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In the Pacific Ocean lies
a very special place.
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Essential to the health
of our planet.
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00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,240
I've come to Queensland, Australia,
to see one of the great natural
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00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:25,760
wonders of the world at a crucial
time in its history.
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Out there is the Great Barrier Reef.
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00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,600
It's the biggest
coral reef on Earth.
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It's the biggest living
organism on Earth.
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00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,760
It extends 2,400km -
that's nearly 1,500 miles -
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00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,520
But its future has become
a worldwide concern.
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00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,200
Recent reports have suggested
that almost a third of it
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has been killed off,
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00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,280
and many believe it will be dead
within a century.
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00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,000
My name is Iolo Williams.
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00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,640
I'm a naturalist
and conservationist.
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I'll be travelling over 1,000 miles
to see for myself
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00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,000
if there are any signs of hope
that this place can survive.
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I've been invited to join a top team
of experienced divers
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00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,520
who know the reef well.
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00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,920
They'll be using their
specialist knowledge to guide me
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to some amazing places
not many people get to see.
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We're going to the far end
of the reef.
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We're going to the outer reaches
of it.
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00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,920
So it's going to take us probably
about ten hours to get out there.
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00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:14,280
I'm really looking forward
to seeing the reef,
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00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,440
to seeing the wildlife there,
but also, to discovering
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00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:23,480
just how much of the reef
is being and has been destroyed,
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00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,680
It'll be nice to see with my own
eyes exactly what is going on there.
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00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,840
The Great Barrier Reef
lies off the tropical
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00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,720
north eastern coastline
of Australia in the Coral Sea.
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There are just over 3,000 coral
reefs distributed along it,
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covering an area of around
344,000 square kilometres.
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00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,920
That's about the same size as Japan.
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00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,040
These reefs are inhabited
by over 1,500 species of fish...
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00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,840
..together with six species
of turtles
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00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,960
and 17 species of sea snakes.
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00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,480
But all of this is under threat.
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00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:31,640
Aerial surveys in 2016 suggested
that over 50% of the reef
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00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,160
had been severely affected
by bleaching,
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00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,360
with almost 500 individual reefs
under major stress.
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00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,920
We've travelled up the coast,
over 20 miles,
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00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,720
to the area around Pixies Pinnacle
in the northern sector.
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00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,440
One of the sectors of
the reef worst affected.
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00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,680
On my first dive, I'm going to take
a close look
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00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,360
at the foundation of the reef.
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00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,480
The coral.
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00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,160
How's that feeling?
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00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,120
OK.
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00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,800
What an amazing view!
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00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:36,440
Whoa!
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00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,520
One of the first things
that hits you down here
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00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,200
is the fact that this is
a living reef.
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00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:02,000
The Great Barrier Reef extends
for 2,400km.
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00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,480
And many people think
that it's just one long reef,
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00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,520
but that's not true.
55
00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,760
It actually is made up of
thousands of smaller reefs.
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00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,840
And some of them are
as small as this stack here,
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00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,080
which comes up from the depths,
almost to the surface.
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00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,640
And that means it's incredibly
attractive
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00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,320
to a whole host of wildlife.
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00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,720
20,000 years ago, this would
have been a limestone cliff,
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00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,520
with some green pasture,
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00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,760
probably with wallabies
and kangaroos on it.
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00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,120
And the Aborigines
would have hunted here.
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00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,640
Then the ice in the polar regions
melted, the sea level rose,
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00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,680
drowned this.
The Aborigines retreated
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00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,600
into what we know
as mainland Australia.
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00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,720
And this has become
the Great Barrier Reef.
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00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,080
Over time, the perfect conditions
have allowed coral to grow
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00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:07,280
on these cliffs.
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00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,480
This is a pink sea fan.
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00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,040
Really cool animal, really.
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00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,480
And these grow at 90 degrees
to the current.
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00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,400
They're filter feeders.
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00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,320
So as all this plankton
you can see before me runs through,
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00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,840
they filter that out of the water.
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00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:36,720
It's ideally placed here too,
in kind of a cavern,
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where the water rushes through.
Plenty of food for it.
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00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,040
Look at this -
sea fans, fish everywhere.
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00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,880
Where else in the world
are you going to get this?
