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Wade: Can new discoveries
finally tell us
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00:00:04,071 --> 00:00:08,073
what led to one of the biggest
catastrophes on the great lakes,
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00:00:08,075 --> 00:00:11,443
the sinking
of the mighty ss fitzgerald?
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00:00:11,445 --> 00:00:15,247
The highest waves were up to 25
to 30 feet,
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00:00:15,249 --> 00:00:18,717
and that was exactly the place
where the fitzgerald was
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00:00:18,719 --> 00:00:21,587
and exactly the time
they were there.
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00:00:21,589 --> 00:00:24,223
Wade: Could newly declassified
information
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00:00:24,225 --> 00:00:28,093
explain a mysterious encounter
between the u.S. Navy
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00:00:28,095 --> 00:00:32,164
and an unidentified
underwater craft?
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00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:35,200
The science we have today
can't explain it.
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00:00:35,202 --> 00:00:36,602
It has me boggled.
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00:00:36,604 --> 00:00:38,904
Man:
That didn't just happen.
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Wade: And what's making one of
egypt's top diving spots
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00:00:42,410 --> 00:00:45,110
one of the most deadly
in the world?
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00:00:45,112 --> 00:00:47,513
200 fatalities
for a single dive site
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is very, very high.
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This makes it only second to
everest in terms of the dangers.
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00:00:52,787 --> 00:00:55,120
♪
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wade: The underwater realm
is another dimension.
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It's a physically hostile place
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where dreams of promise...
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Can sink into darkness.
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I'm jeremy wade.
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I'm searching the world to bring
you the most iconic
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and baffling underwater
mysteries known to science.
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Shipwrecks can't just disappear,
or can they?
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Wade: It's a dangerous,
unexplored frontier
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that swallows evidence...
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We know more about
the face of mars
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than we do our deepest oceans.
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Wade:
...Where unknown is normal,
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and understanding is rare.
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-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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♪
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00:01:47,741 --> 00:01:48,974
I've been out on boats
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that have suddenly become
caught in a storm.
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There's nothing quite
as terrifying
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00:01:55,850 --> 00:02:01,120
as the destructive power
of wind, water and waves.
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00:02:01,122 --> 00:02:04,356
Sometimes, these forces
can prove too much
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00:02:04,358 --> 00:02:07,292
for even the strongest craft.
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00:02:07,294 --> 00:02:13,198
In 1975, a devastating maritime
disaster shocked the world,
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and it still has experts
baffled to this day.
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00:02:16,604 --> 00:02:20,606
But could new hydrodynamic
research finally tell us
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what happened
to the ss edmund fitzgerald?
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00:02:28,816 --> 00:02:31,650
November 9, 1975,
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freight carrier,
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the ss edmund fitzgerald,
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00:02:35,289 --> 00:02:40,759
sets off on her regular 5-day
journey across lake superior.
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00:02:40,761 --> 00:02:43,695
She's made more than 700
similar voyages
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00:02:43,697 --> 00:02:46,598
during her career.
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00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,433
The weather is calm in port,
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but storm warnings
have been issued
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for a section of the lake
along her route.
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These were rough conditions
for smaller boats,
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00:02:55,876 --> 00:02:58,043
but for a ship
like the fitzgerald,
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not something
that was overly concerning.
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Wade: The ship's nickname
is the "mighty fitz."
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00:03:05,052 --> 00:03:06,985
at over 700 feet long,
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00:03:06,987 --> 00:03:11,990
she's a leviathan built to deal
with the roughest weather,
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00:03:11,992 --> 00:03:15,661
and she has an incredibly
experienced skipper at the helm.
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00:03:15,663 --> 00:03:18,463
Captain ernest mcsorley has
been navigating
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00:03:18,465 --> 00:03:22,134
the great lakes
for most of his life.
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00:03:22,136 --> 00:03:25,103
Tuttle: He is known for his
mastery of the lakes.
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00:03:25,105 --> 00:03:28,774
You don't become a captain of
the largest vessel on the lake
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00:03:28,776 --> 00:03:30,275
by not being a good captain.
