Original subtitles

The Bahamas...

3,000 stunning islands, islets and cays...

Scattered in the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean

and the Caribbean Sea.

From deep and mysterious blue holes

to towering pine forests...

It is one of North America's last great wild lands.

>> There's no place like the Bahamas in the world.

>> A hidden network of underground caverns.

>> Andros is one massive labyrinth of cave systems.

It is totally unexplored.

>> A place where wild ocean waves

collide with calm, shallow seas.

A lush oasis rich with wildlife.

>> The Bahamas has such a variety of ecosystems and species

that you don't find anywhere else.

>> The Bahamas are one of the world's

most spectacular island wonders.

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As early as 900 AD

the original inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Lucayan

settled on the islands.

They were the first people of the Americas

to encounter Christopher Columbus in 1492.

The Bahamas are believed to be the site

of Columbus's first landfall in the "New World."

He was fascinated by the shallow waters

that surround the archipelago

and called the region " baja mar ."

Spanish for shallow sea.

For centuries the Bahamas were visited

by settlers, traders, and even pirates.

To this day there are stories of treasure

hidden in the islands.

Today's visitors come to stroll along

beautiful sand beaches

and swim in some of the clearest waters

on the planet

along the world's third largest barrier reef.

>> We typically think of the Bahamas

and we just think about the beach,

and granted we have some of the most

phenomenal beaches in the world,

but we are more than beaches.

>> The Bahamas' 700 islands are spread across

more than 100,000 square miles

of the Atlantic Ocean's deep, blue waters

about 150 miles from Florida's southeast coast.

It is a land of boundless white sand beaches,

emerald seas,

and rugged limestone lairs eroded by time

and the savage waves of the Atlantic.

>> You have caves, you have blue holes,

you have reefs, and you have this experience

in 700 different islands.

It is a landscape carved from limestone.

The archipelago sits atop three giant limestone platforms

that rise abruptly from the deep.

They were once the bottom of a shallow sea.

Sediments collected on the ancient seabed

over millions of years.

Debris from corals, shellfish, algae,

and other marine life

produced a vast amount of calcium carbonate

which is the key ingredient of limestone.

These massive limestone platforms

submerged in the Atlantic create the foundation

of the Bahama Banks.

When sea levels were much lower

hundreds of feet of rock were exposed to the elements.

Now, on average, only 9-feet poke above the waves.

The Bahamian islands are like the tips of an iceberg

less than 40% of the total landmass

peeks out of the turquoise waters.

50,000 square miles of the banks

lie hidden below.

The largest of the platforms, the Great Bahama Bank

rises more than 14,000-feet from the deep sea floor.

At the surface, the waters covering the Bahama Banks

are extremely shallow.

The deepest point is just 80-feet.

Satellite images tell this story.

The bright aquamarine waters of the banks

typically 30-feet deep stand in stark contrast

to the dark blue open ocean where the sea floor plunges

more than 13,000-feet below the surface.

These two bodies of water come head to head

at the island of Eleuthera

separated by a single strip of rock

just 30-feet across.

This is Glass Window Bridge

known as "the narrowest place on earth".

The bridge links the northern and southern points of Eleuthera

and is one of the only places on the planet

where the stormy blue waters of the Atlantic

clash with the still, turquoise calm

of the Caribbean Sea.

>> You're at that intersection.

You look at it and literally a few feet to one side

you're in deep water and a few feet to the other side

you're in shallow water and you have this contrast

between very dark blues and very light blues

and it's just a very visually appealing location.

>> For centuries, this narrow strip of land

was a natural bridge.

In the 1940s

powerful hurricanes washed away the land.

Islanders built a paved road in its place.

The Bahamas border the Caribbean Hurricane Belt,

a storm-prone area in the Atlantic Ocean

that reaches from the Gulf of Mexico

to the Caribbean Sea.

Though most of the storms don't reach the Bahamas

passing hurricanes whip up wild winds.

The island of Eleuthera has no reef

to absorb the impact of passing storms.

High and powerful waves that pound the bridge

have washed vehicles and people out into the ocean.