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00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:05,400
Scientists initially mistook
the coral reef for plants.
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00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:09,280
In fact, they are polyps,
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00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:12,880
small animals that look
like upside-down jellyfish.
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00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,880
These polyps are master builders.
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00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,840
Slowly converting chemicals
in the water into limestone.
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00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,680
The scaffolding of the reef.
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00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,160
Over thousands of years,
coral polyps can create massive,
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00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,920
robust reef structures.
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00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,440
All these colours, all these
patterns here - it's mind-blowing.
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00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,520
There are over 600
different types of coral.
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00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,920
Some, like fan corals,
resemble branches.
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00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,280
Others look like rocks.
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00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,680
This is what they call
a boulder coral, this one here.
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00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:36,720
It can grow to be about
the size of a small car.
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00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,680
And they grow incredibly slowly.
They're very hard corals too.
95
00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:45,800
And just this one here is probably
hundreds of years old.
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00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:47,240
And the biggest ones -
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00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,320
who knows? - they may well be
a thousand years old.
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00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:12,000
This is an interesting coral. It's
what's known as stag's-horn coral.
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00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:14,720
It's a rapidly growing coral too.
100
00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:19,720
It can grow anything between three
and ten centimetres per annum.
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00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,800
As you can see, these small fish,
they absolutely love it.
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00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,680
These are amazing little things,
these bright blue feathery things.
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00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:42,360
They're actually called
Christmas tree worms.
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00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,160
They look like bright blue
Christmas trees.
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00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,680
And that's just a part of the animal
sticking out
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00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,400
and they're filter feeding,
taking food,
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00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,920
taking nutrients out of the water.
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00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,560
If there's any threat coming by,
someone like me,
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then they disappear, just like this.
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00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,480
Back into the safety of that tube.
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00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:21,720
Corals are totally dependent
on algae that live within them.
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00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,840
Algae use sunshine
to photosynthesise,
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00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,800
producing sugar that fuels
the polyp inside the coral.
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00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:36,920
There are several million single
cell algae
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living in just one square inch
of coral.
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00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,560
This reliance on the sun means
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00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:51,600
most hard corals only thrive
in warm, clear waters.
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00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,200
Over thousands of years,
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00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,200
the stable temperature and water
conditions here has provided
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00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,440
the perfect environment for
the Great Barrier Reef to thrive.
121
00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,600
Oh!
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00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,040
I have never been in the sea
with one of these before.
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00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,920
Especially one as inquisitive
as this - look! Hello, boy.
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This turtle has probably come here
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00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,000
to have algae cleaned off its shell
by small fish.
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00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,480
These have remained unchanged
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00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:36,800
since before the age
of the dinosaurs.
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00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,000
And they still wander the seas
today.
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00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:42,440
I don't know how old this one is.
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00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,440
Probably 20, 30,
maybe even 40 years old.
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It's a lovely, smooth shell.
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Oh, I feel almost as if I'm
a little cleaning station for it,
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giving it a good old scratch,
getting some of the algae off.
134
00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,120
There we go.
135
00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,040
You going to head off now?
136
00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,000
Go on, then. Off you go.
137
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,000
She's so chilled. Look at her!
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00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,520
This sea turtle has come
to feed on seagrass,
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00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,120
living between the reefs.
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00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,160
And on jellyfish that eat the algae
growing on the coral.
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00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,040
This whole ecosystem
is delicately balanced.
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00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,200
Everything that lives here
is reliant on healthy coral.
143
00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,960
Just look at the size
of this anemone here.
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00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:02,800
And every now and again, you see
a little fish poking out its head.
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Well, several of them, really.
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It's called a pink anemone fish.
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00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:14,200
And what happens is that the female
stresses out the male,
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hassles him constantly.
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00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,000
And the chemicals
then keep it as a male.
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00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,600
When the female dies,
the male changes to a female
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00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,560
and one of the smaller fish
then changes to a male.
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How incredible is that?
153
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,920
And this association here
benefits both species.
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00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:41,920
The stinging cells of the anemone
obviously gives the fish protection.
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But there are certain species
of fish
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that'll nibble away
at these tentacles.
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And the pink anemone fish will rush
out in defence of their homes.
