All language subtitles for B.W.S07E05.Tiger.Shark.Face-off.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

Welcome back

to Tiger Beach, the site of
our first ever shark dive

on "Blue Wilderness".

If you want to see sharks, like
a ton of sharks, you come here.

Tiger Beach is a small,
pristine, white sand

flat, about an hour's boat ride
from West End Grand Bahama.

And it's one of the
few places on Earth

where you can see up to
five species of shark

all at the same time.

Divers who make
the pilgrimage here

are rewarded with the
chance to swim with scores

of reef and nurse sharks, dozens
upon dozens of lemon sharks,

and if they're lucky, massive
hammerheaded tiger sharks.

The last time we entered this
warm, crystal clear water,

we found ourselves in the
middle of a shark frenzy.

We swam alongside an
incredible hammerhead,

and Coyote and I got
up close and personal

with a massive Tiger shark.

Well, maybe a little too
close in the case of Coyote.

So how do we top that?

Well, on this episode
of "Blue Wilderness",

we're going back in the water,
but this time, we're waiting

until the sun goes down.

All right, guys.

Well, the sun is
setting at Tiger Beach,

and we just started
shark diving yesterday.

Never been night diving before.

But somebody thought
it was a good idea we'd

go diving with sharks at night.

Was that you?
- Definitely, was not--

No, no.

It was this guy.

It's going to be fine, you guys.

I mean, I don't know.

It's is a good idea
for guys who haven't

gone night diving at all?

What's the
worst that can happen?

I mean, we're
surrounded by sharks.

Right.

But they're probably sleeping.

And we can't see.

Wait, don't
sharks feed at night?

Aren't they nocturnal predators?

It's going to be fine.

We're going to
give it a shot, guys.

So let's get geared up, get
in the water with the sharks

at night.

This dive into the
darkness will test

my resolve more than almost
anything I've ever done before.

But that's what
drives me forward.

At the core of every
grand adventure

lies a thin line
between thrill and fear.

And the moments where your
nerves start to scream,

turn around, go back, is exactly
when the teammates next to you

matter the most.

I'll tell you what--

if I was nervous about diving
with sharks during the day,

I'm very nervous about
diving with sharks at night.

See ya.

Well, in case it's the
last time, I'm Mark Vins.

Mario is already down there.

It's time to go dive
with sharks at night.

As soon as we dip below the
surface, the world opened up.

The last bit of Twilight
after sunset combined

with the white
sands of Tiger Beach

allowed for a lot
more visibility

than we could have
ever expected.

But as we near the bottom, the
fleeting light that remained

began to disappear and so
did our peripheral vision.

Hey, Mario, watch out!

There's a-- yep--

big tiger shark
right behind you.

Within minutes, the entire
landscape turned pitch black.

And our only field of view
was directly in front of us.

Other divers in the distance
appeared as alien craft

with orb-like lights
designating their location.

With ominous shadows
stirring the now murky water,

we were surrounded
on all sides by two

things that have terrified
humans since the beginning--

sharks and darkness.

But our focus was sharp and as
soon as we got our bearings,

our fear was gone, mostly.

And then we noticed something we
didn't expect to see at night--

color.

You see, water is
excellent at absorbing

color from natural light.

The deeper you go, the
more color disappears.

Red is the first to be absorbed,
then orange, and then yellow.

The same order as the
colors of the rainbow.

At our depth during the day,
the reef can look, well,

pretty bland and washed out.

But under the cover of night,
our powerful dive lights

illuminated a completely new
world that have been right

in front of us the entire time.

Even the fish were more vibrant.

And then, while we were
all completely mesmerized

by the colors of the reef,
from out of the darkness,

ghostly figures flew
gracefully into view.

These rays are
filter feeding fish.

Their flight pulls
plankton in other nutrients

into their systems and spreads
water across their gills,

allowing them to breathe.

Like spaceships flying
across our night sky,

just as fast as they
appeared, they were gone.

The rays may have
vanished, but if there's

one constant at Tiger
Beach, it's, well, sharks.

And more specifically,
tiger sharks.

We knew they were out there.

But at night, we couldn't
see them until they

were right in front of us.

They drifted in and out of
our light like phantoms.

The effect was chilling and
surreal and so unnerving,

in fact, that I started to
actually become numb to it.

Here I am, sitting at the
bottom of a pitch black ocean,

surrounded by deadly
nocturnal hunters,

and I'm totally at their mercy.

And then, suddenly,
we came upon something

that would change my
perspective of sharks forever.

It was a lemon shark.

And it appeared to
be, well, sleeping.

OK, so sharks don't
actually sleep.

At least not like we sleep.

But some sharks, like nurse
sharks or this lemon shark,

go into restful periods
that appear like sleep.

But trust me, this
shark was still wide

awake and ready to defend
itself against anything,

including a curious
first time night diver.

But did that stop me?

Nope.

This would be the
perfect opportunity

to get some great close ups
of that shark and, of course,

its razor sharp teeth.

Lemon sharks can
grow up to 10 feet

long and weigh over 400 pounds.