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Two giant boulders sit high atop a cliff

just south of the Glass Window Bridge.

They are a testament to the raw power of the ocean.

The mighty waves of the Atlantic

flung these massive rocks ashore.

Locals say strong winds gusting off the water

pass through these rocks with a loud rumble

like the roar of a bull.

Earning these boulders their names,

The Cow and The Bull.

The rocky shoreline takes its shape

from every passing wave.

Limestone walls are sculpted by the sea

to create a network of troughs, caves and coves.

Warm and shallow pools nestle in the rock

like nature's private hot tubs.

This is Queen's Bath.

A series of emerald tidal pools

burrowed in the rugged coast

and ringed by battered limestone walls.

Heated by the sun, refreshed by ocean spray,

these soothing pools offer a cool respite.

Waves whip against the jagged rock face

and seep through the pores slowly widening

each crack and ridge.

>> Over the course of years, this erosion is continuing

as you can see the seawater smashing into the rocks

and you can see, we call it honeycomb.

It's caused by seawater actually crashing into the rock platform

and eroding it slowly.

>> Eventually, these small openings connect

and larger hollows form.

Water, swept in by ocean waves

collects in these natural basins

creating the magnificent tidal pools of Queen's Bath.

Along the rugged shoreline small caverns called notches

hide beneath limestone overhangs

worn away by the beating waves of the Atlantic.

These crevices are an ideal habitat

for marine creatures

offering protection from waves and predators.

Molluscs burrow several inches inside the rock

creating small, deep holes along the shoreline.

A process geologists call bio-erosion.

Eventually, the entire rock surface

is pitted with holes.

For thousands of years these wild waves have chiseled

the sea caves of the Bahamas

with some help from burrowing marine creatures.

The slender island of Eleuthera

stretches more than 110 miles long.

Its caverns and sea caves reveal the turbulent history

of the settlers of the Bahamas'.

The mid-17th century

was a period of religious strife in England

and in continental Europe.

The Puritans were English Protestants

who wanted to 'purify' the Church of England

from Roman-Catholic practice.

They sought a place

where they could practice their faith

free from persecution.

But they were forced out of the British colony of Bermuda

for refusing to swear allegiance to the Crown.

A group of 70 Puritans then set out for the Bahamas.

They encountered stormy waters and shipwrecked

in the northern tip of the Bahamas.

With food and supplies lost at sea

the Puritans sought shelter on an island.

They called it Eleuthera,

derived from the Greek meaning freedom.

The group known today as "The Eleutherian Adventurers"

walked inland and found their new home

and their new place of worship.

They called it Preacher's Cave.

Ringed by lush, green forest,

the grand entrance to the cave stands 50-feet tall

and once faced punishing ocean waves

that formed this grotto.

When sea levels were much higher

Preacher's Cave was just a notch

along a rocky shoreline.

The ocean eroded weaker sections of the cliff

to create the cave.

As pressure from waves built up inside

a blowhole formed in the roof of the cavern

to release the surging water through a jet spray.

Today, the tropic sun beams through this skylight

illuminating the dark corners of Preacher's Cave,

one of the most important historical sites in the Bahamas.

Preacher's cave saw 100 years of religious service.

It is believed the Eleutherian Adventurers

held a yearly service

to commemorate the day God led them

to the safety of Preacher's Cave on Eleuthera,

an island they called "the promised land."

Long before the arrival of the Puritans,

the original inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Lucayan

believed that caves were sacred places.

They saw the many caverns of the island as gateways

between life on Earth and the spirit world.

The Lucayan buried their dead in these caves

to ensure safe passage to the afterlife.

To this day centuries-old remains

of the Lucayan

are found in the remote caverns

of the Bahamas.

Caves are one of the only ecosystems on the planet

that are not dependent on the sun.

Without sunlight

there are no plants inside the cave

and the food chain hinges on a surprising source,

a continuous supply of guano, bat droppings.

Hundreds of bats roost inside these limestone caves.

They are nocturnal and spend their days

resting in the darkness.

Here, they are sheltered from hurricanes

and protected from predators.

Bats roost upside down along the towering cave ceiling,

an ideal position for take-off.

