Original subtitles

Quite a bit bigger than the one we caught earlier.

Aw, it's got a fishing hook in its mouth.

We're going to have to remove that.

Mario, you hold him in place.

By now, we all know

that snapping turtles are voracious predators, eating

any unsuspecting aquatic creatures

that come across their paths.

Sometimes this even includes worms

that, unfortunately for the turtle,

are attached to a fishing hook.

There's a snapping turtle right down here.

He's just hunting.

I think this is Noseless.

He's a very-- he's a turtle that I've caught here several times.

Yep, that is him.

He's going to start to go.

See him?

He's going to be very grumpy.

Everybody just stay back.

What's his name?

Noseless.

You get him?

He's gotten bigger.

Oh, and he stinks.

That is Noseless, one of the most famous snapping turtles

that lives here.

You see how he doesn't have a nose?

But he's quite a bit bigger than the one we caught--

Aw, he's got a fishing hook in his mouth.

Oh, he does.

Can we help him out?

We're gonna have to remove that.

It's gonna to be a little risky. He does.

He's got a little fishing hook in his mouth.

You have your saw--

I do.

It's going to be really tough to do.

OK.

We're going to try to remove that fishing hook.

Let's go in the shade over here.

Let's come back in the shade.

You guys can watch this.

Everybody stay back.

OK.

Where's-- Madeleine has my pack.

Ow!

I'm getting sliced up as well.

Here it is.

There you go.

Cody got it.

Here, I'll get it.

OK.

Can somebody get me a stick?

- Here's a stick. - Watch it.

Watch it. That's good.

Put that on the ground there. Yeah, that's good.

He's super, super aggressive right now.

So everybody needs to stay way back, OK?

Now, this is super dangerous.

Don't ever do what I'm about to do.

I'm going to try to remove that fishing hook

from the side of his mouth.

You're not supposed to ever be fishing here

at the [inaudible] Arboretum.

I didn't say something to those people earlier.

But this is what happens.

Snapping turtles occasionally get hooked.

Now, he's going to be fine, even if I can't remove that.

But I do want to remove it if possible.

So what I'm going to do is actually

have and bite onto a stick and keep

his focus there and then try to go in and get that hook out.

So Mario, you hold him in place.

Bite and hold.

Anything you need to cut it to?

Oh, nice.

Yeah.

OK.

Now Noseless does not have a hook and his mouth.

And he can continue hunting and being healthy,

although he does seem super healthy.

And there's a little blood for you.

He sliced me open with his back claw.

So guys, what you just saw me do right there

was to help this turtle, right?

If you ever catch a snap turtle and you see a hook

in its mouth, just let it be.

It's probably going to be just fine.

Unless I'm there, that's a really dangerous

maneuver that I would never recommend

anybody try to perform.

But because we care so much about these turtles,

we want to make sure that they are in good health.

Now, that did not hurt him at all.

They have virtually no feeling in their beaks and their jaws.

They are so incredibly strong.

That beak is solid bone and kind of like cuticle like your--

your fingernail is.

So that beak is constantly generating

throughout the course of the turtle's life.

And now Noseless is going to be a very

happy turtle to not have this nasty fishing

hook in his mouth.

Dude, you did it.

Good job!

Got a turtle hook out of a snapping turtle's mouth--

or a fishing hook out of a snapping turtle's mouth.

All right, guys.

As you can see, Noseless is very aggressive right now.

So I need everybody to step back.

but very happy.

He's very happy to have that hook out of his mouth.

You OK, buddy?

Yeah, he's doing good now. All right.

So I'm going to let him go back down into the water.

So I need everybody to make a clear path

so that I can get through.

All right.

Come on, buddy.

Watch your fingers.

Everybody watch your fingers.

We'll let him go right here.

Can everybody see?

Say bye, Noseless!

Bye, Noseless!

Bye, buddy.

There you go.

And he's off.

Fishing hook out of a turtle's mouth.

Yep.

Virtually no injuries on that one.

Don't get anymore fishing hooks in your mouth.

No fishing hooks, buddy!

In the event that you ever

catch a snapping turtle on the end of your fishing line,

never attempt to remove the hook yourself.

The best plan of action is to alert a local wildlife center.