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00:03:30,277 --> 00:03:31,977
He had a great reputation.
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00:03:31,979 --> 00:03:34,279
Wade: After 44 years on
the great lakes,
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00:03:34,281 --> 00:03:38,917
mcsorley is set to retire
in a few weeks' time.
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00:03:38,919 --> 00:03:42,421
Overnight, the fitz reports
increasingly stormy weather
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00:03:42,423 --> 00:03:45,123
to the coast guard.
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00:03:45,125 --> 00:03:47,092
Schwab: The waves were
increasing in height,
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00:03:47,094 --> 00:03:49,828
but the waves
usually didn't affect them.
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00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:56,568
Wade: Then, at 3:30 p.M.
On November 10,
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00:03:56,570 --> 00:03:58,670
the fitzgerald makes a call
to a ship
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00:03:58,672 --> 00:04:01,673
traveling a few miles behind.
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00:04:01,675 --> 00:04:05,877
Mcsorley reports that the fitz
has suffered some damage
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00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:07,913
and asks the other ship
to stay with them
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00:04:07,915 --> 00:04:12,217
until they reach the safety
of the nearest port.
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00:04:12,219 --> 00:04:14,720
He did make a request
that a ship would shadow him,
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00:04:14,722 --> 00:04:16,655
which basically means
that he was concerned that,
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00:04:16,657 --> 00:04:18,890
in case they did
have to leave the ship,
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00:04:18,892 --> 00:04:22,194
that there would be
another ship nearby.
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00:04:22,196 --> 00:04:25,130
Wade: The waves are now so high
they're interfering
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00:04:25,132 --> 00:04:28,934
with the fitz's
radar systems.
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00:04:28,936 --> 00:04:30,969
Mcsorley puts in another call
to the ship
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00:04:30,971 --> 00:04:33,839
that's following to ask
for radar plots
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00:04:33,841 --> 00:04:35,841
to help guide them into shore.
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00:04:37,978 --> 00:04:39,344
Goodman: It's clear from
the communications
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00:04:39,346 --> 00:04:40,946
that the captain was concerned.
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00:04:40,948 --> 00:04:42,481
I mean, it was a big storm.
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00:04:42,483 --> 00:04:44,082
They were taking on water,
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00:04:44,084 --> 00:04:46,551
but he also felt
that they could continue.
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00:04:46,553 --> 00:04:48,487
And he basically said
that things were going fine,
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00:04:48,489 --> 00:04:51,590
that she was moving
along like an old shoe.
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00:04:51,592 --> 00:04:55,494
But that was the last
that anyone heard from the ship.
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Wade: At 7:15 p.M., just 17
miles from the safety of shore,
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00:05:00,401 --> 00:05:05,737
the fitzgerald disappears
from the other ship's radar.
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00:05:05,739 --> 00:05:09,975
They try to radio through
to the fitz, but she's gone.
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00:05:09,977 --> 00:05:14,813
♪
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00:05:14,815 --> 00:05:18,283
the only sign of the mighty
fitzgerald's existence
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00:05:18,285 --> 00:05:21,753
is two empty lifeboats.
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00:05:21,755 --> 00:05:25,724
There are no survivors
and no eyewitnesses.
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00:05:25,726 --> 00:05:28,493
What was it that caused
such a massive ship,
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00:05:28,495 --> 00:05:31,496
almost as long
as the titanic was,
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00:05:31,498 --> 00:05:34,833
to sink in a lake,
not in the ocean?
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00:05:34,835 --> 00:05:36,134
Goodman:
One of the big mysteries is,
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00:05:36,136 --> 00:05:38,870
why didn't the captain
send a distress call?
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00:05:38,872 --> 00:05:40,839
He would've known.
He had the experience.
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00:05:40,841 --> 00:05:43,241
He'd already reported that
they were bringing on water,
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00:05:43,243 --> 00:05:44,409
so it's really unusual
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00:05:44,411 --> 00:05:47,112
that there was
no additional distress call.
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00:05:50,651 --> 00:05:55,487
Wade:
What happened to the ss edmund fitzgerald that fateful day?