158
00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,160
Oh, just look at all these fish!
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00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,960
I've never seen anything like it
in my life before.
160
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,160
Thousands and thousands of fish.
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00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,400
And all these small fish
are feeding on plankton.
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What's interesting is that some
will keep really close
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in to the coral, while others will
venture out a bit further.
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And you look at the tails, these
boys here that are venturing out
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quite a way have got
like a V-shaped tail.
166
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,280
The ones that stay really close in
have got a more rounded tail.
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00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,120
And that's because these out here
are faster swimmers.
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00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:14,040
So when the predatory fish come in,
which they will, they can quickly,
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00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,840
as they are doing now,
zip back in to cover here.
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00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,400
Wow, look at this
impressive-looking fish.
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00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:44,320
Barracudas have got a bad
reputation. Undeservedly so, really.
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He's just hanging around
off this stack,
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waiting for an opportunity
to dive in and try and get
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some of these smaller fish here.
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It's basically a big tail,
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all muscle,
and a mouth at the front.
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So it is a killing machine, really.
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Whoa!
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That was absolutely amazing.
Absolutely amazing. I was...
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00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,600
I might be disappointed,
but there's no way. It was like...
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00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,480
The only way I can describe it
is like diving into the biggest
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00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,000
and the best aquarium
you've ever seen.
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00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,800
Absolutely amazing. Coral, colourful
coral, different colours everywhere.
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And the fish, the fish
were mind-blowing.
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00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:12,200
This part of the reef
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00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:16,320
was one of the worst affected
by mass bleaching in 2016.
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00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,280
I came here expecting
to see dead coral.
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00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,120
But all I saw was healthy coral.
189
00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,440
It seems reefs can recover
if the conditions are right.
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00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,520
But this was only one dive.
191
00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,160
We've travelled south
to dive on Ribbon Reef 5.
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This will be my first opportunity
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00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,400
to see what the reef is like
at night.
194
00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,800
Most top predators are nocturnal.
195
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,160
I'll be looking for
many top predators hunting.
196
00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,040
A clear indication of the health
of a reef's food chain.
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00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:12,120
It's completely different here
at night.
198
00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,760
Immediately, you come down at night,
you see that the colour
199
00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,760
all of a sudden looks very
different. The reds look redder.
200
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,400
The blues, the yellows...
201
00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,840
Wow! Look at this.
202
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,840
Corals are spectacular
enough by day.
203
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,360
But under torchlight,
their colours become even richer.
204
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,760
Under UV light, they have
an amazing ability to fluoresce.
205
00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:28,080
Beautiful fish here - look at this.
206
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,320
Probably one of the most beautiful
fish on the reef.
207
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,240
It's called the lion fish.
208
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,400
Beautifully marked colours
all along the body.
209
00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:42,280
You can see all these,
what look like feathers,
210
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,160
they're actually spines,
211
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,160
make it a very dangerous fish
indeed to eat.
212
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,040
Two fish here, the beautiful lion
fish and the unicorn fish here.
213
00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,200
It's a completely different set
of fish you get here at night.
214
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:03,920
The day shift has gone to sleep
215
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,200
and the night shift has now
come out to feed.
216
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,080
This is the fish I was really hoping
to see in front of me here now.
217
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:21,200
He's superbly well camouflaged.
218
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,600
It's called a stone fish.
219
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:28,160
It's the most venomous, the most
poisonous fish in the world.
220
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:32,320
It has 13 spines along its back,
221
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,160
with a double sac of venom
below each spine.
222
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,720
And if someone was to stand on that,
the spines act
223
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,320
as a kind of hypodermic needle
224
00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,400
and inject the venom
into their skin.
225
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,240
Oh, wow! It's a Moray eel.
226
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,880
There she goes,
hiding beneath the rocks here.
227
00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,400
Beautifully marked animal too.
228
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,160
Look at the size of that.
That animal has got to be, what,
229
00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,160
the best part of two metres long,
I would think?
230
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,160
He's tucked himself right in there.
231
00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,080
Wow! A reef shark.
232
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,120
Just keeping his distance
over there.
233
00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,360
Oh, look! Look, look, look!
234
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,640
Here he is, here he comes.
Look, he's coming to have a look.