And with any luck, they will send a representative to safely

and properly remove the hook.

Beyond the shores of Ohio's mainland

exist a series of islands that most

people have never heard of.

No, they are not tropical or lined with elegant white sand

beaches but instead are a unique biodiverse world

unto their own.

These isolated bodies of land have

an incredibly rich history that dates back hundreds of years.

And over time, they have also become a refuge for a number

of different animal species.

Today we are exploring Middle Bass Island, a location that I

hold dear in my heart, for it is one of the first places where

I practiced my animal and adventure

video-making techniques.

There we go!

That's a pretty good sized one right there!

See those old pictures of me in a straw

hat and waders circa 2009?

Yup, that's Coyote Peterson looking for snapping turtles

in the Middle Bass marsh well before anyone

knew who Coyote Peterson was.

This protected wetland is home to a wide variety of creatures.

And earlier this year, I made a discovery

that was absolutely thrilling, a population

of Blanding's turtles.

These elusive reptiles have a very limited range

within the Eastern United States and are considered

to be incredibly rare.

My intention is to safely catch and get

one of these remarkable turtles up close for the cameras

so that we can all learn about this unique animal

and why its environment so desperately

needs to be protected.

Yet as we know, catching turtles is much easier said than done.

Your hat! Your hat!

Where'd it go?

There it is.

Oh.

Where's the turtle?

Too deep, too quick.

All right, guys, let's kind of scout along this fence line.

So in terms of turtles, this is-- for you,

this is, like, a rare animal.

This is about as rare as it gets for turtles, guys.

Their range is so limited.

And up here on the Erie islands is the only place

where I have ever seen one.

Got something right here, another turtle.

Wait a second.

It's a Blanding's, 100% Blanding's turtle.

That is the turtle that we are after.

All right, Mario, get into position with a shot.

The second it starts to move, I'm

gonna literally just gun it.

Got it!

Got it!

Yes!

Woo!

Yeah!

That is a Blanding's turtle, ladies and gentlemen,

one of the rarest turtles in the Northeastern United States.

OK, guys, let's set the scene.

Come on down here.

We're going to tuck back into the underbrush

and get this one up close for the cameras.

Oh, man, nice.

Wow, what a day for an epic turtle catch.

Now, like I was saying as we were spying that turtle

from a distance, the Blanding's turtle is one of the rarest

turtle species here in Ohio.

In fact, the Erie islands are the only place where

I have ever seen the species.

Now, I want to take a good up-close look at this turtle

so that we can all appreciate it for the perfect reptilian

design that it is.

Oh, I'm just so excited right now!

That was a tough catch and exactly like I predicted.

The turtle launched off foward.

And what I did is grab on to all of the plants,

all of the sticks that are beneath the surface,

tangle the turtle up, and then was able to get my hands on it.

Now, this is a very docile species.

Unlike snapping turtles, they very rarely will bite.

Look at this.

I can't put my finger all the way in by its mouth.

And all it wants to do is tuck in tighter and start

to close up its plastron.

Now, let's take a good look at the carapace,

which, as we know, is the top of the shell

of the Blanding's turtle.

Now, it's not real distinct.

But you can see that speckled patterning all along the scutes

that are on the body.

And it's more distinct on the sides.

Let me turn it like this as well.

You see that?

And during breeding season, that becomes more

bright yellow in coloration.

Well, let's take a look at the plastron

of this turtle, yellowish and coloration,

with dark black blotches.

It actually resembles the plastron of a wood turtle,

which is another species that is similar in size to this turtle.

But what's really cool about the Blanding's is

it has a semi-hinged plastron.

I don't know if you can see that from the side there.

But if I push on it a little bit, you see that?

It can almost completely tuck into its shell like a box

turtle, but not completely, which leaves

a little bit of flesh exposed.

I imagine that's why they developed

all these really tough scales that run along the forelimbs

and the hindlimbs.

And then, of course, you have these very sharp claws.

And I can imagine that as a predator, that's not something

you would want to mess with.

Now, as this turtle begins to figure out

that we are not predators-- we are

not trying to eat this turtle--

it is going to get comfortable.

It's going to come out of its shell.

And we are going to see just how long those legs and that neck

is.

