mysteries.Of.The.Deep.S01E02.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG

Wade: IN THE AFTERMATH OF
A TSUNAMI DISASTER,

CAN UNDERWATER ROBOTS SUCCEED

WHERE NO HUMANS CAN GO?

Tuttle: THIS IS A ROBOT IN
HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE WATER.

IT'S LIKE THREE LEVELS BAD.

Wade: HOW DID A SHIPWRECK
END UP PERFECTLY

PRESERVED ON THE BOTTOM OF
THE GREAT LAKES?

SHE IS COMPLETELY INTACT.

IT WAS ALMOST AS IF
IT HAD BEEN

SORT OF GENTLY PLACED
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.

Wade: AND WHAT'S THE DARK SECRET
BURIED INSIDE A TOXIC

NAZI SUBMARINE?

THERE IS A TICKING TIME BOMB
AT THE BOTTOM

OF THE OCEAN HERE.

Wade: THE UNDERWATER REALM

IS ANOTHER DIMENSION.

IT'S A PHYSICALLY HOSTILE
PLACE WHERE DREAMS OF PROMISE

CAN SINK INTO DARKNESS.

I'M JEREMY WADE.

I'M SEARCHING
THE WORLD TO BRING YOU

THE MOST ICONIC AND BAFFLING
UNDERWATER MYSTERIES

KNOWN TO SCIENCE.

SHIPWRECKS CAN'T JUST
DISAPPEAR...OR CAN THEY?

Wade: IT'S A DANGEROUS,
UNEXPLORED FRONTIER

THAT SWALLOWS EVIDENCE.

WE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FACE
OF MARS THAN WE DO

OUR DEEPEST OCEANS.

Wade: WHERE UNKNOWN IS NORMAL
AND UNDERSTANDING

IS RARE.

[ SONAR PINGING ]

♪♪

THE MOST EXTREME FORCE
IN THE OCEAN, THE TSUNAMI,

HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OVER

THE CENTURIES AND WROUGHT
DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE PLANET.

AND THE MOST POWERFUL
MANMADE FORCE ON EARTH,

NUCLEAR ENERGY, HAS WROUGHT
DESTRUCTION AND DEATH

IN EQUAL MEASURE.

SO WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THESE TWO FORCES MEET?

IN JAPAN,
THIS CLASH HAS LED TO

A TOXIC MYSTERY THAT SCIENCE
IS STILL STRUGGLING TO SOLVE.

MARCH 11, 2011.

APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES
EAST OF JAPAN,

DEEP BENEATH THE PACIFIC,
A MAGNITUDE NINE

MEGATHRUST EARTHQUAKE RIPS
THROUGH THE OCEAN FLOOR.

Tuttle: JAPAN IS BASICALLY
SITTING RIGHT ON TOP OF

THE PACIFIC RIM,
THE RING OF FIRE.

IT'S A WHOLE SERIES OF
DEEP UNDERWATER TRENCHES,

WHERE ONE TECTONIC PLATE IS
MOVING UNDERNEATH ANOTHER.

THE PACIFIC PLATE GOES
UNDER THE JAPAN PLATE,

AND IT SNAPPED UP

ALMOST 100 FEET IN PLACES.

♪♪

Wade: THE EARTHQUAKE
IS SO POWERFUL,

IT MOVES
THE MAIN ISLAND OF JAPAN

EIGHT FEET TO THE EAST

AND SHIFTS THE EARTH
ON ITS AXIS BY OVER SIX INCHES.

IT WAS THE LARGEST EARTHQUAKE
THEY HAD RECORDED THERE

IN MANY CENTURIES.

Wade: BUT THIS NATURAL DISASTER
IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

THE EARTHQUAKE CREATED
A HUGE SERIES OF WAVES,

TSUNAMI WAVES,
OR TIDAL WAVES, THAT

BASICALLY RACED TOWARD
THE MAINLAND OF JAPAN.

Wade: 45 MINUTES LATER,

WAVES OVER 40 FEET HIGH,

AND TRAVELING IN PLACES
AT SPEEDS

OF SEVERAL 100 MILES PER HOUR

HIT LAND.

Tuttle: THE HARBOR HAS
THIS TSUNAMI WALL

AND YOU JUST SEE THE WATER
RISE UP,

GO TO THE TOP OF
THAT TSUNAMI WALL,

AND JUST POUR OVER
INTO THE TOWN.

Wright: CARS ARE FLIPPED AROUND
LIKE TOYS.

BUILDINGS ARE COMPLETELY
FLOODED AND SMASHED.

PEOPLE ARE SWEPT AWAY
AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.

IT'S JUST --
IT'S A NIGHTMARE.

♪♪

Tuttle: THEY WERE PREPARED
FOR TSUNAMIS.

THEY WERE NOT PREPARED
FOR THAT TSUNAMI.

Wade: SITTING RIGHT IN THE PATH
OF THE ONCOMING TSUNAMI

IS THE FUKUSHIMA
DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

♪♪

[ ALARM BLARING ]

Barre
IT FLOODED THE PLANT MUCH
HIGHER THAN THEY EVER EXPECTED.

THE PLANTS WERE DESIGNED FOR
A 18-FOOT-HIGH TSUNAMI WAVE.

WHAT ACTUALLY HIT THEM
WAS 45 FEET,

SO IT WAS THREE TIMES HIGHER
THAN THEY EVER EXPECTED.

IT'S AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER.

WHO COULD ANTICIPATE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

Wade: THE ANGRY OCEAN TORRENT
FLOODS THE EMERGENCY GENERATORS,

CUTTING ELECTRICITY TO
THE COOLING SYSTEM THAT KEEPS

THE NUCLEAR REACTOR CORES
AT A SAFE TEMPERATURE.

Barre
AND THE CORE IS OVERHEATED.

THE GAS BUILT UP INSIDE.

THE PRESSURE IS INCREASED,
BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT COOL IT.

IT IGNITED WITH
A SPARK SOMEWHERE,

AND TWO OF
THE BUILDINGS EXPLODED.

Wade: ALL THREE REACTOR CORES
LARGELY MELT.

THEN, LIKE LAVA FROM A VOLCANO,
THEY POUR THROUGH

SIX INCHES OF STEEL

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTOR
AND DOWN INTO CONCRETE.

I'VE REFERRED TO IT
AS HELL ON EARTH SOMETIMES

WITH THOSE OPERATORS

IN THE CONTROL ROOM IN THE DARK,
WEARING PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT,

YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO.