They are the only mammals on Earth capable of flying.

Unlike birds bats do not launch themselves

into the air.

Instead they fall into flight.

For bats hanging upside down

is the equivalent of lying down for humans.

They are most relaxed in this position.

Bats dangle upside down by their hooked feet.

These claws are not connected to a muscle

instead, the weight of their upper body

pulls down on tendons attached to their curved feet

causing them to clasp together and lock around a cusp of rock.

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There are more than 1,000 bat species in the world

making up almost 25% of all mammals on the planet.

The caves of the Bahamas are home

to eleven different species.

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These male Buffy Flower Bats have collected

for an extravagant and rarely seen display

of rapid shaking and vigorous wing beating

designed to attract females.

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Most bats roost in groups

especially those who require extra protection.

In early summer large clusters of bats

gather in the safety of a cave to give birth.

These gatherings are called maternity roosts.

Bat pregnancies can last 6-9 weeks

depending on the species.

These Big Brown Bats huddle together

to stay warm.

This is a priority for new mothers.

Spending less energy on maintaining body heat

means saving it for something more important,

like looking after their young.

Most bats give birth to just one baby called a pup

each year.

A mother keeps her young one close,

born blind and with no fur

the pup is completely dependent on its mother

suckling on milk for nourishment

for at least four weeks

until it is old enough to leave the roost

and fly in search of food.

The bats of the Bahamas feed mostly on insects, fruits

and small vertebrates and fish.

These nocturnal creatures can find their prey

in complete darkness using echolocation,

a series of high-pitched sounds that reverberate off

the surrounding walls and objects.

Bats send 10-20 of these sounds each second.

The speeds at which the echoes travel back

determine how far away surrounding objects are

including prey.

Bats can eat as many as 1,200 mosquitoes

in just one hour.

Overnight, they devour their entire body weight

in insects.

Bats digest food very quickly producing large volumes of guano

that can pile up several feet high.

Leaves and plants washed up by rainwater

fruits dropped by bats, and guano

coat the floors of the cave

creating a sludge of organic compost,

an ideal habitat for bacteria and fungi

that underpin the entire food chain

of the cave.

Millipedes and small crustaceans

feed on these microorganisms

while larger insects such as beetles and spiders

eat the smaller creatures.

Frogs and toads residing in the nooks

and hollows of the cave come out of hiding

to feed on insects.

While other creatures go directly to the source.

A Caribbean hermit crab slowly makes its way down

to the cave floor to feast on bat guano.

The crab carefully climbs down the branch

using its left claw for balance.

The smaller right claw is an eating utensil

while a short pair of antennae enable the crab to smell

and taste the food.

Sharp eyesight and a second, longer pair of antennae

keep the hermit crab alert to potential dangers.

A spiraled shell large enough to conceal its entire body

shields the crab's soft belly from predators.

The hard left claw offers additional protection

by blocking the entrance to the shell.

Hermit crabs are not born with these protective shelters

they search for shells abandoned by marine snails

in a competitive housing market.

Hermit crabs are one of the most common crustaceans

on the planet.

There are more than 500 known species

some are smaller than a coin

others as large as a coconut.

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Tucked away, at the base of a rugged cliff

a small opening overgrown with vines

leads inside a cave

believed to have been the hide out

of one of the Caribbean's most powerful pirates.

This is Morgan's Cave.

According to local folklore

this cave was once home to Henry Morgan,

an infamous 17th century pirate.

>> Morgan's cave was his home

where he said he hid his treasures there.

Henry Morgan was actually a privateer

that resided in the Bahamas.

He was hired by the British government

to protect the islands

and also to seize any Spanish galleon ship

headed back to Spain to carry gold.

So he put one of his headquarters in Andros.

And this was because at Morgan's Bluff

you were able to see the ships going past.

So most of the Spanish ships what they would do

They would cut across the Bahamas

and head into the Atlantic.

So Morgan was able to scout out there with his guys

and attack when he needed to.

>> This is Morgan's Bluff.

A rugged cliff line boldly facing the wild waves

of the Atlantic.