235
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,280
Look at that. Look at that!
236
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,080
Coming right down underneath us.
237
00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:34,880
He came right beneath my fins,
a 2.5 metre shark!
238
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,640
Look how sleek it is.
What a beauty!
239
00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,640
They move through the water
so gracefully.
240
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,800
They make it look so easy.
241
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:54,240
It makes me feel
like a cumbersome ox down here.
242
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,000
During the day, sharks are often
found lying motionless on the reef.
243
00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,760
But by night, they transform
into ruthless hunters,
244
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:08,120
scouring the reef in packs,
in search of their prey.
245
00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:09,840
Oh, yeah, yeah, here we go!
246
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,240
Look, there are at least three
sharks joining us now.
247
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,600
Two more. One down there
and one's just gone off to my right.
248
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,240
It's a party of sharks here now.
249
00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,280
Could be four or five,
maybe even six.
250
00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,200
All their senses are perfectly tuned
for the hunt.
251
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,560
Electro receptors detect
the faintest of electrical signals.
252
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,080
Such as the heartbeat
of a scared fish.
253
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,520
Even fish tucked tightly into cracks
and crevices in the coral
254
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,800
are a target. You see this shark,
every now and then,
255
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,440
putting his head right
underneath some of these rocks.
256
00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,680
He's looking for sleeping fish
to prey on.
257
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,000
Look!
Right underneath me! Wow!
258
00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:09,720
And off he goes!
259
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,200
This really is their habitat
down here.
260
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,080
And this is their time of night,
261
00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,440
as well. It's when they come out
hunting.
262
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,920
Sometimes when you jump in,
and it's pitch-black,
263
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:41,840
you ask yourself, "Wow, do I really
want to go down there tonight?"
264
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,880
But look at this. When you do come,
you see all of these things.
265
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,000
Well...
266
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,000
I've been granted my wish...to get
within three millimetres of a shark.
267
00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,080
Or rather six sharks, more like!
268
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,760
That was fabulous.
That was absolutely fabulous.
269
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:28,400
Spending time with sharks,
they get a hell of a bad name.
270
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,920
And unfairly so. They say there's
something like, I don't know,
271
00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:32,840
a million sharks killed every year,
272
00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,360
and there's four people killed
by sharks on average every year.
273
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,600
You know, that puts it
into perspective for me.
274
00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,520
They're amazing animals,
and if you can get a reef
275
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,640
that's got a good population of
sharks, then it's a healthy reef.
276
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,520
But it doesn't matter how much
your brain tells you,
277
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,680
the sharks are fine, you know,
the sharks really are fine,
278
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,440
always, always, always
at the back of your mind,
279
00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,360
you've got the music
from Jaws all the time!
280
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,760
From what I've seen,
the outer reefs have recovered well
281
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,800
from the 2016 mass bleaching
event...
282
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,360
..with healthy coral,
and many top predators
283
00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:38,640
feeding on a robust food chain.
284
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,920
But the worst affected areas
were on the coast.
285
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:51,480
We've travelled 11 miles
to Lizard Island,
286
00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,760
to see how these coastal areas
are today.
287
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:04,400
The Great Barrier Reef is a complex
and resilient structure.
288
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:09,160
It relies on healthy coastal waters
to keep it alive.
289
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,000
And the mangrove forests
that fringe the coast
290
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,600
play a crucial part in keeping
the water clean.
291
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,600
Just nice to get firm ground
beneath my feet.
292
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:32,760
It's incredibly hot and humid
293
00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:35,600
underneath the canopy
of this mangrove forest.
294
00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,240
And these mangrove trees
are very specialist.
295
00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,280
One of the few species
that can grow in saltwater.
296
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,960
And the mangroves, along
with the Great Barrier Reef,
297
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,920
they defend the land,
because you get some cyclones,
298
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,000
some hugely powerful storms
coming through here.
299
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,000
But first of all, they hit the reef,
and then they get this mangrove,
300
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,840
so the power's all gone out of them
by the time they hit the land.
301
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,440
With their complex root systems...
302
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:11,760
..mangrove forests also filter water
from fast-flowing rivers...
303
00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,760
..trapping sediment
where it moves out into the ocean,
304
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:18,080
and onto the reef.