[ ALARM BLARING ]

Wade: MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF
SEAWATER ARE URGENTLY PUMPED

IN TO COOL
THE CORE TEMPERATURES

DOWN TO A SAFE LEVEL
AND PREVENT THE RELEASE

OF MORE RADIOACTIVE GAS.

THE BIGGEST CONCERN IN
THE SITUATION, OF COURSE,

IS THE SORT OF EXPOSURE
AND RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE

MATERIALS FROM
THE NUCLEAR FACILITY.

Wade: LEAKS FROM THE PLANT
ARE NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

IN PREVIOUS SPILLS,
THOUSANDS OF TONS OF

CONTAMINATED WATER
HAVE LEAKED INTO THE OCEAN.

BUT IT'S THE WATER
AROUND THE DESTROYED REACTORS

THAT POSES THE MOST
IMMEDIATE PROBLEM.

THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
WATER IN THE THREE REACTORS.

ONE OF THEM IS --
THE WATER LEVEL IS LOW,

THE OTHER ONE, THE WATER IS
ABOUT TWO FEET DEEP,

AND THE OTHER ONE,
IT'S ABOUT NINE FEET DEEP,

SO THE MOLTEN CORE
IS UNDERWATER,

AND THERE'S ALWAYS WATER BEING
INJECTED ON IT TO KEEP IT COOL.

Wade: NOT ONLY DID WATER CAUSE
UNTOLD DAMAGE WHEN IT CONSUMED

THE PLANT,

IT'S NOW STUBBORNLY GETTING IN
THE WAY OF THE CLEANUP,

AND IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

YOU HAVE ALL THIS WATER AROUND
THAT RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL,

WHICH IN ITSELF,
BECOMES RADIOACTIVE.

SENDING DIVERS
INTO THE RADIOACTIVE

UNDERWATER AREAS
IS NOT AN OPTION.

Barre THE RADIATION LEVELS
ARE EXCESSIVELY HIGH,

SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE
FATAL TO GO INSIDE.

Wade: SO ANOTHER SOLUTION
NEEDS TO BE FOUND, AND FAST,

BECAUSE UNTIL IT'S CONTAINED,

THERE REMAINS THE RISK OF
RADIOACTIVE RUNOFF LEAKING

INTO THE OCEAN.

HOW DO THE JAPANESE
TAKE CARE OF

THIS ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER
WAITING TO HAPPEN?

[ SONAR PINGING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

YEARS AFTER A TSUNAMI FLOODS
THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR FACILITY,

ALMOST 1,000 TONS OF
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

LIE SCATTERED

AND SUBMERGED IN THE BOWELS
OF THE POWER PLANT.

CAN NEW TECHNOLOGY SPEED UP
THE CRITICAL CLEANUP OPERATION

TO HALT THE SPREAD OF
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION

TO THE OCEAN?

Clarke: WITH THE DISTANCE
TO PACIFIC

BEING JUST 100 YARDS,
ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE COULD VERY

EASILY CAUSE A DISASTER
FAR GREATER THAN THIS ONE.

SO THE TEAM IS UNDER A CONSTANT
PRESSURE TO GET THE CONTROL

OF THE RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
AND GET IT TO A SAFE PLACE.

Tuttle:
THEY'RE NOT CLEANING UP.

THEY'RE FIGURING OUT
HOW TO CLEAN UP.

Wade: TECHNICIANS ARE STRUGGLING
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM,

BUT SO FAR, THEY'VE BEEN UNABLE
TO EVEN REACH THE REACTOR CORES.

IT REQUIRES TECHNOLOGY
BEYOND CLEANING CREWS

AND HUMAN CLEANUP.

Wade: THIS IS NOT A FIRST.

IN 1979, THE THREE MILE ISLAND
FACILITY IN PENNSYLVANIA

SUFFERED THE WORST NUCLEAR
ACCIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY.

LAKE BARRETT WAS
A DIRECTOR AT THE PLANT.

IN THE CASE OF THREE MILE
ISLAND, WE HAD

SEVERAL MILLION GALLONS OF
HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE WATER.

WE HAD TO DEVELOP SPECIALIZED
CLEANUP SYSTEMS.

Wade: FACED WITH A MOLTEN CORE
SUBMERGED IN WATER,

LAKE'S TEAM EMPLOYED
A PIONEERING SOLUTION

FOR THE TIME -- ROBOTS.

WE HAD ROBOTS
AT THREE MILE ISLAND,

VERY CRUDE ROBOTS,
1980s ROBOTS.

WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP
THE EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE

THE CORE,
AND OVER THE NEXT

SEVEN YEARS OF WORK, IT WAS
SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED.

Wade: BUT THIS OPERATION

REQUIRED INTERNATIONAL
ASSISTANCE.

WE WERE, UM,

REACHING OUT
TO THE WORLD FOR HELP.

AND ONLY ONE COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD CAME TO OUR AID,

AND THAT WAS JAPAN,

SO WHEN I WAS ASKED
TO HELP THEM,

I FELT IT NECESSARY
TO DO THAT.

Wade: COULD THE SOLUTION FOUND
IN THE U.S.,

ROBOTS, BE THE ANSWER
AT FUKUSHIMA?

IN THEORY, THIS SOUNDS
PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

YEAH, LET'S CREATE
SOME ROBOTS THAT CAN GO IN

AND PHOTOGRAPH
AND CLEAN UP.

THE PRACTICAL REALITY
IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.

Wade: THE MELTDOWN CAUSED
BY THE TSUNAMI HAS CREATED

A NO MAN'S LAND
INSIDE THE REACTORS,

AN UNCHARTED LETHAL LANDSCAPE,

MUCH OF IT UNDERWATER
THAT THE ROBOTS WILL NEED

TO NAVIGATE.

THE ROBOTS HAVE TO BE SMALL
TO GO INSIDE THE REACTOR VESSEL.

AND IT'S COMPLICATED WORK
TO GET THESE SMALL ONES

TO WORK AND DO
WHAT YOU WANT.

WIFI AND RADIO SIGNALS DO NOT
WORK IN THERE,

BECAUSE OF THE THICK,
REINFORCED CONCRETE WALLS.

Wade: FINALLY,
A ROBOT IS READY.

KNOWN AS SCORPION,
IT HAS COST TENS OF

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DEVELOP
AND PUT INTO OPERATION.

IT HAD A CAMERA HOOKED LIKE
A TAIL OF A SCORPION

OVER THE FRONT.