Beaten by seawater and weathered by erosion

the bluff is pitted with holes and bound by jagged ridges.

It is the highest point on Andros,

the largest island of the Bahamian Archipelago.

>> Andros has a world of wildlife for you to explore.

>> Andros stretches across 104 miles

of lush vegetation, towering pine forests

and tangled mangrove swamps.

Its landmass is larger

than all of the other Bahamian islands combined.

The shallow waters of the Great Bahama Bank

stretch along the western side.

Along the eastern shore lies a 6,000-foot abyss

called the Tongue of the Ocean.

This marine trench separates the islands

of Andros and New Providence.

It is lined by the world's third largest barrier reef.

Deep below the surface of the island

lies one of the earth's final frontiers,

the dark and mysterious caves known as blue holes.

Andros is home to more than 200 blue holes.

The highest concentration in the Western Hemisphere.

>> Andros is one massive labyrinth of cave systems

and these blue holes are just portholes

to this cave system.

>> Like the rest of the Bahamas

the limestone landscape of Andros

has been eroded by water.

More than 300,000 years ago during the last ice age

sea levels dropped by as much as 400-feet

leaving the islands unprotected from the elements.

Rainwater eroded the limestone

forming hundreds of miles of underground caverns.

Falling rain absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide

and forms a weak acid.

With every drop

this acid eats away at limestone.

While draining through the rock acidic waters slowly widen pores

and pry cracks open.

>> You have these large pockets being developed

over thousands of years.

And finally

you had the top of these holes that were being formed

under the earth collapsing in.

>> As sea levels rose the caves filled up.

These deep, vertical caverns descend to depths

of more than 1,000-feet.

The Ocean's salty waters

settle at the bottom of blue holes

while freshwater collects on top.

The deepest layer contains no oxygen at all.

Geologists call this an anoxic environment.

These underwater caves

are one of the least explored places on Earth.

Diving through the Bahamas' intricate labyrinth of caves

is extremely dangerous

even for the most experienced diver.

In some blue holes

divers swim through poisonous gas

that causes dizziness, skin irritation,

and in high concentrations, even death.

More people have died cave diving

than climbing Mount Everest.

Down here there is no air, no light.

This is one of the harshest environments

on the planet.

Yet these waters teem with microorganisms

that have adapted to the extreme conditions.

Studying the life forms that thrive in this environment

gives scientists a glimpse into the Earth's past

more than 3 billion years ago when there was no oxygen

on our planet.

These studies also shed light on how life might possibly survive

on distant, oxygen-free planets.

The underwater caverns of the Bahamas

are decorated with geological ornaments

hanging from the ceiling and sprouting from the ground.

Millions of years ago when these caves were dry

rainwater seeping through the cracks

trickled down into the hollowed caverns.

The dissolved limestone carried by the water

met the air inside these caves and a mineral called calcite

was deposited along the cracks.

As water continued to drip the calcite grew in size

each drop leaving a tiny amount of mineral behind.

It takes a century

for just one quarter of an inch to grow.

But over time these beautiful formations

called stalactites

suspend from the ceilings of the caves

like an enchanted crystal forest.

Quicker drips of water rolling off the stalactites

deposit calcite on the floor creating stalagmites.

When a stalagmite and stalactite join together

they form a column.

These structures take thousands of years to grow

and can reach heights of more than 30-feet.

The depths of these underwater caves

may reveal the secrets of the past

but the surface of these blue holes

holds the key to survival for the residents

of the Bahamas.

These islands are surrounded by salt water

and receive very little rain.

In the Bahamas freshwater is hard to come by.

>> You get freshwater in two ways.

One; you can catch it in a cistern and hold it there

and then hopefully you have enough

to survive the year.

But there's also very shallow fresh water lenses.

>> A thin lens of fresh water collected during rainfall

floats on top of a dense, salt-water layer

along the surface of these blue holes.

On some islands these lenses are only a few feet deep.

This shallow layer was the only source of water

sustaining life on smaller islands

like Eleuthera

until salt water filters were developed.

>> You go to places like Andros, which are very large islands,

they can have very thick freshwater lenses.