305
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,240
Without the mangroves purifying
the water and depositing nutrients,
306
00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:27,400
the reef would find it
almost impossible to survive.
307
00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,600
Oh, wow. That's pretty cool.
308
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,000
Thousands and thousands
of little bait fish,
309
00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,040
small, small fish just hanging
around the mangroves here.
310
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,520
And once I get anywhere near them,
they start to move in.
311
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,160
That's a real mass of
branches and leaves there,
312
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,480
so, they can hide away pretty well.
313
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:08,640
It's a good place for them,
314
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:10,760
cos it's full of food as well.
It's a very rich place.
315
00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,680
It's the ideal nursery
for these small fish
316
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,080
before many of them decide,
"OK, I'm big enough now,
317
00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,200
"I can head out
onto the coral reefs out there."
318
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,000
Wow! Did you see that?
319
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,320
Following a shark - I think
it was a tawny reef shark.
320
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,200
It was a little bit too far away
for me to see.
321
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,360
Just heading its way out of the
mangrove slowly, slowly, slowly,
322
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,680
out into the sea. Probably about 1.5
metres long, something like that.
323
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:41,680
Because the mangroves
are a really important nursery
324
00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,800
for sharks too, particularly
the blacktip reef sharks.
325
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,040
They'll probably be further in.
The mangrove is more extensive
326
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,280
in there. We've been told not
to go up there. There might be
a crocodile up there.
327
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,240
But, er, that's where they'll be.
Small, small sharks,
328
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,320
and as they grow, they get more
confident, they'll start heading out
329
00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:58,920
then towards the reefs out here.
330
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,320
But, that was cool.
That was nice to see.
331
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,120
The mangrove creeks are healthy.
332
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:18,040
But if the inner reefs are not,
then the juvenile fish growing here
333
00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:19,960
will have nowhere to go.
334
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,160
I'm off to see how healthy
the local reefs are here.
335
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:01,680
It's absolutely heartbreaking
down here.
336
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,360
It's the first time I've seen it,
like 100% killed.
337
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,880
There's a lot of coral bleaching.
338
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:11,320
Vast areas of it are just white.
339
00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:13,800
It's a bit like coming
to a coral graveyard.
340
00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:23,120
This is the most obvious sign
that the reef here is under stress.
341
00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,800
The water temperature
has increased too much,
342
00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:29,360
forcing the algae out of the coral,
343
00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,360
leaving the bleached white skeleton
behind.
344
00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:36,320
Without the algae providing
oxygen and nutrients,
345
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,560
this coral will eventually die.
346
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:47,200
And rising sea temperatures
are not the only threat.
347
00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,080
Coastal reefs are also vulnerable
to the damage caused
348
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:54,600
by local agriculture.
349
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,400
And even the mangroves
are powerless to stop it.
350
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:05,480
Pesticide runoff from intensive
farming methods flow into the sea,
351
00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,760
increasing the nitrogen level
in the water.
352
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:12,080
This can lead to outbreaks of one
of the most damaging creatures
353
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:13,720
to coral reefs.
354
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,560
The crown of thorns starfish.
355
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,520
Large numbers of these predators
356
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,560
consume too much coral within
a very short time.
357
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,640
To give you an indication
of just how dead this place is,
358
00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,720
I've been swimming around here now
for 15, maybe 20 minutes,
359
00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:00,920
I've seen eight fish. Eight fish!
360
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:05,840
Could you imagine in a living coral
reef, it would be more like 8,000,
361
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,040
or even 80,000.
362
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,280
It's tragic, really.
363
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:11,600
Absolutely tragic.
364
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,960
Do you know, I can't believe how
naive I was when I first came out
365
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:50,160
here, because ever since I was a
young child,
366
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,320
I'd watch programmes on TV,
367
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,640
read magazine articles,
newspaper articles about the reef,
368
00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,360
taken a great interest in it,
because it's one of the seven
369
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,200
natural wonders of the world,
after all.
370
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,880
And I thought, "Yeah, well,
I'm going out there, well prepared.
371
00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:04,640
"I'm going to
know quite a bit about it."
372
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,680
I now feel as if I came out
here with one eye shut,
373
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,880
and it's only after diving it myself
that the other eye
374
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:11,200
is finally opened.