WE WENT ABOUT 10 FEET,

AND IT GOT CAUGHT ON DEBRIS.

IT COULDN'T GET DOWN
INTO THE MOLTEN CORE AREA.

THIS WAS
A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR MISTAKE.

Wade: IT'S BACK
TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

OTHER ROBOTS FOLLOW,
BUT WITH LIMITED SUCCESS.

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO WORK,

WE THOUGHT,
FOR ABOUT EIGHT HOURS.

THEY WORKED FOR ABOUT
AN HOUR AND 1/2

BEFORE THE RADIATION
BASICALLY FRIED

THE CIRCUITS INSIDE.

Wade: THE ROBOTS FAIL TO GET
NEAR THE REACTOR CORES.

YOU LEARN MORE FROM FAILURE THAN
FROM A SUCCESS IN MANY WAYS.

Wade: EVENTUALLY,
DESIGNERS COME UP WITH

AN UNDERWATER ROBOT
CALLED LITTLE SUNFISH.

ITS TASK IS TO NAVIGATE
INTO THE HEART

OF THE FLOODED REACTORS.

Barre
THE SUNFISH WAS A SMALL,

TETHERED SUBMARINE WITH
CAMERAS ON IT ABOUT FIVE INCHES

IN DIAMETER
THAT HAD TO SWIM

DOWN THROUGH A LITTLE DOORWAY
UNDERNEATH THE REACTOR VESSEL.

Wade: SUNFISH ENTERS
AN UNDERWATER

REALM LIKE NO OTHER.

FINALLY, IT GLIMPSES SOMETHING
THROUGH THE MURKY WATER,

ALMOST STALACTITE-LIKE
FORMATIONS DRIPPING LIKE

CANDLE WAX.

Barre YOU COULD SEE PIECES OF
FUEL AND YOU COULD SEE,

YOU KNOW, MOLTEN DEBRIS.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME
WE GOT TO SEE THAT,

SO -- SO EVERYBODY WAS VERY
EXCITED ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF IT.

Wade: WITH THIS BREAKTHROUGH,
THE CLEANUP TEAM CAN NOW LOOK

TO BUILD BIGGER MUSCLE ROBOTS
TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS.

Clarke: WITHOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY,
WITHOUT ROBOTS,

THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.

Wade:
BUT DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING

THIS ADVANCED ROBOT FLEET TO

CLEAN UP FUKUSHIMA IS
A MAJOR LONG-TERM CHALLENGE.

THE COST OF THIS IS
GOING TO BE LARGE.

IT'S GOING TO BE
ABOUT $200 BILLION.

AND THE TECHNICAL CLEANUP
OF THE SITE ITSELF

IS GOING TO BE
MULTI-DECADES.

Wade: UNTIL THE CLEAN UP
IS COMPLETE,

FUKUSHIMA WILL REMAIN
A POTENTIAL RADIOACTIVE RISK

TO THE NEIGHBORING OCEAN,

AND THE OCEAN ITSELF REMAINS

A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
TO THE PLANT.

Clarke: WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S
ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE,

ANOTHER TSUNAMI, AND WE HAVEN'T
DEALT WITH THIS IN TIME?

ONE THING WE DO KNOW IS THAT
WE UNDERESTIMATE THE FORCES

OF NATURE,

WHETHER THE UNTAMED POWER OF
THE OCEAN OR THE HARNESSED

ENERGY OF THE ATOM,
AT OUR PERIL.

I'VE DIVED
ON NUMEROUS SHIPWRECKS

AND MANY ARE JUST THAT --

ROTTED, RUSTING WRECKS.

BUT ON RARE OCCASIONS,

THE DEPTHS OFFER UP THAT HOLY
GRAIL OF MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY,

THE WRECK
THAT'S PERFECTLY PRESERVED.

WITH ALL THE EVIDENCE INTACT,

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY
OF WHAT HAPPENED TO

THE SHIP SHOULD BE EASY,
OR SO YOU'D THINK.

Wade: 1986,

LAKE HURON,

THE SECOND LARGEST OF
THE GREAT LAKES.

SHIPWRECK HUNTERS ARE
EXPLORING THE WATERS

IN THE NORTHWEST
OF THE LAKE

WHEN THEY MAKE
A JAW-DROPPING DISCOVERY.

A SCHOONER, MORE THAN
100 YEARS OLD,

FROZEN IN TIME
ON THE LAKE BED.

SHE IS COMPLETELY INTACT.

Tuttle:
THE MASTS ARE STILL UP.

THE RINGS THAT HOLD
THE SAILS THAT

GO UP THE MAST
ARE STILL IN PLACE.

THE CARGO OF GRAIN
IS STILL IN THE HOLD.

I MEAN, THIS VESSEL IS IN
PRETTY SPECTACULAR CONDITION.

IT WAS ALMOST AS IF
IT HAD BEEN

SORT OF GENTLY PLACED
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.

Wade: WHAT SANK THIS PERFECTLY
PRESERVED WRECK?

[ SONAR PINGING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

A PERFECT UNDAMAGED
SHIPWRECK HAS BEEN

FOUND AT THE BOTTOM
OF LAKE HURON.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?

Wright: HOW IS IT
THAT THIS GREAT SHIP

IS PRISTINE IN CONDITION
RESTING ON THE LAKE BED?

Wade: ON THE SHIP SIDE,
DIVERS DISCOVER A NAME,

THE CORNELIA B. WINDIATE.

SHE'S A 136-FOOT SCHOONER
THAT WENT MISSING WITH

ALL HANDS DURING THE NOVEMBER
STORM SEASON OF 1875.

THE GREAT LAKES TAKE
THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SHIPS.

Wade: 6,000 SHIPWRECKS LITTER

THE BEDS OF THESE HUGE LAKES,

ON OVER 30,000 LIVES
HAVE BEEN LOST.

IF A VESSEL'S IN A STORM,

USUALLY, THAT STORM CREATES
HAVOC ON THE VESSEL,

YOU KNOW,

IT CAN RIP THINGS
OFF THE DECK,

TEAR THINGS APART,
BUST MASTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

NONE OF THAT IS SEEN
ON THE WINDIATE.

Elliot: IF THAT SHIP
HAD SUNK IN A STORM,

YOU'D EXPECT IT
TO BE SMASHED TO PIECES.

Wade: AS WELL AS
NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE,

THERE ARE NO SIGNS
OF ANY CREW.