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00:05:58,425 --> 00:06:00,692
It's a mystery that has haunted
the great lakes'
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00:06:00,694 --> 00:06:03,929
maritime community
for half a century.
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00:06:03,931 --> 00:06:06,965
[ thunder rumbles ]
117
00:06:06,967 --> 00:06:08,967
lake superior is known
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00:06:08,969 --> 00:06:13,038
for its quick
and violent gale-force storms,
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00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,740
but captain mcsorley
had weathered
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00:06:14,742 --> 00:06:17,209
many of these in his time.
121
00:06:17,211 --> 00:06:19,478
The event was incredibly quick
122
00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,580
because between
the communications
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00:06:21,582 --> 00:06:23,682
and the loss of communications,
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00:06:23,684 --> 00:06:27,085
it was a very short period
of time.
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00:06:27,087 --> 00:06:29,187
There was no mayday
or sos call,
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00:06:29,189 --> 00:06:32,224
which is quite strange
from a boat there,
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00:06:32,226 --> 00:06:33,725
but it might have happened
so quickly
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00:06:33,727 --> 00:06:37,529
that nobody actually
was able to get to the radio.
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00:06:37,531 --> 00:06:42,534
Wade:
Crews are immediately scrambled
to look for the fitzgerald,
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00:06:42,536 --> 00:06:44,436
but hampered by bad weather,
131
00:06:44,438 --> 00:06:48,673
it takes 4 days before the ship
is located using sonar.
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00:06:50,744 --> 00:06:56,915
She's resting on the lake bed
over 500 feet down.
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00:06:56,917 --> 00:07:00,318
It's a further 6 months
before remote underwater cameras
134
00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,089
can be deployed
to take a proper look.
135
00:07:04,091 --> 00:07:06,958
No one can believe
what they find.
136
00:07:10,864 --> 00:07:13,398
Polakowski:
When they found the vessel,
it was split in two,
137
00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:19,204
which means, usually, caused
by a catastrophic event.
138
00:07:19,206 --> 00:07:23,408
Wade: It's unlike anything
they've seen before.
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00:07:23,410 --> 00:07:25,043
Rondeau: Initially, they thought
that they would find
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00:07:25,045 --> 00:07:26,945
the entire hull intact,
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00:07:26,947 --> 00:07:29,948
but researchers knew
that it had broken up.
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00:07:29,950 --> 00:07:34,186
The question is,
why did that happen?
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00:07:34,188 --> 00:07:37,355
Wade: For nearly half a century,
no one has known for sure
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00:07:37,357 --> 00:07:39,157
what caused this mighty titan
145
00:07:39,159 --> 00:07:42,894
of the great lakes
to break in half,
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00:07:42,896 --> 00:07:46,198
but can new research
finally tell us
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00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,934
what happened
that fateful night?
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00:07:48,936 --> 00:07:56,007
♪
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00:08:00,881 --> 00:08:03,148
wade: In November 1975,
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00:08:03,150 --> 00:08:05,817
lake superior's
largest freighter,
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00:08:05,819 --> 00:08:10,755
the ss edmund fitzgerald,
vanishes with all her crew.
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00:08:10,757 --> 00:08:14,960
Those who find her wreck
are shocked by what they see.
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00:08:14,962 --> 00:08:16,995
From the remains
at the bottom of the lake,
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00:08:16,997 --> 00:08:19,931
it appears she's broken in two.
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00:08:19,933 --> 00:08:22,167
Now, more than 40 years later,
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00:08:22,169 --> 00:08:25,437
experts may be about
to solve the mystery
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00:08:25,439 --> 00:08:29,808
of what sank the fitzgerald.
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00:08:29,810 --> 00:08:34,045
Lake superior reaches depths
of over 1,300 feet,
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00:08:34,047 --> 00:08:37,482
but lurking just below
the surface are natural ridges
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00:08:37,484 --> 00:08:40,952
that are catastrophic for
any ship that comes too close.
