Original subtitles

[thunderous ocean roar]

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[♪ ominous music playing]

[shouting indistinctly]

[shouting angrily]

[incoherent shouting]

[chattering angrily]

[Petra] Are you frightened? We were.

We had just entered the sacred ground of cannibals.

For centuries a very secret ritual was performed

by the most distinguished men of the tribe.

It is forbidden to set foot in here without the explicit permission

of the last descendant, the keeper of the place.

[Libor] Our host explains to us, a blow with a flat hardwood projectile

knocks the victim unconscious.

Hard wood, flat head.

[indistinct] ...on the head, knock the back off, come back down.

Save you climbing trees.

[Petra] Do you really only use wood?

Yes. Wood or they use the black palm.

[Libor] Perhaps I should translate. Mostly a black palm wood.

Victims of enemy tribes were hanging in this place.

[birds chirping]

[♪ tense music playing]

[shell blows]

[soft tapping on wood]

[rhythmic drumming]

- [festive singing] - [rhythmic drumming]

[Libor] Tribes living in Malekula island

differ from each other by the size of your penis sheaths.

Big Nambas have larger ones.

Each village has its own customs, specific decorations and storytelling dances.

Children mimic adults, learning new skills and customs.

[water rushing]

[♪ serene music playing]

[Libor] In unspoiled nature time takes on a different dimension.

[Petra] During any encounter one must be careful and respectful.

Here, everyone closely guards their territory.

- [shell blows] - [drum beating]

[indistinct conversations]

[Petra] The Chief of Small Nambas from Malekula island

invited us to eat the popular laplap.

We dare not refuse it.

[indistinct chattering]

[Libor] To fill bamboo with food is an inherited skill.

Until recently, the ancestors even managed to stuff in there

a missionary now and again.

[slow drum beating]

Matches are obviously not missed by anyone here.

[overlapping conversations]

[Petra] Palm fronds are the basic building block

for Vanuatu natives.

Anything from roofs, sleeping mats, baskets to toys are made of it.

[drum beating continues]

[distant conversations]

[Petra] The food is almost ready.

I suppose we're the only ones concerned about washing our hands.

Laplaps cook under hot lava stones, just like in an oven.

Yams mixed with water and mashed into a paste

are wrapped into banana leaves and mixed with vegetables,

coconut milk and cooked meat.

We all break off small pieces of baked dough

and dip them into coconut sauce.

[laughs softly]

[Petra] The taste of coconut and smoke is overpowering.

The food was so light, nobody feels like resting.

Perhaps to the contrary...

- [festive singing] - [rhythmic chiming]

[singing fades out]

[Libor] This is Malekula airport.

The larger of the 82 islands of Vanuatu archipelago

can also be reached by plane.

Flights are guaranteed not to be boring.

[engine humming]

[Libor] After such a long and lengthy trip

it merely takes a few short meters to enter a completely different world.

[♪ peaceful music playing]

[soft breathing through regulator]

[Petra] With only a narrow beam of light to guide us, we feel like space travelers.

With their lavish appearance some stars are easily spotted,

while others require a more thorough search.

Their camouflage blends seamlessly with the coral landscape.

Being surrounded by total darkness

makes it easier for me to focus even on the smallest of them.

[♪ peaceful music continues]

[Libor] Only motion betrays these leaf fish;

they are masters of camouflage.

[Petra] You won't find such colors and ornamentation on dry land.

I often wish I could take some of this underwater splendor home with me.

Perhaps that's why I no longer dive without a camera.

[♪ peaceful music continues]

[♪ peaceful music continues]

[♪ music fades out]

[Libor] The morning tide helps young shell gatherers.

The small change they make by selling them to tourists

is a welcome contribution to their parents in hard times.

[♪ upbeat music plays in the background]

[distant conversations]

[Libor] Compared to the small sea side stalls,

the central market of the capital, Port Vila, is always busy.

Farmers from all around come here to offer their crops.

For the locals, small-scale farming is one of the main ways to make a living.