Elliot: WE DON'T KNOW
WHERE THE CREW ARE.

THERE ARE NO BODIES
ASSOCIATED WITH IT AT ALL.

Wade: BUT WE DO KNOW THAT
THEY DIDN'T MAKE A STANDARD

MARITIME ESCAPE.

LYING IN PERFECT CONDITION ON
THE LAKE BED IS THE SCHOONER'S

SINGLE LIFEBOAT.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WINDIATE
ON HER MEN?

Goodman: ONE THING IS CERTAIN --
THE SHIP SANK.

WHY OR HOW IT SANK IS
A LITTLE BIT MORE UNCLEAR.

Wade: IN THE 1870s,
LAKE HURON

WAS PART OF A VALUABLE
GRAIN ROUTE.

Tuttle: WE KNOW THE VESSEL LEFT
MILWAUKEE LOADED WITH TONS

OF GRAIN.

SHE WAS HEADING TO BUFFALO,

ONE OF THE GREAT GRAIN CENTERS
ON THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES.

Wade: A NOVEMBER SAILING
CARRIED WEATHER RISKS.

BUT WITH FEWER VOYAGES BEING
UNDERTAKEN AT THIS TIME

OF YEAR, IT'S LIKELY

THERE WOULD HAVE BEAN
A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE

FOR THE CREW.

THE AREA DEPENDS ON THIS KIND
OF TRADE, AND THERE WOULD BE

NOTHING WORSE THAN A BUNCH
OF ROTTING GRAIN,

ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF
THE SEASON.

Wade: IT APPEARS
THAT THE WINDIATE

WAS LEAVING NOTHING
TO WASTE.

PORT RECORDS SHOW

THAT ON DEPARTURE,
SHE WAS OVERLOADED WITH

30% MORE CARGO THAN USUAL.

DURING HER VOYAGE,
THE WINDIATE WOULD LIKELY HAVE

ENCOUNTERED GALE FORCE WINDS

AND TEMPERATURES
DOWN TO MINUS 10 DEGREES

OR COLDER.

SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT
THE FREEZING WEATHER

PROVIDED AN UNEXPECTED ESCAPE
ROUTE FOR THE MISSING CREW?

Goodman:
BECAUSE IT WAS COLD WEATHER,

PERHAPS THE SHIP ITSELF
GOT STUCK IN THE ICE,

AND THE CREW TRIED
TO LEAVE THE SHIP.

Wade: SUCH AN ESCAPE IS NOT
WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

IN WINTER, THE GREAT LAKES
ARE PRONE TO FREEZING,

AND THICK ICE COULD HAVE
PROVIDED A ROUTE TO SHORE.

BUT ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE
SUGGESTS THE WINDIATE CREW

DID NOT SIMPLY WALK
OFF THE SHIP.

Clarke: NOW THE LIFEBOAT HAS
BEEN LEFT BEHIND.

KNOWING THAT THE ICE IS
SOMETIMES TREACHEROUS,

YOU WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO
HAVE POSSIBLY TAKEN

THE LIFEBOAT WITH THEM.

Wade: AND THE LATEST ANALYSIS OF
WIND DIRECTIONS SUGGESTS THAT

A SIGNIFICANT LAKE FREEZE
DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THIS PERIOD,

SO GETTING STUCK
SEEMS UNLIKELY.

AND EVEN IF THAT DID HAPPEN,

THE FORCE OF ICE CRUSHING IT
FROM ALL SIDES WOULD BE EVIDENT

ON THE WINDIATE'S REMAINS,

WHICH ARE UNDAMAGED.

BUT COULD A MUCH MORE RECENT
TRAGEDY ON THE HIGH SEAS

PROVIDE A NEW LEAD IN
SOLVING THIS PUZZLING MYSTERY?

2017, THE BERING SEA,
IN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN.

SEATTLE-BASED CRAB BOAT,

THE DESTINATION,
SAILS INTO SEVERELY COLD

AND ROUGH CONDITIONS.

Wright: THEY DIDN'T EVEN
HAVE TIME TO REACT

BEFORE THE VESSEL
CAPSIZED AND SANK.

SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED.

Wade: A KEY CAUSE OF
THE SINKING WAS FOUND TO

BE A BUILDUP OF ICE
ON THE BOAT.

IN VERY COLD CONDITIONS,

WHEN YOU HAVE WAVES,
AND YOU HAVE SPRAY,

THE SPRAY WILL TURN INTO ICE
DROPLETS AND START TO COVER

THINGS WITH ICE.

IT JUST BUILDS UP
LAYER AFTER LAYER,

WAVE AFTER WAVE,
COMES CRASHING IN

UNTIL IT REACHES A POINT WHERE
IT JUST OVERTAKES THE VESSEL.

Wade: SO COULD
A BUILDUP OF SPRAY ICE

HAVE SUNK THE WINDIATE?

[ SONAR PINGING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

Wade: THE 19TH CENTURY SCHOONER,
THE CORNELIA B. WINDIATE,

IS FOUND UNDAMAGED ON
THE BOTTOM OF LAKE HURON.

COULD ICE BUILDUP,
THE PHENOMENON

THAT SANK ON ALASKAN
FISHING VESSEL,

BE TO BLAME?

Wright: IS THIS THE SAME DEADLY
PHENOMENON THAT THEY WERE

CAUGHT WITH SEA SPRAY ICING

SO QUICKLY AND SO PERILOUSLY
THAT THEY SANK

AND DIDN'T EVEN
HAVE TIME TO REACT?

Wade: THE WINDIATE WAS
A SIZABLE VESSEL

CAPABLE OF CARRYING LARGE
QUANTITIES OF HEAVY CARGO.

SO COULD ICE REALLY
HAVE TAKEN HER DOWN?

WITH THE WEIGHT OF ICE
ON THE TOP OF

THE VESSEL RATHER THAN AT
THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL,

YOU HAVE THESE HUGE ISSUES
WITH WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION,

AND WHEN THE VESSEL GOES OVER,

THERE'S NO RIDING MOMENT FROM
THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL TO

STOP THAT ICE FROM
PULLING DOWN.

GRAVITY IS ACTUALLY WORKING
AGAINST THE VESSEL.

Wade: AND IN THE FRESH WATERS
OF THE GREAT LAKES,

ANOTHER FACTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN
WORKING AGAINST THE WINDIATE.

Ortiz-Vazquez: FRESHWATER WOULD
FREEZE QUICKER THAN SALTWATER.