375
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,800
And now, finally I'm just
beginning to understand.
376
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,960
The Great Barrier Reef
is a massive structure made up
377
00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,600
of many different parts.
378
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:29,600
Human impact on the planet is
increasing the challenges it faces.
379
00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,800
Some areas are coping,
whereas others are clearly not.
380
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:39,040
And it's not only rising sea
temperatures and water pollution
381
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:40,880
that it has to cope with.
382
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:47,000
We're travelling 15 miles
down to Ribbon Reef 10,
383
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,000
a place known for cyclones.
384
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:55,960
Freedom, this is Argyle.
385
00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:58,440
Argyle 167.
386
00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:07,560
Where we're heading has seen
some of the worst storms on record,
387
00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:11,120
with an increase
in their intensity and frequency.
388
00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,280
That's going to be
an interesting day, this one.
389
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,840
We're right out,
right on the edge of the reef.
390
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,000
The open ocean is over there,
and the main reason
391
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,400
we are going down here is,
is that the cyclone two years ago
392
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:29,040
ripped through just
this fairly narrow path here and
393
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,440
decimated the reef,
so we're going down to see
394
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,520
the effects of that.
395
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,080
In particular, I'll be looking
to see any signs of the reef
396
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:39,080
recovering.
397
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,480
The big boat drifts
in the strong currents,
398
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,760
so we need to use this smaller one
to get to the right place.
399
00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:15,480
Cyclones are nothing new,
and the Great Barrier Reef
400
00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,840
has been ravaged by them
for thousands of years.
401
00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:27,040
Occasional storms clear out
the faster-growing corals,
402
00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,360
allowing slower growing coral
enough time to survive.
403
00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:35,360
This allows large robust
reef structures to be built.
404
00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:42,360
But scientists now believe
that the frequency of these storms
405
00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:45,920
caused by rising temperatures
in the atmosphere,
406
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,400
could cause permanent damage.
407
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,600
Wow, look at this damage.
Look at this.
408
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,840
Huge boulder coral here...
409
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,120
..ripped apart,
and these are strong things.
410
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,080
It's just ripped apart by the last
cyclone a couple of years ago,
411
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:03,360
and look at it.
412
00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:05,280
Just left it here for dead.
413
00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:09,840
It's devastating.
414
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:14,160
It does look like a war zone
in parts out here.
415
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:18,480
What living coral still remained
after the storm had passed
416
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:23,560
has been killed off by a thick layer
of sediment covering it.
417
00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:30,120
This has stopped the sun's rays
from reaching the coral,
418
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,520
preventing it from
photosynthesizing.
419
00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,120
Here's evidence that
the reef can resurrect.
420
00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,920
The boulder coral here, a small one,
421
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,960
surrounded by devastation,
422
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:12,000
it's got scars all over it,
but if the environment is right,
423
00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:14,120
it will come back.
424
00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:40,640
The more I dive, the more you learn
that the reef
425
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,400
really is a living, breathing thing.
426
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,520
Not just the wildlife,
but the reef itself.
427
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,480
And it's something that's changed
over hundreds of years too,
428
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,120
with changing water levels.
429
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,720
The problem you've got now
is that the changes are rapid ones,
430
00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:58,200
so it's very quick one.
It's driven by man.
431
00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,000
All of the reefs I've seen so far
have developed
432
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:10,760
over thousands of years.
433
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:17,000
I'm now on my way to visit
a very different reef.
434
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:21,000
Heading 200 miles further south
to one of the newest additions
435
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,120
to the Great Barrier Reef.
436
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:37,440
The English-built freighter,
the SS Yongala, sank in a storm
437
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:41,560
13 miles off the coast of
Queensland, just over 100
438
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:43,440
years ago.
439
00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:52,280
She went down in a cyclone in 1911,
and everybody on
440
00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,880
board was killed. 122 people.
441
00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:57,480
And, nobody really knew
what happened to her.
442
00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,160
They found some shipwreck
a few days later,
443
00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,600
but she wasn't discovered down here
till the late 1950s,
444
00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:05,240
and now it's a very popular dive.
445
00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:07,680
And, the main reason
I'm going down, really,
446
00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,600
is because it's become
an artificial reef.