But despite their imposing size,
they tend to be gentle giants

and are not responsible for
any known human fatalities.

Although, like any shark,
they will bite if provoked.

They can be found in
shallow waters and hunt

with their incredible
electroreceptors.

And just in case
you're wondering,

they do have a slightly
yellow tinge to their skin,

like a lemon.

Gentle or not, I knew this
sleeping giant was still

an apex predator
capable of inflicting

life threatening injuries.

And the last thing
I wanted to do

was provoke it, especially
at night this far from shore.

But we filmed with
grizzly bears and badgers.

This was my chance.

I had to get the shot.

And to my surprise, I was
able to lie right next

to the nearly 10 foot shark.

This was amazing.

A life changing experience,
to say the least.

And now, I would never approach
a tiger shark or other top land

predator like this.

But laying there beside
this incredible creature,

I could sense its gentle nature.

And it became clear that
it had accepted my presence

and was allowing
us to film with it.

And then I reached out,
testing it's trust.

I couldn't believe it.

It actually let me make contact.

I was literally petting a shark.

This chance encounter cultivated
within me a growing sense

of connection, not
only to this creature

but to its entire aquatic realm.

Swimming during the day in
a frenzy of tiger sharks

and now petting a lemon
shark on my first night dive

reminded me of how
misunderstood these animals are.

Our fear of them, like
our fear of the dark,

is really just a
fear of the unknown.

Every single time we go out for
a "Blue Wilderness" adventure,

we've managed to see
something unexpected.

And this incredible dive,
our first night dive,

was no exception.

Swimming among them and
literally lying beside them

in the darkness of
Tiger Beach at night

brought home to
me more than ever

how meaningful our
adventures could

be to better understanding
the mysteries of the ocean.

Ascending back to the
surface, I couldn't

wait to celebrate with the
team what had just happened.

I knew that this night would be
a story that Mario and I would

share for many years to come.

All right, we're back,
and we officially

survived night dive number one.

Now I will say, guys, it
was a little intimidating

when we first got in the water.

But once we got down there,
it was absolutely incredible.

We saw all kinds
of cool creatures

from stingrays to
sea cucumbers, and we

even got to pet a lemon shark.

Man, I definitely can't wait
until our next night diving

adventure.

I'm Mark Vins.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next dive.

The oceans have
depended on sharks

for over 400 million years.

They are true survivors.

And yet, many
species of shark are

facing overfishing and
habitat destruction,

leaving their
populations vulnerable

and on the verge of collapse.

These ancient animals are
certainly not the nightmarish

killing machines
depicted in movies.

They are a critical part
of our ocean's ecosystem,

and we must all do our part to
ensure their home, the ocean,

is protected.

Welcome to Tiger Beach, a
world famous destination

for shark diving.

More specifically--
tiger shark diving.

Not only will you
see tiger sharks,

you can encounter up to
five different species,

all formidable, all
top marine predators,

all on the same dive.

And if that isn't
intimidating enough,

this would be our
first shark dive ever.

Mario, I'm usually really
confident about everything

we do.

But today, man, I hope we didn't
bite off more than we can chew.

Regardless, I got your back.

I got
your back too, man.

Let's do it
- You ready?

Ready.

Let's do it.

Well, with every
shark dive comes

the moment where
you actually have

to dive in with the sharks.

That moment is right now.

Oh, boy.

As they plunge
beneath the surface,

cool water rushed
through my wetsuit,

sending an instant
shot up my spine.

My eyes scrambling,
struggling to adjust

just as they always do when
first entering the water.

However, this time
was different.

This time, I knew
I was completely

surrounded by sharks.

But something strange happened
as the environment around me

came into view--

the nerves I felt above the
water instantly vanished

and were replaced
by laser focus.

In a snap, my vision
and other senses

elevated to a hyper state--

a sensation I had never
felt until this very moment.

Within these few but
critical milliseconds,

my entire perspective changed.

I was indeed aware of the
countless lemon sharks

around me, but I could also
sense their intentions were not

to attack.

If anything, they seem curious.

Oddly enough, I actually
began to feel calm.

Then I quickly
remembered my training--

do not stay at the surface
in the feeding zone.

So with that, I began my
slow descent to the bottom.

The water clarity
was incredible.

Light beams cut
through the surface

and glistened all around me.

Sharks and reef
fish of all sizes

flowed in and out of
view in perfect harmony.

And my heightened
sense of awareness

made this journey all
the more spectacular.

As I neared the bottom,
the crew came into focus.

Only another 10 feet to go.

And like the lunar module
coming in for a moon landing,

I prepared for impact.

Then with the slow
and subtle thud,

I had landed at Tiger Beach.

The thud quickly triggered my
mind and body into action mode.

It was time to survey
the sharks I could

see, but more importantly,
start searching

for the ones I could not.

Lemons, reef, and nurse sharks
circled the group, making

an eclectic mix of predators.

And although they
are pretty good size,

they nearly vanished
in plain sight.

My eyes were searching for
one thing and one thing only--

tiger sharks.