THERE IS A POSSIBILITY
OF HAVING

THAT ICE BUILDUP
JUST FROM THE WIND.

Wade: EXPERTS HAVE CALCULATED
THAT THE RATE OF FRESHWATER ICE

BUILDUP ON THE DAY
OF THE WINDIATE'S SINKING

COULD HAVE REACHED
AS MUCH AS

16 TONS PER HOUR.

Polakowski: THE ONLY KIND OF
DEFENSES THAT CREWS HAVE IS

GOING OUT AND ACTUALLY
BREAKING IT OFF BY HAND.

USING HAMMERS, WEDGES,
ANYTHING THEY HAVE TO

KIND OF BEAT BACK THE ICE

AND OUTRUN MOTHER NATURE ITSELF.

Wade: AND SPRAY ICE ON THE DECKS
MAY ACCOUNT

FOR ANOTHER ELEMENT
IN THE WINDIATE MYSTERY...

THE MISSING CREW.

YOU'RE ON A MOVING SHIP.

THE CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN
SLIDING ACROSS IT.

Clarke: MEANING THAT THEY WERE
ACTUALLY WASHED OFF THE SHIP.

THE SPRAY, WHICH WAS ADDING
ICE TO THE SHIP,

ACTUALLY GOT RID OF THEM.

Wade: WHETHER OR NOT THE ICE
SENT THE CREW SLIDING TO

THEIR DEATHS,

IT MAY HAVE PLAYED AN EVEN
MORE SURPRISING ROLE.

IT COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

THE REMARKABLE PRESERVATION
OF THE WINDIATE WRECK.

SO WHEN IT'S COVERED THE ICE,
THAT'S ENOUGH WEIGHT TO

SINK IT.

BUT THE ICE, OF COURSE,
IS ALSO SLIGHTLY BUOYANT,

SO THAT IS WHY SHE ENDS UP
HAVING A NICE, SMOOTH GLIDE TO

THE BOTTOM OF THE SEABED --
IN FACT,

SHE MIGHT HAVE EVEN
SAT THERE,

SUSPENDED, IN THE WATER
FOR A BIT.

Tuttle: THE ICE JUST MELTS AWAY,
AND BOOM,

YOU HAVE YOUR PERFECT SHIP
AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE BED.

Wade: AND THIS IS HOW SHE WAS
FOUND OVER 100 YEARS LATER.

BUT THERE'S NO WAY OF
KNOWING FOR SURE

THAT ICE WAS WHAT SANK
THE SHIP.

THE TROUBLE IS, THERE WILL BE
NOTHING FOR US DISCOVER THAT

PROVES THE ICE, BECAUSE THE ICE,
OF COURSE,

IS MOSTLY MADE UP OF THE WATER,
WHICH HAS EXISTED AROUND

THE WINDIATE NOW
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

SO IT'S A THEORY.

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF
THE WINDIATE

MAY, IN TIME, OFFER UP
OTHER ANSWERS.

FOR NOW, WE'RE LEFT WITH JUST
THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.

THE PRIME SUSPECT HAS
MELTED AWAY.

♪♪

THE HISTORY OF NAVAL WARFARE
IS A RECORD OF WINNERS

AND LOSERS.

BUT DO HISTORIANS EVER RECORD
THE WRONG RESULT?

A RECENT UNDERWATER
DISCOVERY IN

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
SUGGESTS JUST THAT.

COULD IT LEAD TO A RADICAL

REINTERPRETATION OF THE HISTORY
OF THE ANCIENT WORLD?

IN 2002,
A FISHERMEN TRAWLING OFF

THE WESTERN COAST OF SICILY
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

IS ASTONISHED TO PULL UP

NOT A FISH BUT AN ARTIFACT
FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

A MASSIVE SOLID
CAST PIECE OF BRONZE.

Wade:
STUNNED MARINE ARCHAEOLOGISTS

RECOGNIZE THE MYSTERY ITEM AS

SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER BEAN
FOUND IN THE OCEAN BEFORE,

A BATTERING RAM
FROM AN ANCIENT

WARSHIP MORE THAN
2,000 YEARS OLD.

THE BRONZE BATTERING RAM AT
THE FRONT OF THESE SHIPS WAS

THE HEIGHT OF TECHNOLOGY
OF ITS PERIOD.

IT WAS THE TOMAHAWK
CRUISE MISSILE,

THE TRIDENT BALLISTIC MISSILE,
OF ITS PERIOD.

WE'RE TALKING SOMETHING WHICH
COULD WEIGH IN ITSELF UP TO

A TON.

Wade: ANCIENT BATTERING RAMS
WERE DESIGNED TO INFLICT

THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DAMAGE
TO ENEMY VESSELS.

THESE RAMS ARE BUILT WITH KIND
OF THREE FINS THAT ANGLE OUT.

THESE FINS ARE MEANT TO SPRING

THE PLANKS OF THE ENEMY SHIP
AND TEAR THEM AT THE SEAMS

SO THAT THE REST OF THE SHIP
KIND OF BECOMES UNDONE,

ALMOST LIKE A ZIPPER.

IT'S THE TIP OF A SPEAR,
MAGNIFIED A MILLION TIMES,

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE
ALL THAT WEIGHT,

ALL THAT SPEED,
ALL THAT PRESSURE.

PRETTY IRRESISTIBLE FORCE.

IT'S LIKE NOTHING ELSE THAT
HAS BEEN FOUND IN ANTIQUITY.

Wade:
THE DRAMATIC DISCOVERY PROMPTS

A MAJOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

WHAT THEY DISCOVER
IS EXTRAORDINARY,

A SITE SPREAD OVER AN AREA
THE SIZE OF MANHATTAN,

AND WITHIN IT,
THE REMNANTS OF ONE

OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
NAVAL BATTLES OF ANTIQUITY,

THE BATTLE OF THE AEGATES,
ALSO KNOWN AS EGADI.

THE BATTLE OF EGADI WAS

BETWEEN THE ROMANS
AND THE CARTHAGINIANS.

Elliot: THE ROMANS AT THE TIME
ARE EXPANDING THEIR SPHERE

OF INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT ITALY.

THEY FOUND THAT THEY WERE
CONFRONTING

THE MAJOR LOCAL POWER,
THE CARTHAGINIANS.

Goodman:
THIS BATTLE IS CONSIDERED
A REALLY CRITICAL MOMENT IN

MILITARY NAVAL HISTORY,

BECAUSE THE ROMANS
WEREN'T REALLY KNOWN FOR

WINNING AT SEA.