447
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:19,440
I'm diving down to discover how well
this new reef is doing in such
448
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:21,520
a challenging place.
449
00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,280
This will be my deepest
dive on the reef.
450
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:33,640
Because the shipwreck lies over
30 metres deep on the sea bed,
451
00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,440
I'm unable to wear
the full face mask.
452
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:39,600
Instead, I'm wearing
a regulator to breathe.
453
00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:55,880
Lying in the middle
of a shipping channel,
454
00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,120
the SS Yongala is the only solid
structure for miles around.
455
00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,600
Despite the depth,
bright sunlight can pierce
456
00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:07,920
all the way down.
457
00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:16,800
Swirling currents bringing plankton
for the sea fans to feed...
458
00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:29,960
..providing the perfect environment,
for an explosion of life.
459
00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:48,840
It feels like this reef has been
here for thousands of years.
460
00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:55,640
But in fact, cyclones
regularly destroy it.
461
00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,280
In a very short time,
the coral grows back,
462
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,040
and the wildlife returns.
463
00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:50,520
This olive sea snake is hunting
for fish inside the wreck.
464
00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:58,640
It's one of the most venomous snakes
on the planet.
465
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,920
Just a few drops can kill
up to ten people.
466
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:45,160
The Great Barrier Reef has taken
a man-made structure,
467
00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:48,640
transforming it into an established
part of the reef.
468
00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:54,480
Every surface of the old ship,
has been covered with coral...
469
00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:01,160
..attracting all this wildlife.
470
00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:30,560
Amongst all of the colours,
I see something dark gliding
471
00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:32,160
in through the shadows.
472
00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:41,040
An ocean giant.
473
00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,800
I'm dwarfed by this huge,
black bull ray.
474
00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:54,920
The bigger brother of the stingray.
475
00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:44,640
The fact that this reef
has regularly regenerated itself
476
00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:49,360
in such a short space of time
suggests that when the conditions
477
00:47:49,360 --> 00:47:53,080
are right, even new reefs
like this one can flourish.
478
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:07,040
It's amazing to think that that is
an artificial reef, you know?
479
00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:10,280
It's a ship, and it's,
it's covered in wildlife.
480
00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:13,680
It really raises your spirits
when you think that after a cyclone,
481
00:48:13,680 --> 00:48:15,320
a lot of that would be killed.
482
00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:18,120
A lot of that would have been wiped
off, but it keeps coming back.
483
00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:21,120
You know, nature keeps coming back.
I think that's the lesson there.
484
00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:23,200
One of the best dives of my life.
485
00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:24,760
Amazing, amazing dive.
486
00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:41,200
I'm coming to the end of my journey,
heading from north to south
487
00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:43,760
along the Great Barrier Reef.
488
00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:47,640
I've covered over 1,000 miles.
489
00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:56,640
What I've seen is that a healthy
reef needs a combination
490
00:48:56,640 --> 00:49:00,600
of different factors,
all working in harmony.
491
00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:05,720
It needs clean water,
and a constant temperature
492
00:49:05,720 --> 00:49:08,720
to support a variety of corals.
493
00:49:08,720 --> 00:49:12,040
These corals support
a robust food chain
494
00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:14,840
that sustain top predators.
495
00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:19,120
But it also requires some natural
destruction to help clear out
496
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:23,640
fast-growing corals, allowing
slower-growing corals to thrive.
497
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:26,840
This place has survived
because it has adapted to different
498
00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:30,320
environmental challenges
over thousands of years.
499
00:49:33,840 --> 00:49:36,560
Now I've reached my
final destination.
500
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:41,480
Lady Elliot Island,
the most southerly point
501
00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:42,520
on the reef.
502
00:50:20,840 --> 00:50:22,720
This is my final dive.
503
00:50:22,720 --> 00:50:27,120
In a very different habitat
to what I've experienced so far.
504
00:50:28,240 --> 00:50:31,840
In a remote location
without any reported serious damage
505
00:50:31,840 --> 00:50:36,400
from bleaching or cyclones,
I'm hoping to see a pristine reef.
506
00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:57,200
The water depth here
is only 14 metres,
507
00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:59,960
but the reef looks
like an alien planet.