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00:08:40,954 --> 00:08:45,223
There's a question of whether
the fitzgerald struck bottom
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00:08:45,225 --> 00:08:47,792
going over some of the shoals
near caribou island,
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00:08:47,794 --> 00:08:49,294
north of where it sank.
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00:08:49,296 --> 00:08:51,930
Wade: With his navigational
tools wiped out,
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00:08:51,932 --> 00:08:55,333
could the captain have smashed
his ship on the shoals?
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00:08:55,335 --> 00:08:58,803
I highly doubt a captain
of mcsorley's experience
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00:08:58,805 --> 00:09:03,441
would have issues
not knowing where shoals are.
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00:09:03,443 --> 00:09:05,243
Wade: The official investigation
blames
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00:09:05,245 --> 00:09:07,712
the ship's failed hatch covers.
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00:09:07,714 --> 00:09:12,217
The edmund fitzgerald had 26,000
tons of ore in it.
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00:09:12,219 --> 00:09:14,986
Therefore, she's going to be
low in the water,
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00:09:14,988 --> 00:09:17,556
and if you have waves
washing over the deck,
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00:09:17,558 --> 00:09:19,057
they should wash off.
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00:09:19,059 --> 00:09:22,928
If your hatch covers
aren't dogged down properly,
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00:09:22,930 --> 00:09:24,696
it's going to let water in.
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00:09:24,698 --> 00:09:28,600
Wade: But not all experts are
convinced by the hatch theory.
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00:09:28,602 --> 00:09:31,469
I don't really believe in that
because of the size of the ship.
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00:09:31,471 --> 00:09:33,705
You would have to leave them
open for quite a long time.
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00:09:33,707 --> 00:09:35,540
It would be gradual.
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00:09:35,542 --> 00:09:37,475
It would have to flood slowly,
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00:09:37,477 --> 00:09:39,911
and this was
a very sudden event.
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00:09:39,913 --> 00:09:43,081
Wade: What's more, the ship was
equipped with two powerful
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00:09:43,083 --> 00:09:46,151
7,000-gallon-per-minute
water pumps,
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00:09:46,153 --> 00:09:49,487
which were both running
at the time.
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00:09:49,489 --> 00:09:50,722
What it really looked like
186
00:09:50,724 --> 00:09:53,758
was that there had been
a stress fracture
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00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,661
and that the ship
had broken in two,
188
00:09:56,663 --> 00:10:01,333
and then both pieces spun away
from each other
189
00:10:01,335 --> 00:10:03,501
and eventually sank.
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00:10:03,503 --> 00:10:05,670
Wade: Dave schwab was
a rookie scientist
191
00:10:05,672 --> 00:10:09,608
working on the great lakes
when the fitz disappeared.
192
00:10:09,610 --> 00:10:13,745
When the fitzgerald sank,
no one could understand
193
00:10:13,747 --> 00:10:16,982
how there could be
a storm bad enough
194
00:10:16,984 --> 00:10:20,452
to sink one of these
great lakes freighters.
195
00:10:20,454 --> 00:10:24,756
They were designed to run
through the largest waves
196
00:10:24,758 --> 00:10:26,858
they thought
they would encounter.
197
00:10:29,196 --> 00:10:32,430
Wade:
But what if they came up against
the most unpredictable force
198
00:10:32,432 --> 00:10:35,767
that mariners can face
during a storm --
199
00:10:35,769 --> 00:10:37,569
rogue waves?
200
00:10:37,571 --> 00:10:39,404
Schwab:
Rogue waves are mysterious.
201
00:10:39,406 --> 00:10:42,941
Some oceanographers like to say
that it's a wave that's bigger
202
00:10:42,943 --> 00:10:47,712
than 2 1/2 times the average
waves that are occurring.
203
00:10:47,714 --> 00:10:51,650
Wade: Also known as freak
or killer waves,
204
00:10:51,652 --> 00:10:56,855
rogue waves have been recorded
in the great lakes,
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00:10:56,857 --> 00:10:58,823
and they can be deadly.
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00:11:01,628 --> 00:11:06,164
Rondeau:
Rogue waves are an extremely
real thing on the great lakes
207
00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:08,800
because the water
is not very deep.