Wade: BUT ACCORDING TO ALL
WRITTEN RECORDS

FROM THE PERIOD,
THE ROMANS WERE VICTORIOUS.

THE BATTLE OF EGADI
BASICALLY

PUT THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
ON THE MAP.

Polakowski:
THIS IS A BIG, PIVOTAL MOMENT
WHERE ROME FINALLY GOES

FROM A REGIONAL POWER
TO KIND OF A MEDITERRANEAN

MARITIME POWER.

Wade: THE TRADITIONAL
INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULT

AND IMPORTANCE OF THE BATTLE

OF EGADI HAS
BEEN ACCEPTED FOR OVER

2,000 YEARS.

BUT WHEN THEY STUDY
THE BATTLE SITE,

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND
EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS

A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.

THE BATTERING RAM,
THE EXCEPTIONAL ITEM FIRST

RECOVERED FROM THE EGADI SITE,

TURNS OUT NOT TO BE
THE ONLY ONE.

Goodman: THIS IS A REALLY
UNIQUE SITE IN

THE SENSE THAT MULTIPLE
BATTLING RAMS HAVE BEEN FOUND.

Wade: UNTIL NOW,
ONLY THREE OF THESE RAMS

WERE KNOWN TO BE IN EXISTENCE
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,

AND NONE WERE FOUND
WHERE THEY FELL.

BUT AS MARINE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
COMB THE EGADI SITE,

THEY ARE AMAZED TO DISCOVER
MORE THAN 20 OF

THESE ANCIENT WEAPONS.

BATTERING RAMS WOULD HAVE BEEN
USED BY BOTH SIDES IN

THE BATTLE OF THE EGADI,

BUT WITH DIFFERENT FEATURES
AND DESIGNS.

THE UNIQUE TYPE OF ALLOY
AND THE QUALITY OF THESE RAMS,

YOU CAN PINPOINT
WHICH ONES ARE ROMAN.

Wade: THE NUMBER OF RAMS FOUND
ON THE SEA FLOOR GIVES

AN INDICATION OF THE NUMBER OF
SHIPS THAT WERE SUNK

IN THE BATTLE.

BUT REMARKABLY,
WHEN ARCHAEOLOGISTS DO THE MATH,

THEY CAN CONFIRM THAT ONLY ONE

OF THE RAMS COMES
FROM CARTHAGE,

BUT A STAGGERING
15 ARE ROMAN.

HOW THESE ROMAN RAMS ARE
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA?

Wade: INSTEAD OF BEING,
AS HISTORY TELLS US,

THE NAVAL VICTORY

THAT FOUNDED AN EMPIRE,
DID THE ROMANS,

IN FACT, LOSE THE BATTLE
OF THE EGADI?

[ MUSIC CLIMBING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

HISTORY HAS RECORDED
A GREAT VICTORY FOR

THE ROMANS AT THE NAVAL
BATTLE OF EGADI.

BUT RECENT FINDS IN THE SEAS

OFF SICILY SUGGEST SOMETHING
VERY DIFFERENT.

Goodman:
WHEN WE FIND SOMETHING THAT
DOESN'T FIT OUR EXPECTATIONS,

MAYBE SOME OF OUR THEORIES
ARE INCORRECT.

MAYBE WE NEED TO
RECONSIDER HOW

WE UNDERSTAND THAT TIME
OR THAT BATTLE.

Wade: IN THIS PERIOD, DESPITE
BEING A GREAT FORCE ON LAND,

THE ROMANS SCORED FEW
VICTORIES AT SEA.

Goodman: THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THE ROMANS WERE NOT

CONSIDERED TO BE
THE EXPERTS AT THIS.

AND SO DURING THIS BATTLE,

THE ADVANTAGE WAS NOT
ON THE ROMAN SIDE.

Wade: THE CARTHAGINIANS
HAD AN UNRIVALLED

REPUTATION AS MASTER MARINERS
AND NAVAL TACTICIANS.

AND IN THE BATTLE OF EGADI,

THE ROMAN FORCE WAS LESS THAN
HALF THE SIZE OF

THE CARTHAGINIAN FLEET
OF UP TO 700 SHIPS.

THE UNDERDOG IN THIS FIGHT
IS THE ROMANS.

THEY HAVE BEEN THE LOSERS
AT JUST ABOUT

EVERY BATTLE WITH
THE CARTHAGINIANS UP TO

THIS POINT.

Wade: SO DID THE ROMANS,
IN FACT, LOSE,

AS SUGGESTED BY THE NUMBER OF
RAMS DISCOVERED

ON THE SEA FLOOR?

OR COULD THERE BE ANOTHER
REASON WHY THE REMAINS OF

SO MANY ROMAN SHIPS WERE FOUND
AT THE EGADI SITE?

Elliot: BUILDING A WARSHIP
IS VERY EXPENSIVE.

THEREFORE, YOU GO TO EVERY
MEASURE TO MAKE IT

AS COST-EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE,

AND THE EASIEST WAY TO
DO THAT IS TO USE

A CAPTURED SHIP.

A LOT OF THE ROMAN SHIPS THAT
WE'RE FINDING HERE

AT THIS BATTLE ARE
ACTUALLY REUSED SHIPS

THAT WERE CAPTURED ABOUT NINE
YEARS PREVIOUS AT ANOTHER NAVAL

BATTLE WHERE THE CARTHAGINIAN
SIDE WAS ACTUALLY VICTORIOUS.

Wade:
CAPTURING SHIPS AND PUTTING
THEM TO WORK IN YOUR OWN FLEET

IS A TACTIC THAT'S BEEN
EMPLOYED BY NAVIES THROUGHOUT

THE CENTURIES.

Ortiz-Vazquez: THE BRITISH NAVY,
FOR EXAMPLE,

CAPTURED MANY FRENCH SHIPS AND
USED THEM AFTERWARDS AS PART OF

THEIR OWN FLEET.

Wade: THE THEORY THAT CARTHAGE
WAS USING CAPTURED ROMAN VESSELS

AT EGADI WOULD EXPLAIN
WHY SO MANY

ROMAN RAMS HAVE
BEEN FOUND,

AND IT TALLIES WITH
THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF A ROMAN VICTORY.

BUT WITH MUCH OF THE EGADI
SITE STILL TO BE EXCAVATED,

A DEFINITIVE ANSWER
COULD BE YEARS AWAY.