They get lenses 50-feet thick.

>> Inland blue holes in Andros

provide as much as 6 million gallons

of freshwater daily.

The most plentiful are those at the center of the island

surrounded by the soaring Caribbean pines.

>> The rock land pine forest is important as well

because they are like osmosis pump

each one of those pine trees keeps the freshwater lens

close to the surface.

The lens is like a freshwater bubble

that sits in the big limestone plateau.

And if the trees' osmosis pressure's

not holding the lens in place, you remove the trees,

the water just drains away.

The pine forest by Blue Hole National Park

is the largest one of those species of pine

left in the world.

>> Caribbean pines flourish near freshwater

found only on the northern islands

of the Bahamas.

In Andros pines grow as tall as 150-feet

providing homes to a vast array of wildlife.

Caribbean pines require sunlight and open space to grow

away from coppice vegetation,

a mixture of shrubs that share the forest with these pines.

During dry seasons

natural fires set this brush ablaze

removing competition for the sunlight.

As these shading, broad-leafed plants burn down

juvenile pines receive enough light to grow.

Botanists call these Caribbean pinelands

"Fire climax communities."

Without these wild fires the pine forests of the Bahamas

would not survive.

>> The reason pines don't get destroyed during fires

is because they have a resin in it

and when it becomes overheated the resin explodes

putting out any fire that can potentially damage the pine.

>> The pine forest of Andros is a bird-watcher's paradise.

>> You're surrounded by these birds and so that's really intriguing

having that, you know, being surrounded by wildlife

and hearing this beautiful sound as you walk through.

>> Yellow-bellied bananaquits feed on pine needles...

while American kestrels hunt for insects

and small rodents in the forest.

A red-legged thrush sits up in the trees

assuming a high vantage point to find its next meal.

Turkey vultures are the most common species

in this forest.

>> Now these birds are normally known as pests

in the Bahamian society because they're everywhere.

However, they play a pivotal role

in the ecosystem.

They work as sanitation workers.

They clean the ecosystem from pine forest

to the coppice vegetation to the sides of the roads.

They help remove any debris that would be a potential hazard

to mankind.

>> From towering pine forests to lush coppice vegetation

the Bahamas bloom

with more than 1,400 species of plants.

>> The plants here have had a tremendous influence

on the people and culture of the Bahamas.

These islands were extremely isolated

for long periods of time starting with the loyalists

in the 1600s,

through the slave and plantation trade

and then into independence.

And in these islands

you didn't have access to doctors,

you didn't have access to pharmacies.

>> People took matters into their own hands

discovering medicinal uses for a diversity of plants

that grow in the Bahamas.

A practice locals call Bahamian bush medicine.

>> Bahamian bush medicine is a tradition

that was passed on by our African ancestors.

By boiling leaves and barks of certain plants

as a tea or tonic.

In that time there was no clinics,

no hospitals,

so our mothers had to be the doctors

and our fathers had to be the doctors.

Going out into the coppice and bringing in certain plants

and medicinal stuff to heal ourselves

from certain illnesses

we would catch like colds and flus,

upset stomachs and all kinds of other illness.

>> The lush, coppice forests of the Bahamas

are a living pharmacy where every plant has a purpose.

The bark and leaves of a five finger plant

when brewed as a tea

can strengthen a weakened bladder.

While plants, like Gammalamme also known as gumbo limbo

are rubbed directly on the skin to rid the body of toxins

caused by contact with poisonous shrubs.

Some locals eat the leaves of the blue flower

also known as rat tail to treat colds and flu.

>> Once you go to nature,

all your questions kind of get answered.

>> An amazing diversity of plant life

carpets the forest floor creating shaded habitat

for the island's creatures.

Roaming in the brush

is the largest land crab population

in the Bahamas.

>> Only in Andros we celebrate land crabs.

They're part of our heritage.

Androsians are known to the world

and to the Bahamas as crab catchers.

So it's a delicacy throughout the country.

>> These land crabs can get as large as one foot

from claw to claw.

They grow by shedding their hard shell

and absorbing water

before growing a new larger shell.

Land crabs migrate from the forest

toward the sea to release their eggs

in coastal environments.