[overlapping conversations]

[distant conversations]

[♪ upbeat music playing]

[Libor] We are heading for Tranquility Island.

It is a paradise not only for divers but also for sea turtles.

[♪ upbeat music continues]

We are welcomed by the always good-humored Owen

who looks after the sea turtles here in an unusual resort hidden in the bush.

Village people bring him young hawksbill turtles and he looks after them

until their own shells grow strong enough to protect them.

It is sadly ironic

that they have been on Earth several million years longer than we have,

yet man is the reason for them being on the brink of extinction.

With the help of some of the locals,

Owen provides them a refuge during the most vulnerable period of their lives.

[♪ playful music playing]

[Petra] However, his protégés must wait to be freed.

There you go.

[♪ playful music continues]

Okay...

Out of the tank and into the deep blue sea.

[Petra] Naturally we named the turtle Escape to Nature

and she is just one year old today.

It is a big day for her. Today she will experience the wild!

Okay now, as I was saying before,

we've taken the tag numbers there, on the clipboard,

and these will be recorded.

And we wish to do this

because of the ongoing, uh, publicity we require

to help save the turtle.

Coming here and letting us show you a turtle or three

and also to release this turtle.

[♪ playful music continues]

[♪ soft music playing]

[♪ soft music continues]

[Petra] We have something in common with Owen's turtles.

Today we too are about to discover this wonderful world.

[♪ soft music continues]

[Libor] Owen has noticed the turtles remain in Vanuatu waters

for some five years

before they set off for longer ocean voyages.

If they are lucky, they can live more than 50 years.

During the 11 years Owen has been following the freed turtles

he had received information of them reaching as far as Fiji

and Australia's Byron Bay, almost 2,000 kilometers away.

[♪ soft music continues]

Most of a hawksbill's life is spent among the coral reefs.

They are loners and only seek a partner during the mating season,

every two or three years.

Then they lay up to 140 eggs.

However, only about four survive until maturity.

[♪ soft music continues]

[Petra] Fortunately, my flash doesn't disturb a hawksbill

from enjoying its favorite delicacy: sea sponge,

this one found under the old coral.

When she cannot find sponge she makes do with plants and reef animals.

Their strong shell deter many predators,

yet the turtles do become prey of some sharks, crocodiles

and turtle hunters.

[♪ soft music continues]

Danger awaits these beautiful animals even before they are hatched.

For many people, even locals, turtle eggs remain a sought-after delicacy.

[Libor] We say goodbye to our turtle.

It would be wonderful to meet her again

in some other beautiful place in the Pacific.

[insects buzzing]

[Libor] You can easily find a copra plant; just follow the smell of burnt coconut.

Cut in half, the coconut is dried over an open fire

to harvest the coconut flesh from the shell.

The flesh is then used to make coconut oil and other products.

No larger community is complete without a little plot to grow yams,

an overgrown type of potato, and without a piggy.

Often it is cared for almost like a pet.

[♪ upbeat guitar melody playing]

[Petra] This is kava.

When a man wants to talk to another man about a serious matter

they don't go for a beer. They go for kava.

And kava is not a coffee.

It is made of a pepper plant

and is so bitter that your head might spin.

It brings on a feeling of light headedness and it makes your tongue numb...

and that is the point of it.

[laughing]

- Uh... [burps] - [cheering]

[women singing]

[Libor] Women from the Northern Bank Islands

loosen up in a different way.

They perform on Oyster Island and happily entertained us

with a song called "Morning Star."

[singing continues]

[♪ serene music playing]

[Libor] Oyster Island preservation is at an estuary where river meets the sea.

Its name is derived from the mangroves whose roots are an ideal place for oysters

and provide cover for various sea animals.

It is also the gateway to sail up the river

for the legendary Blue Hole of Espíritu Santo island.

[Petra] This shining blue spectacle of perfection is due to a physical law.

Just like in the sea, the reds of the color spectrum

are gradually absorbed by the depth.