EVERY YEAR THAT WE GO BACK,
EVERY TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY DO

SURVEYS THERE
AND FIND NEW THINGS,

THE QUESTIONS JUST GET
EXPONENTIALLY BIGGER.

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE
UNCOVERING MORE AND MORE WRECKS

FROM FURTHER AND FURTHER
BACK IN TIME.

I WONDER WHAT RE-READINGS
OF HISTORY REMAIN

TO BE DISCOVERED?

♪♪

THE DARK, FRIGID,
LIFELESS OCEAN DEPTHS

HAVE OFTEN BEEN CONSIDERED

A GOOD PLACE TO
HIDE OUR UNWANTED SECRETS.

BUT A DANGER HIDDEN IS RARELY
A DANGER RESOLVED.

SUCH IS THE CASE
WITH A 75-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY

OF THE TOXIC
NAZI SUBMARINE.

FEBRUARY 1945, THE CLOSING
MONTHS OF WORLD WAR II.

WITH DEFEAT IN EUROPE LOOMING,

HITLER ORDERS ONE OF NAZI
GERMANY'S FLEET OF LONG RANGE

U-BOATS TO CARRY OUT
A TOP-SECRET UNDERWATER MISSION.

Elliot: THIS IS THE END OF
THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

THE GERMANS ARE BEGINNING
TO TRANSPORT SOME OF

THEIR SECRETS FROM
THE THIRD REICH,

THE HOPE BEING THAT SOME OF
ITS LEADING EDGE, CUTTING EDGE

KEY NAZI SECRETS

CAN FIND A WAY TO BE USED
FROM A NEW HOME IN JAPAN.

Wade: THE NAZI GOAL IS
TO HELP THE JAPANESE

CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE WAR
IN THE PACIFIC.

Tuttle:
IF THE SUB GOT TO JAPAN,

IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN JAPAN
TECHNOLOGY THAT MAY HAVE HELPED

THEM RESIST THE AMERICANS.

Wade: THE OPERATION REQUIRES
THE UTMOST SECRECY.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING
THAT YOU

REALLY WANT TO KEEP
WELL HIDDEN,

A SUBMARINE WAS AN IDEAL
FORM OF TRANSPORTATION.

Wade: WHAT THE GERMANS DON'T
KNOW IS THAT BRITISH

CODE BREAKERS
AT THEIR BLETCHLEY PARK HQ

HAVE CRACKED THE NAZIS'
ENIGMA CODE.

HITLER'S TOP-SECRET MISSION
IS NO LONGER A SECRET.

FROM THE ALLIES' POINT OF VIEW,

THEY DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT WAS ON THE SUBMARINE,

BUT IT WAS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL

THEY FIND IT AND DESTROY IT.

Rondeau: THEY INTERCEPTED
THESE COMMUNICATIONS,

WHICH INDICATED TO THEM THAT
THIS HAD POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS

FOR THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR.

Wade: AND THE BRITISH HAVE
ANOTHER KEY ADVANTAGE.

ONE OF THE GERMAN SUBMARINE'S
ENGINES IS FAULTY,

AND IT'S EMITTING A NOISE
THAT CAN BE TRACKED.

AND THERE'S
THIS CAT AND MOUSE

CHASE UP THE NORWEGIAN COAST.

Wade: LIKE HUNTING DOWN
WOUNDED PREY,

BRITISH SUBMARINE,
HMS VENTURER STALKS U-864

THROUGH THE FREEZING,

MURKY DEPTHS OF THE NORTH SEA.

VENTURER IS FINALLY AT A POINT
WHERE IT HAS NO CHOICE.

IT'S AFRAID THAT IT'S GOING TO
LOSE THE 864.

Wade: SO THE BRITISH SUB QUICKLY
LAUNCHES FOUR TORPEDOES.

IT'S EASY TO SINK A SHIP
ON THE SURFACE.

FOR A SUBMARINE TO SINK

ANOTHER SUBMARINE
IS UNHEARD OF.

Wade: THE FIRST THREE
TORPEDOES MISS,

BUT THE FOURTH
FINDS ITS TARGET.

A MASSIVE EXPLOSION
RIPS THROUGH

THE MIDSECTION OF
THE GERMAN U-BOAT.

Elliot: THIS IS THE ONLY TIME
IN HISTORY

A SUBMARINE SUBMERGED USING
A TORPEDO HAS SUNK

ANOTHER SUBMARINE.

THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP WOULD
SAY PROBABLY SKILLED,

BUT 90% OF THE REST OF WORLD
WOULD SAY, HECK,

THAT'S A LOT OF LUCK.

Wade: U-864 SINKS IN 500 FEET
OF WATER WITH ALL 73 CREW

ON BOARD.

FOR THE BRITISH NAVY,
IT'S JOB DONE.

BUT FOR THE NORWEGIANS,
IN WHOSE WATERS THE WRECK OF

THE GERMANS SUB LIES,
IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.

BECAUSE OF THE MATERIALS THAT
WERE KNOWN TO BE ABOARD,

IT WAS SECRET
MILITARY MATERIALS,

IT WAS ALWAYS A PRIORITY
TO TRY AND FIND HER.

Wade: SHE'S FINALLY FOUND
AFTER 70 YEARS,

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM.

THERE ARE OVER 1,800 CANISTERS
FULL OF LIQUID MERCURY.

Wade: THE NAZI SUB IS TOXIC.

[ SONAR PINGING ]

[ SONAR PINGING ]

WHEN GERMAN U-BOAT 864
SINKS IN

THE CLOSING STAGES
OF WORLD WAR II,

SHE REMAINS HIDDEN
IN THE DARKEST DEPTHS

OF NORWAY'S NORTH SEA
FOR OVER 70 YEARS.

IT'S NOT UNTIL 2003 THAT
THE WRECK IS DISCOVERED.

Elliot:
A NORWEGIAN NAVY MINE SWEEPER,

USING UNMANNED
UNDERWATER VEHICLES,

DISCOVERED THE SUBMARINE
ON THE SEABED

AND IT FOUND THE SUBMARINE

WAS IN TWO MAJOR PORTIONS WITH
A SPREAD OF DEBRIS AROUND IT.

Wade: IS THE SUNKEN
NAZI U-BOAT

FINALLY READY TO GIVE UP
HER WARTIME SECRETS?