Along the shoreline a dense tangle of roots

lines the emerald waters of the Caribbean.

These are mangroves.

They act as a refuge for juvenile fish

and a shield that defends the shoreline

from tropical storms.

These twisting swamps are vital to the ecology of the Bahamas.

>> A Bahamas without mangroves

would be a very different Bahamas.

You'd lose so many species and our coastline,

which most of the Bahamas is coastal,

would change dramatically.

>> Mangroves are a buffer zone between land and water.

Their tangled, woven roots protect the shoreline

from erosion and soften the harsh waves

of passing storms.

>> They have really funky root systems.

Some people will call them the "walking trees"

because they look like they have stilts.

>> The roots of most trees are firmly planted in the ground

or entirely submerged in water.

Mangroves, grow only in the tropics

in the salty coastal waters of seas and oceans.

>> So along the coastline they have to deal with things

like salt stress and water stress in their soils.

So they have really cool characteristics,

really interesting root systems and ways to deal with dispersal

in a watery environment.

>> The roots of mangroves come up into the air

to absorb oxygen directly through their skin.

These trees are well adapted to surviving in saltwater.

The roots have tiny filters in their cells

designed to soak up water and reject the salt.

But they invariably absorb some salt,

and have to get rid of it.

Some mangroves excrete this salt through their leaves

forming little crystals

that are later rinsed away by rain.

Others channel salts into the older leaves

that become yellow eventually fall off

and decompose

creating a foundation for the food chain

of this ecosystem.

>> The mangrove leaves drop into the sea.

It then becomes a food chain for the larvae,

all the little crustaceans that live there.

The little baby fish start to live there.

>> The twisting roots of mangroves serve as a refuge

for the diverse marine life of the Bahamas.

Often referred to as nurseries

the calm and shallow waters of the mangroves

offer juvenile fish and invertebrates protection

in this tangled labyrinth of roots.

>> And that's why it's important to keep them.

You remove the mangroves and your reef is finished.

>> It is a training ground for many species

before they graduate to life on the coral reef.

A group of rare Bahamian rock iguanas

bask in the tropical sun

on the white sand beaches of Exuma Island.

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>> The way they move through the sand,

the color of them, they're just magical creatures.

>> A serrated ridge that runs along their spine

helps release excess heat

and makes the iguana appear larger

during disputes over territory.

These rock iguanas can grow as long as six feet.

Mating season begins in the spring.

Females produce two to nine eggs each year.

They use termite mounds or dig their nests in the sand

to incubate the eggs

a process that takes about 90 days.

Defensive mothers guard the burrows

until the eggs hatch.

>> At the beginning of life they eat small insects,

however, as they grow older they almost become vegetarians.

>> Adult iguanas feed on the succulent leaves,

fruits and flowers of the coastal coppice forest

to hydrate themselves in this dry Bahamian climate.

They will climb trees to retrieve food

or simply take a rest in the shade.

Rock iguanas in the Bahamas are an endangered species:

They are harvested for food and for the pet trade

and fall prey to dogs and feral cats.

These ancient creatures are now protected in the Bahamas

and it is illegal to harm or capture a rock iguana.

As the day comes to a close

iguanas retreat into the cracks and ridges of the limestone

that shapes these beautiful and diverse islands.

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From twisting mangrove nurseries...

to flooded inland caves...

the Bahamas offer a diversity of ecosystems

for the wildlife that inhabit the islands.

The blue holes of Andros offer entrance

to a mysterious, underwater world.

>> The entire limestone plateau of Andros

is one massive labyrinth of cave systems

and these blue holes are just portholes

to this cave system.

>> It is a wild land brimming with lush coppice forests

and towering pines.

>> The Bahamas is a special place if you're a nature lover

because of so much habitat both land and sea.

>> A place where jagged limestone cliffs

meet boundless white sand beaches.

>> You can find steep cliffs, fantastic caves,

mangrove ecosystems and species that are unique to the Bahamas.

>> The islands of the Bahamas are a stunning natural treasure

rising from the clear, blue waters

of the Atlantic Ocean.

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