Here, water seeping through the limestone walls of the cave

is filtered crystal clear so one can see the bottom to a great depth.

And the result is a beautiful, shining, turquoise blue.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

[Libor] While traveling around Vanuatu archipelago

we met many people whose lives have been radically changed from living here.

New Zealander Megan left her position as a bank clerk

to help animals needing her help.

She found Dracula when he fell out of a nest

and, to this day, he is somewhat attached to her.

[Megan] Here we go.

[♪ gentle music playing]

Ooh!

[Petra] Her biggest love, however, are her horses.

They were found in pitiful condition and she nursed them back to health.

[♪ gentle music continues]

[Petra] Preparing our diving and filming gear often reminds me of an army exercise.

We are getting ready to explore a significant location of interest

for divers interested in war history.

[soft breathing through regulator]

[Libor] This dive is a journey through time.

We discover a witness of war,

who perhaps mapped strategic positions of the participating troops.

[♪ ambient music playing]

In the wreckage of the plane, an SB Douglas Dauntless Dive Bomber,

we find the propeller, the engine

and remnants of what were wings.

[Petra] The wreck is now colonized by dozens of undersea creatures.

They also find shelter at the site where the aerial cameraman lens

recorded events on the battlefield.

[♪ ambient music continues]

[Libor] During the Second World War,

the island of Espíritu Santo was an important base for the US military,

housing almost 100,000 soldiers.

When the base closed it tidied up after itself in a very effective way:

all of their leftover supplies and equipment were pushed into the sea.

[Petra] The result of the army style clean-up

is an extensive "underwater exposition" of tractors, excavators, jeeps

and other equipment.

The location is aptly known as "Million Dollar point"

and to this day the island profits from it.

It attracts a great number of divers and snorkelers.

[♪ gentle music playing]

[♪ gentle music continues]

[soft breathing through regulator]

[Libor] In the peace of this underwater silence

we are swimming through the noisiest history of the island.

[♪ ambient music playing]

[♪ ambient music continues]

[Libor] Not all the traces could be swept underwater, though.

The Americans left behind a large infrastructure of roads,

airports, harbors and concrete buildings

which, to this day, serve Vanuatu,

making it easier for visitors to explore the island.

The question is, whether this will remain a benefit in the future.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

[Petra] News spread that Dr. Alan Profke and his wife Debra

organized a day for the locals

in their private clinic on Aore island today.

Sandy, the boat taxi man, brings them from the surrounding islands.

Debbie and Alan have returned from Australia

with a surprise for the local women.

[Debbie] We have some wonderful supporters in Australia,

one of which, just of late, um,

a friend who has a lingerie store where we come from in Australia,

donated many, many bras for the ladies.

So she has done a small promotion in her store

to encourage people to bring in their older bras

and promote buying a new bra

but the donated bras would come to Vanuatu.

And she asked me if I would distribute them for her

and I was really happy about this

because I know how much the ladies love good bras.

[Libor] Dr. Alan explains to all of his new patients

the basic rules of prevention.

Avoid the three white poisons: white flour, white sugar and white rice.

Most of the new health problems that face ethnic people

have been caused by the change in their diet and eating habits,

frequently appearing in new diseases to the locals such as diabetes,

cancer and gum disease.

...shops are going to sell that to them.

So, 80% of the world still use traditional medicines.

So 80% of the world's population is still using herbal medicine

and, uh, you know, bush medicine

or medicines that have been handed down through the centuries.

Uh... They're, uh, losing a lot of this...

culture and custom

with the advent of allopathic medicine.

I'm certainly not suggesting

that allopathic medicine is wrong for them.

What I am saying is that their traditional medicines have some value.

They have sustained them for hundreds and hundreds of years.

That in conjunction with allopathic medicine

surely has to be the best provision of healthcare.

Okay, turn it this way. Stretch it out.

It's sore here.

- Pulling more down? Yes? - Yes.

Yeah, good, it may make it more inflamed and more painful, uh?