THE DIFFICULTIES OF DOING
RECOVERIES ON A MILITARY SITE,

THE OBVIOUS ONE IS, WELL,

THIS IS A GERMAN
SUBMARINE AT WAR --

HOW MANY TORPEDOES ARE STILL
LEFT IN THE VESSEL?

Wade: U-864 IS THOUGHT
TO CONTAIN OVER 20

HIGH-EXPLOSIVE TORPEDOES,

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING EVEN
MORE DANGEROUS WAITING ON

THE UNDERWATER WRECK --
BY 2003,

NORWAY IS IN POSSESSION OF
THE ORIGINAL 1945 MANIFEST

FOR THE NAZI SUB'S
FINAL VOYAGE,

AND IT REVEALS
A PARTICULARLY SINISTER CARGO...

MERCURY.

1,857 CANISTERS, WHICH EQUATES
TOE OVER 65 TONS,

ENOUGH POISONOUS LIQUID METAL
TO CAUSE AN ENVIRONMENTAL

CATASTROPHE,
AND ONCE IN THE FOOD CHAIN,

A SERIOUS DANGER TO
HUMAN LIFE.

MERCURY IS A NEUROTOXIN.

IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAIN,

FOR YOUR NEUROSYSTEM --
IT CAN CAUSE DIZZINESS,

LOSS OF FUNCTION
IN YOUR MUSCLES.

YOU CAN'T WALK.

YOU CAN'T TALK.
SLURS YOUR SPEECH.

Wade: BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN
THINK ABOUT RECOVERING

THIS LETHAL LIQUID,

SCIENTISTS FACE A MORE
IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE.

A MAJOR PROBLEM
WITH THE PROJECT

IS THAT THE SUBMARINE IS LYING
ON THE BOTTOM OF A SHELF,

SO IT'S SLOPING OFF
IN TO THE DEEP ATLANTIC.

PART OF THE SUBMARINE COULD
ACTUALLY SLIDE

TO A DEEPER DEPTH.

Wade: IF THE U-BOAT SLIPS,
IT COULD RELEASE ALL

THE TOXIC MERCURY
INTO THE SEA,

POTENTIALLY POISONING
AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.

AND IT'S NOT STABLE --
AT ANY TIME,

IT CAN KIND OF FALL APART.

SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

Elliot: SO THE KEY THING
TO START WITH

IS TO ACTUALLY STABILIZE
THE SUBMARINE.

SO A PLATFORM, A SHELF, WAS
BEING BUILT UNDERNEATH

THE SUBMARINE.

Wade: THE OPERATION IS FURTHER
COMPLICATED BY THE DEPTH

OF THE WRECK.

AT OVER 500 FEET DOWN,

IT'S TOO DEEP TO SEND DIVERS,

SO A BRAND-NEW
REMOTE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED

TO STABILIZE THE SUB
USING GRAVEL BALLAST.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN JUST
TAKE A BIG SHIPLOAD OF GRAVEL

AND JUST DUMP IT

OFF THE SIDE OF THE SHIP --
IT HAS TO STRATEGICALLY BE

PLACED USING TECHNOLOGY.

AN ROV BASICALLY IS ALMOST
SORT OF LIKE A GARDEN HOSE

IN THAT IT'S SPRAYING SMALL
GRAVEL OR VERY COARSE SAND

TO STABILIZE THE WRECK.

Wade: THE STABILIZATION OF U-864
IS SUCCESSFUL.

BUT DESPITE THIS,
THERE ARE INDICATIONS

THAT THE MERCURY MAY
BE SPREADING.

WE ARE DETECTING LEAKS
OF THIS MERCURY RIGHT NOW.

HOW MUCH
HAS ALREADY LEAKED OUT?

HOW MUCH IS SAFELY CONTAINED?

THE RECOVERY PROCESS
ITSELF MIGHT

ACTUALLY SPREAD
THE MERCURY AROUND.

YOU MIGHT DISRUPT
THE CANISTERS.

YOU MIGHT BREAK THEM.

SO IT'S A CATCH 22.

IF YOU DO,
YOU COULD BE DAMNED,

IF YOU DON'T,
YOU COULD BE DAMNED.

Wade: BUT THE SALVAGE TEAM
THINKS SOMETHING

EVEN MORE DEADLY
MAY BE ON BOARD.

SO THE SPECULATION AT THE TIME
WAS, IS THAT THE U-864

COULD HAVE BEEN CARRYING
ENRICHED URANIUM.

Wade: ENRICHED URANIUM IS THE
VITAL ELEMENT IN NUCLEAR BOMBS.

THANKFULLY,
TESTING AROUND U-864

DOES NOT SHOW TRACES
OF URANIUM.

BUT IT'S ANOTHER THREAT
THAT MUST

BE CONSIDERED
BY THE SALVAGE TEAM.

WITH THE TOXIC DANGER OF
THE WRECK THOUGHT TO BE

TOO GREAT

TO ATTEMPT TO RAISE IT TO
THE SURFACE, OTHER OPTIONS ARE

BEING CONSIDERED.

ANOTHER WAY THAT NORWEGIANS
ARE LOOKING AT

IS TO COVER IT IN
A SARCOPHAGUS.

I WANT TO SAY
A POST-CHERNOBYL APPROACH,

ENCAPSULATE IT IN,
YOU KNOW, A GIANT CONCRETE CAP.

Wade: ONE PLAN PROPOSES THAT
THE TOXIC SUBMARINE BE GIVEN

AN UNDERWATER BURIAL BENEATH
40 FEET OF CONCRETE AND GRAVEL.

BUT LOCALS ARE CONCERNED THAT

THE MERCURY WILL
STILL POSE A THREAT,

SO THE SOLUTION TO A TOXIC
PROBLEM CREATED BY ALLIED

ACTION AT THE END OF
WORLD WAR II REMAINS ELUSIVE.

THE MYSTERY FOR US HERE IS
WE STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT

WE'RE DEALING WITH

WITHIN THIS SUBMARINE,
AND ONCE WE DO KNOW,

WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

THERE HAVE BEEN RUMORS OVER
THE YEARS THAT IN ADDITION TO

ITS TOXIC CARGO,

U-864 MAY HAVE BEEN CARRYING

NAZI GOLD OR EVEN
THE LAST WILL

AND TESTAMENT OF
ADOLF HITLER.

BUT UNTIL WE FIND A WAY OF
ACCESSING THE WRECK SAFELY,

ALL OF THIS WILL REMAIN
A TANTALIZING MYSTERY.