I know it's hard to
fathom how a giant 10

foot plus shark could literally
appear out of nowhere.

But trust me, they really can.

And the most dangerous shark
is always the one behind you.

Suddenly, a dark
shadow began to appear,

moving like a stealthy submarine
from the edges of the ocean.

My heart must have been racing
a million miles a second.

And then a quick
burst of adrenaline

allowed me to process the fact
that an enormous tiger shark

was headed straight for me.

I couldn't believe my eyes
as the shark glided past.

It was so big.

Its mass literally displaced
the water around me,

pushing my body aside by
the power of its wake.

And just as I was
coming to grips

with the reality of the
situation, like a phantom,

it was gone.

To be honest, I never
imagined I would

find myself in this situation--

kneeling at the
bottom of the ocean,

face to face with a tiger shark.

And the crazy part
was I couldn't

wait for it to come back.

Knowing where the
sharks are at all times

is the only way to prevent
an accidental attack, which

is also the most frequent
kind of attack that

occurs in these situations.

And knowing the location of
the sharks is a team effort.

Everyone checking
their surroundings

and signaling to
unsuspecting divers

of a shark's whereabouts.

Sharks, by their very
nature, are curious.

You can sense this immediately
being in their presence.

Their eyes constantly
scanning, their movements

subtle and calculating.

But the one thing
sharks also do is

investigate with their mouths.

And this is not what you
want to happen to your body

40 feet below the surface.

Even a taste test in these
situations can be fatal.

So knowing where and how
a shark is approaching you

is vital to avoiding any
regrettable situations.

When we first arrived
at the bottom,

the sharks were
still very cautious,

circling us at a distance
of 15 feet or more.

But with every lap, they
became more and more confident,

especially when the dive
master began to introduce food.

Seeing the sharks chowed
out giant chunks of fish

was a quick reminder of the
seriousness of those teeth.

The way they could just devour
fish after fish after fish

was extremely impressive.

In fact, their
jaws are so strong,

they can even crack the
shell of a sea turtle.

While in feeding mode,
this initiated the sharks

to investigate the
rest of us, almost as

if they were thinking, who else
has some tasty fish for me.

Well, none of us did.

So when this
happened, it created

some spectacular flybys.

One after another, they would
approach and veer to the right

and then to the left and
sometimes right overhead.

The overhead shots were by
far the most fun to film.

In fact, the sharks
got so close,

you could actually see
the electro receptors

in their snouts which
are used to detect prey.

At this point, Mario, Coyote,
and I were having a blast.

Even Jonathan was
getting into it.

I could tell how
mesmerized we had all

become by these apex predators.

Their intelligence-- just
as formidable as their jaws.

Then just as their curiosity and
comfort levels hit their peak,

came the context.

As scary as this sounds,
it's actually quite simple

to redirect them away from you.

The key to this maneuver is to
gently palm down the shark's

snout and push it
away from you, letting

this momentum do all the work.

Check this out.

Look at that barrel roll.

Believe it or not,
it was actually kind

of fun having these contacts.

But then there are
times when the contacts

get a little bit dicey.

And to no fault of
his own, Coyote--

well, let's just watch.

Yikes.

That was close.

So, so close.

In fact, let's watch
that again in slow-mo.

See, one thing you don't want
to happen when making contact

with any shark is
place your hands

or any part of your
body under its nose.

This will trigger a reflex
that drops the shark's jaws.

And yeah, you can kind of fill
in the rest of why this is bad.

Good thing Coyote got lucky
and was able to quickly avoid

that chomp or this
would have turned

into a horrific bite episode.

Definitely not something
we ever want to happen.

After Coyote's
close call, we all

realized our air was
running low and it was

time to head back to the boat.

One by one, we ascended
to the safety stock

just below the ship.

At this point, I could
see the smiles all around.

We had done it.

We successfully completed
our first major shark dive.

And what made it most special
is that we had done it together.

That was pretty amazing, guys.

Wow!

Were those some up
close encounters

with some gorgeous sharks.

I don't think you'd get much
closer to the tiger shark

than I got on that dive.

Amazing.

Oh!

All right, let me
get this gear off.

Well, guys, we did it.

We dealt with some
really giant sharks.

Dude, that was awesome.

What a great way to start off
the "Blue Wilderness" series.

And I, for one, cannot wait
until our next adventure.

I'm Mark Vins.

And I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you
on the next dive.

While this is only the
beginning of our explorations

on "Blue Wilderness",
I will always look back

on this adventure as
the one that truly

reshaped my perspective
of the ocean and more

importantly, of sharks.

While the lore and
fictions of pop culture

have painted them as menacing
monsters of the deep,

the reality is they are highly
intelligent and inquisitive

creatures.

Rightfully deserving
to be respected,

but above all, cherished
for what they truly are--

survivors of time,
ancient relics of an abyss

that is millions upon
millions of years old.

In many ways, they
have already discovered

the secrets of the ocean.

Our goal is to learn from
them and with any luck,

uncover some of its
mysteries for ourselves.