508
00:51:04,760 --> 00:51:08,000
This enormous blowhole
was formed during a storm,
509
00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:10,440
by water surging upwards
through the rock.
510
00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:24,560
Look at this place.
511
00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:28,600
It's like a tunnel full of fish.
512
00:51:32,840 --> 00:51:34,240
Amazing.
513
00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:56,040
This water is the richest
I've seen yet.
514
00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:02,960
The green colour is caused
by the chlorophyll in the plankton,
515
00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:04,600
suspended in the ocean.
516
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,400
The reef here is full
of these small fish,
517
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:44,720
thousands and thousands of them.
518
00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:51,880
You see the bigger fish
hanging around the reef.
519
00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,240
Every now and again...
These are trevallies.
520
00:52:54,240 --> 00:52:59,000
Every now and again they all
dash in, causing panic amongst
521
00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:03,120
the smaller fish, and hoping to
disorientate one or two,
522
00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:08,080
isolate one or two so they can
dash in and get a good mouthful.
523
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,720
From what I'm seeing here,
the condition of the reef
524
00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:33,320
is every bit as good
as it was up in the North.
525
00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:37,680
This is quite beautiful.
526
00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:33,440
Whoa.
527
00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:34,560
Look at this.
528
00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:41,320
You can see why it gets
its name, leopard shark.
529
00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:44,360
All those spots all along its body.
530
00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:52,520
Couple of remora
hanging underneath it.
531
00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:55,680
Beautiful.
532
00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:57,680
Beautiful animal.
533
00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:01,480
Look at it gracefully climbing up,
534
00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:04,240
coming right past me,
having a good look.
535
00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:25,960
That was a lovely day,
but it's, er...
536
00:55:25,960 --> 00:55:28,520
..much wilder up here
than it is down below.
537
00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:31,400
It's nice and peaceful down below.
538
00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:33,520
And thousands of fish,
just the whole reef
539
00:55:33,520 --> 00:55:35,320
is just covered in fish.
540
00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:37,080
Lovely day. Beautiful day.
541
00:55:52,800 --> 00:55:56,680
During my journey,
I've seen signs of hope that many
542
00:55:56,680 --> 00:56:01,200
parts of the Great Barrier Reef
are still healthy.
543
00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:22,160
This is still an incredibly rich
habitat, that must be protected
544
00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:23,640
at all costs.
545
00:56:25,120 --> 00:56:28,120
Well, my journey along
the Great Barrier Reef comes
546
00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:31,800
to an end on another
beautiful Australian beach.
547
00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:35,040
And when I came out here,
I was incredibly excited,
548
00:56:35,040 --> 00:56:38,000
but also that was tinged with quite
a bit of apprehension
549
00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:40,240
because I thought I was
going to find a reef
550
00:56:40,240 --> 00:56:42,200
that was dead and dying.
551
00:56:43,800 --> 00:56:46,840
But that's not true.
Yes, the reef has its problems -
552
00:56:46,840 --> 00:56:49,560
I've seen bleaching,
I've seen examples where global
553
00:56:49,560 --> 00:56:51,080
warming has had its effect,
554
00:56:51,080 --> 00:56:53,800
I've seen algae
growing over the reef,
555
00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:56,240
I've seen where cyclones
have killed parts of the reef,
556
00:56:56,240 --> 00:56:57,760
but I've seen resurrection as well.
557
00:56:57,760 --> 00:57:00,040
I've seen the reef growing back.
558
00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:05,480
The reef is an amazing survivor.
559
00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:12,680
But it may not be able to cope
with the rapid changes
560
00:57:12,680 --> 00:57:14,800
we are causing in the oceans.
561
00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:22,640
Recent scientific reports suggest
sea temperatures are rising...
562
00:57:26,520 --> 00:57:31,200
..and will continue to do so,
if we don't slow down the pace
563
00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:32,520
of global warming.
564
00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:38,520
A further 1 degree rise
will almost certainly result
565
00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:43,480
in the loss of everything
I've just seen within this century.
566
00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:47,160
Unless we radically change
how we live our lives,
567
00:57:47,160 --> 00:57:50,200
places like the Great Barrier Reef
will disappear for ever.
47918
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