[Libor] One of Dr. Alan's patients is a football legend.

In 2010 the Vanuatu football team

miraculously made it to the World Cup qualifying level.

[Petra] Sandy, the boat taxi man,

lives with his family in a traditional way on the land

which belongs to Dr. Profke's family.

When the Profkes are away he takes care of the property.

The running of their clinic is financed by income

from charter sails they organize.

They host events at home in Australia to raise finances to bring medicine,

hygienic supplies and children's school supplies to Vanuatu.

In other words, things which are scarce here.

[Libor] Alan and Debra invited us along to explore the most interesting places

they have discovered so far.

Some of these places white man has not set foot on before.

They also promised to show us some unexplored reefs and cliffs.

Diving in such places attracts us the most.

[♪ gentle music playing]

[♪ hopeful music playing]

[♪ serene music playing]

[♪ serene music continues]

[Petra] I can warm up for a minute over the flow of hot water

which rises from the springs here.

A long wait for the right shot made me chilly.

Vanuatu archipelago is in a volcanically active region.

Tanna island even has an active volcano

and one can take a look into its crater.

[♪ serene music continues]

During a decompression break

we unexpectedly met a local who performed a diver's caper.

We will be using some water.

[Libor] While Alan was making the sail into a water catcher

to get some rain water

we heard the howl of an exhausted castaway.

He might be hungry!

[grunts]

Oh!

Sweet boy.

He looks a bit of a mess with his whiskers.

He might have run away in the bush and they couldn't find him.

Come on. [snapping fingers]

[Libor] Crusoe, as we named him,

swam after us every time we tried to return him to shore

and so he became a new crew member.

We wondered if he knew he could have lost his life by deciding to reach us

using his last remaining strength.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

[incoherent chattering]

[Petra] We came across a family from New Zealand

who were anchored at the southern tip of Maewo island.

As soon as we too dropped anchor,

the local baker didn't miss the chance to sell us some of his goodies

to accompany our catch.

Alan and Debbie have friends among the village people they visit regularly

and by communicating with them often they know how they can help them.

[soft chattering]

[kids laughing and shouting]

[chattering in the distance]

[Petra] We can stay longer on some of the more remote islands,

giving us a chance to get to know the locals and their way of life better.

[hens murmuring]

[Petra] Erika offers accommodation in simple but charming little houses.

Compared to local dwellings, these are decorated and have concrete floors.

[Libor] Walking through the bush, children come to school from far and wide.

Along with English and math,

teachers reinforce the children's awareness of their indigenous culture

and try to prepare them for their encounters with the outside world,

knowing that otherwise the children may not manage to retain

their own local cultural values.

[distant conversations]

[Petra] Unfortunately, the progress of civilization will not stop

just because we from busy cities would like it that way.

They covet things from the outside world, both useful and just entertaining.

Fortunately, they also realize that it is their authentic culture and values,

their harmony with nature and with each other,

that bring visitors to the islands.

[Libor] Members of this family have come together

to help build a house for a young couple.

They prepare bamboo sticks to make wall screens,

which at the same time will provide an interesting interior design.

[exclaims softly]

[♪ gentle music playing]

[Petra] Each island has a place that is in some way important or sacred

for the Ni-Vanuatu.

Moon Cave is one of those spots and Ben Willy is already expecting us.

[Ben talking indistinctly]

[Libor] Legend has it that the moon cave is where the moon was born.

[Ben continues chattering]

[Libor] A long time ago,

the moon was inside the cave and there was no way in or out.

Then one day an old man appeared inside the cave

and saw the moon hanging from the ceiling.

He called the moon to him and threw it to the south.

That broke through the southern entrance.

However, the moon has returned to the old man

and he threw it to the north and broke through a second entrance.

Ever since then it is possible to float through the cave

but the moon has not come back and remained in the sky.

[Petra] Islanders place pebbles

under the dripping stalactites of this cave:

one pebble for each member of the family.