And one of the most distinct signs that it is a Blanding's

turtle as compared to any of the other aquatic species here

in Ohio is the bright yellow chin.

Now, during the breeding season, that yellow coloration

is much more elegant.

It almost glows bright yellow.

And similar to a bullfrog, which, as you know,

bullfrogs are amphibians-- turtles are reptiles.

But that bright yellow coloration-- there we go.

Look at the extent of the neck there.

Wow!

Look at that periscoping ability.

Beautiful!

Now, what's unique about the body design of this turtle

is that you'll see it's very oval in shape.

And this is what's considered a medium-sized turtle

in the grand scheme of turtle species.

But that oval design makes them very aerodynamic in the water,

which allows them to move through the dense environment

that they're living in.

If you point your camera down here, look at all of this glop

that this turtle is existing in, dense grasses, duck weed,

and sticks.

So this turtle can easily climb its way

through all this underbrush.

And oftentimes you will see these turtles

out this time of day, early morning,

when the sun is just beginning to get towards the noon hour.

What they're doing is basking.

And this large carapace allows them to soak up the sun.

Then they'll head back into the water

to start hunting for the day.

Now, what does the Blanding's turtle eat?

These guys are omnivores, which means they will eat

both plant and animal matter.

Now, they specialize in eating small crustaceans,

like crayfish, also arthropods, like dragon fly larva.

But they have been known to take small fish, baby frogs,

and will even feast on the duck weed and the plants that

are in the wetland ecosystem.

Now, when I say this is one of the rarest turtle

species in Ohio or in the Northeastern

United States as a whole, they also range up into Canada.

Now, they are considered critically

endangered in some areas and threatened in others.

Now, we have caught this turtle that's in a marsh

next to a roadway, which is crazy.

There's actually a lot of pollution in here, guys.

That's unfortunate for the turtle.

But it's a good sign that this turtle is thriving.

This is actually a very healthy Blanding's turtle.

We've seen lots of frogs, lots of plants

for this turtle to eat, and certainly lots of insects.

As far as crustaceans, eh, I don't know that this is

the environment for crayfish.

But I can tell you that this is one healthy turtle.

All right.

I'm going to dunk him down in the water for a second.

I want to make sure that the turtle is staying cool.

I'm gonna dunk him all the way down and bring him up.

And sometimes this is all you will see right there is just

the carapace up on the surface.

The turtle can breathe and stay camouflaged at the same time.

And notice the speckling on the carapace.

This turtle looks just like one of these logs.

Look at this.

So if I bring this log over here,

and both were at the surface covered in duck weed,

it'd be very tough to distinguish between the two.

So what would potentially eat a Blanding's turtle?

Other than river otters and maybe mink,

a turtle of this size is only threatened

by human encroachment.

Now, what human encroachment means

is either the building of roads, the destruction of wetlands.

Obviously pollution as a threat.

But as long as this turtle stays healthy,

it is going to have a very long and happy life.

Well, how cool was this, managing to find and catch

one of the rarest turtles in the Northeastern United States,

the one and only Blanding's turtle.

I'm Coyote Petersen.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

All right, let's let this turtle go and then

help it out by picking up some of the trash

in this environment.

Throughout my life,

I have been fortunate enough to catch

a wide range of turtle species.

Yet none of them have been as rare or meaningful to me

as the Blanding's turtle.

These beautiful reptiles are constantly

under the threat of human encroachment

and face an unknown future as to whether or not their species

will ultimately survive.

To find a healthy population in a remote and isolated place

like Middle Bass island is incredibly promising for

an animal such as this turtle.

And I hope that by sharing this news with the world,

we can garner a greater interest for protecting

this location and the natural treasures that call it home.

It's a beautiful spring morning here in Columbus, Ohio.

And we are headed out today to make

a VR-180 snapping turtle video.

This is going to be one incredible immersive experience

for everybody out there.

You're going to actually get into the environment

with me to get up close with a mud dragon.

Now, what this video is, will be the behind-the-scenes making

of how is a VR episode done.

And I'm going to introduce you guys today to Trent Underwood,

who is a camera specialist and one

of our most talented producers here at Wilderness Productions.

Trent, looks like you got a backpack full of good gear here

and a C-stand.