208
00:11:08,802 --> 00:11:11,970
A lot of people are surprised by
this because they would think,
209
00:11:11,972 --> 00:11:14,939
"oh, well, you only get really
big waves in the ocean."
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00:11:14,941 --> 00:11:18,376
the thing that makes waves
in a lake body
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00:11:18,378 --> 00:11:21,513
particularly a problem
is that wave energy
212
00:11:21,515 --> 00:11:24,182
has nowhere to go but up.
213
00:11:24,184 --> 00:11:26,084
The great lakes are
really like inland seas,
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00:11:26,086 --> 00:11:27,585
but they have these sides.
215
00:11:27,587 --> 00:11:30,722
So the effects of waves and the
way that waves can be produced
216
00:11:30,724 --> 00:11:33,591
and produced quickly
is rather different.
217
00:11:33,593 --> 00:11:36,261
You can get these very,
very large, very sudden waves.
218
00:11:36,263 --> 00:11:38,930
It's sort of like a big bathtub.
219
00:11:38,932 --> 00:11:42,534
And these waves can be changed
in their shape
220
00:11:42,536 --> 00:11:45,103
by the surrounding topography.
221
00:11:45,105 --> 00:11:48,306
So that means that if it's close
to the shore,
222
00:11:48,308 --> 00:11:50,809
and there is a big wall,
it can bounce off
223
00:11:50,811 --> 00:11:53,878
and just create a wave
with a different pattern
224
00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:58,049
and make that wave grow higher.
225
00:11:58,051 --> 00:12:01,319
Wade:
Lake superior is legendary
for a strange phenomenon
226
00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:03,521
called the "three sisters."
227
00:12:03,523 --> 00:12:07,726
rondeau:
There's an old saying with waves
that waves come in threes.
228
00:12:07,728 --> 00:12:11,429
Oftentimes, the third wave
can be the biggest.
229
00:12:11,431 --> 00:12:14,499
Goodman:
When you have rogue waves
that occur one after another
230
00:12:14,501 --> 00:12:17,702
after another, the ship
doesn't have a chance to recover
231
00:12:17,704 --> 00:12:19,704
after the first one
hitting the ship,
232
00:12:19,706 --> 00:12:21,906
and this can cause it to sink.
233
00:12:21,908 --> 00:12:25,910
Wade:
But how do we discover if rogue
waves appeared on lake superior
234
00:12:25,912 --> 00:12:29,681
on that day more
than 40 years ago?
235
00:12:29,683 --> 00:12:32,317
Oceanographer dave schwab
does what nobody
236
00:12:32,319 --> 00:12:34,319
has ever done before.
237
00:12:34,321 --> 00:12:36,721
He converts the records
of weather conditions
238
00:12:36,723 --> 00:12:39,858
into a detailed
hour-by-hour model.
239
00:12:39,860 --> 00:12:42,927
We could estimate based
on the output
240
00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:44,763
from the meteorological model
241
00:12:44,765 --> 00:12:47,999
what the wave conditions
were at any point in time
242
00:12:48,001 --> 00:12:51,770
and any point in space
during those 3 days.
243
00:12:51,772 --> 00:12:55,073
Wade: Schwab recreates wave
heights across the lake
244
00:12:55,075 --> 00:12:59,944
for every hour during
the ship's tragic crossing.
245
00:12:59,946 --> 00:13:06,184
We basically split the lake
into a number of grid boxes.
246
00:13:06,186 --> 00:13:09,387
Each of those boxes that's
within the lake
247
00:13:09,389 --> 00:13:11,890
is represented in the computer
248
00:13:11,892 --> 00:13:16,828
as a cell that can interact
with wind from the surface
249
00:13:16,830 --> 00:13:19,998
and with its adjacent cells.
250
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,001
Wade: Can this new mapping of
the water's dynamics
251
00:13:23,003 --> 00:13:25,336
bring us a step closer
to understanding
252
00:13:25,338 --> 00:13:28,206
what happened
that terrible night?