The calcium enriched water bind the pebbles together,

thus bonding the family as well.

[Ben chattering]

[Libor] People who lived in the 18th century left us a message.

All that was important for them they scraped into the rock.

From their time comes this ship.

It was the first ship they ever saw.

It is likely it was Captain James Cook's ship

on its voyage from Pentecost island to Santo island.

[♪ soft music playing]

[Petra] It's almost impossible to not fall in love with the natives

and their way of life,

making each "goodbye" as painful as leaving one's own home.

Divya found her new family on Maewo island

when she was here with the American Peace Corps.

After a year, her mission is now over.

She says she will never forget the many evenings

of exchanging stories with the local Chieftan.

[♪ soft music continues]

[Libor] She admits that such encounters are often more valuable for the islanders

than material gifts.

Alan and Debbie always find time to talk about what's up.

Their acceptance by the people provides them insight to places

like hidden waterfalls,

which they otherwise would have never known about.

In any case, it's always good manners here to ask the Chief for permission

to enter places which belong to him.

[♪ serene music playing]

[Petra] Dr. Alan uses a spare moment for his medical mission.

This time, something pleasant and fragrant.

[♪ serene music continues]

[Libor] The more islands of the Vanuatu archipelago we visit,

the more we feel that even if we spent the rest of our lives exploring

there would never be enough.

What is the norm on one island does not necessarily apply on another.

However, in our eyes, they all have one thing in common:

the extraordinary openness and kindness of the locals.

Debbie and Alan explain more.

[Debbie] The desire to dive the President Coolidge

was always in Alan's heart

and when he suggested that I thought, yes, let's do it.

So, little did we know what was ahead of us.

And we came and fell in love with this place.

And realized we could help and give back.

The Coolidge was originally a luxury liner owned by the President line.

At the beginning of World War II, it was requisitioned by the government

to act as a troop carrier.

It's a ship of over 200 meters in length and it is only 300 meters from the shore,

making it one of the largest and most accessible dive wrecks

anywhere in the world.

[Petra] We study the schematics of the wreck and then plan our route.

[planes rumbling overhead]

[gunfire rattling]

[Petra] In 1942 SS President Coolidge sailed to Luganville,

the capital of Espiritu Santo.

It managed to hit its own American mine,

not once, but twice, due to poor navigation.

The captain tried to save the ship by running it onto the reef.

The ship, however, skidded over it and sank.

Practically all of the 5,440 soldiers and crew

managed to survive.

Only four souls were lost in the calamity.

[♪ gentle music playing]

[♪ gentle music continues]

[distant echoing explosions]

[♪ gentle music continues]

[Petra] Many decades after the ship was scuttled and sank,

much of the original furnishings remain intact.

Even the chandeliers in the first class smoking salon still have their bulbs.

[♪ gentle music continues]

[Libor] The Lady with a Unicorn.

This colorful porcelain mosaic attached to the dining room ceiling

silently remains,

her beauty on display some 43 meters under the sea.

This masterpiece revealed herself to Alan Powter many years after the ship sunk.

Alan was examining the wreck piece by piece

using one of Jacques Cousteau's first apparatuses.

Protected by wooden planks like a chastity belt held in place for decades,

she freed herself for Alan.

What an encounter that must have been.

This beauty parlor was first used

for fancy hairstyles of aristocratic ladies

and then later the much simpler buzz cut of soldiers.

[Petra] The ship's swimming pool more than likely saw its share of debauchery

for smart ladies and gentlemen.

- [distant conversations] - [clicking glasses]

[Libor] For many people,

seeing the mysterious Lady in the depths of her watery grave

is the main reason to visit the Vanuatu Islands.

I too was bewitched by this charming beauty.

Yet, I longed to see more.

To look at the ship's name, now overgrown by corals and sea weed,

I had to dive 66 meters.

From this depth I would experience one of my longest returns to the surface...

And treasure every second.

[♪ festive music playing in the distance]

[♪ music grows louder]

[♪ music fades out]