Yeah, the C-stand, we found, is the best way to film with

the VR cams because you can't have

anything in 180-degree field of view,

top, bottom, left, or right.

So this allows us to get it out a little

further into an environment and get for a really cool shot.

So today we're going to try to get it as close to the water

and right up near the turtle as we can.

What's cool about VR is you don't

really get the chance to cut.

There aren't edits like a typical video.

So it means we have to get everything, for the most part,

in a single take.

And if there's one thing I know, it's snapping turtles.

So doing an uncut single take with a reptile like this

is definitely in my wheelhouse.

Trent, this is the spot where I'm thinking

we should film this VR episode.

While it is muddy, we can position

the camera in this spot.

It's a little more solid.

And then I'll be able to be in the water

presenting with a turtle once we've caught one.

Yeah, this looks great to me because we can really

come low with the VR cam.

So when you come up out of the water,

being able to see the turtle and feel

like you're really in the water is going

to be an awesome experience.

I would say that's a risky little game,

putting a VR camera that close to the water.

Are you confident with that?

I think so.

Just as long as you don't splash it, we should be all right--

or the turtle doesn't. - OK.

You're good?

Yeah, I'm just going to check the shot here on the phone

and can set it up.

That way when you get up there, we're ready to hit record.

OK. Cool.

I'll go get the kayak.

Sounds good.

Here we go, heading over to the far side of the pond.

Man, it's going to be a good day for turtles.

I can already feel it.

There's Trent over there, set up and ready to go with VR.

Now, when I come in on the kayak,

I've got to be careful to not splash the camera.

Trent, it's a beautiful day for VR.

That it is.

How's the shot looking?

It looks great.

I think it's gonna be super [inaudible]...

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa! Whoa!

Getting too close to the camera!

That's exactly what I was trying not to do, drift into and then

splash the camera.

Woo!

You always got to get your kayak legs back.

Getting out on the water for the first time every year

always is a little challenging.

I'm in water that's about five feet deep.

So any turtle is just going to look like a dark shadow

moving beneath the surface.

It is a challenge to catch a dragon when you're on the move.

But the wind is going to actually

help propel me forward.

I'm hoping for something in the shallows today.

I'll start-- start simple and work your way up.

Right now I'm in the territory of Big Daddy.

And in case you never saw the first episode

of "Breaking Trail," that is the snapping turtle I caught

that we featured in the first-ever piece of content

on YouTube.

He's an absolute monster.

At the time of that catch, he clocked in at just over 50

pounds, 52 in total weight.

So if we find him today, it's going to be epic.

Got some green algae in this spot here.

I don't know if you can see on my shoulder camera.

Here's a turtle right here. All right.

I'm going to go for it.

We got one [inaudible].

Yes!

First hurdle of the day, and it is a good dragon.

My goodness.

We are in beast mode right now, folks.

Actually, you know what?

It is Big Daddy.

We have just caught Big Daddy.

Oh, my goodness.

I cannot believe it.

I was literally just talking about this turtle,

and we have just landed for the second time in history

the snapping turtle known as Big Daddy.

And he is an absolute monster.

I can't believe it.

OK.

Rowing right into his territory, and we managed to get him.

Hi, buddy, how are you?

Oh, my goodness, this is incredible.

Getting this turtle back over to the cameras

is going to be a challenge.

Just rolling, period, with a turtle on board like this

presents many, many dangerous scenarios.

Look at the size of that dragon.

He is monstrous.

We could not have landed a better

turtle for the VR experience.

I'm beside myself right now.

This is epic.

I can't believe it.

You can never call your shot like that in a million years.

I got to be really careful rowing back.

I see you, buddy.

You hold tight.

Yes!

That is as good as a snapping turtle catch can get.

Woo!

You catch one?

Huge turtle!

Huge!

My goodness, what a day.

I'm so excited, guys.

All right.

We've got a turtle on board.

Now, in just a couple of days, the VR experience, VR-180,

with this snapping turtle will be live on the Brave

Wilderness channel.

Stay tuned.

You're about to see the largest common snapping turtle

on record in Thoreau Lake up close and in VR-180.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

Yeah!

VR-180 time, baby!

Biggest turtle in the lake.

Man, I'm feeling good now.

Woo!