253
00:13:28,208 --> 00:13:31,042
The wave model predicted that
the highest waves
254
00:13:31,044 --> 00:13:35,814
were occurring
maybe up to 25 to 30 feet,
255
00:13:35,816 --> 00:13:39,284
and that was exactly the place
where the fitzgerald was
256
00:13:39,286 --> 00:13:41,920
and exactly the time
they were there.
257
00:13:41,922 --> 00:13:45,990
Wade: And the model reveals
one other crucial clue.
258
00:13:45,992 --> 00:13:48,326
As the waves were growing
in height,
259
00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:51,563
the distance between them
was also growing.
260
00:13:55,468 --> 00:13:57,168
Wave crests in the area
261
00:13:57,170 --> 00:14:02,740
the fitzgerald sank were
becoming hundreds of feet apart.
262
00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:07,478
Wade: The same length
as the ss edmund fitzgerald.
263
00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,615
So one end of the ship
is on the crest of one wave.
264
00:14:10,617 --> 00:14:13,184
The other end of the ship
is on the crest of another wave,
265
00:14:13,186 --> 00:14:14,652
and there's nothing
in the middle
266
00:14:14,654 --> 00:14:17,989
to hold that ship above water.
267
00:14:17,991 --> 00:14:20,758
Ortiz-vazquez:
If this ship was so long that
it was actually riding two waves
268
00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,294
at the same time,
and it was on each peak,
269
00:14:23,296 --> 00:14:25,263
then the part of the middle
of the ship
270
00:14:25,265 --> 00:14:27,398
would just be hanging in midair,
271
00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:29,334
and that would create
a lot of stress on the hull.
272
00:14:29,336 --> 00:14:33,371
And if you have very big cargo,
it could just split in half.
273
00:14:33,373 --> 00:14:37,675
The distance between wave crests
becomes longer and longer.
274
00:14:37,677 --> 00:14:42,046
During this storm, I don't know
whether that had some effect
275
00:14:42,048 --> 00:14:44,883
on the dynamics
of the buoyancy of the ship
276
00:14:44,885 --> 00:14:48,219
or how it reacted
to waves that long,
277
00:14:48,221 --> 00:14:52,590
but these are unusually
long waves for the great lakes.
278
00:14:56,162 --> 00:15:00,498
Dave schwab's work offers a new
and very plausible explanation
279
00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:02,834
of the unique set
of circumstances
280
00:15:02,836 --> 00:15:06,037
that could have caused
this terrible tragedy,
281
00:15:06,039 --> 00:15:10,508
but until more evidence is
uncovered, it remains a theory.
282
00:15:10,510 --> 00:15:14,646
And our deep waters often have
a way of swallowing
283
00:15:14,648 --> 00:15:16,414
the evidence we need.
284
00:15:16,416 --> 00:15:24,088
♪
285
00:15:24,090 --> 00:15:28,359
we're used to stories of ufos
spotted in our skies,
286
00:15:28,361 --> 00:15:31,295
mysterious visitors
from outer space,
287
00:15:31,297 --> 00:15:35,400
but could there be alien craft
in our oceans?
288
00:15:35,402 --> 00:15:39,037
In 2004, mysterious
underwater objects
289
00:15:39,039 --> 00:15:41,239
are detected by u.S. Warships
290
00:15:41,241 --> 00:15:44,309
on a training exercise
in the pacific.
291
00:15:44,311 --> 00:15:48,012
It appears that no one knows
what they are.
292
00:15:48,014 --> 00:15:52,083
Can newly declassified
information finally reveal
293
00:15:52,085 --> 00:15:58,556
the secret of what's
going on beneath the surface?
294
00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:02,527
November 14, navy carrier,
the uss nimitz,
295
00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:05,630
is 100 miles off
the coast of san diego.
296
00:16:07,801 --> 00:16:10,969
Reports come in of strange
unidentified objects
297
00:16:10,971 --> 00:16:12,804
in the water.
298
00:16:12,806 --> 00:16:16,975
Four f/a-18 hornets are sent
to investigate.
299
00:16:16,977 --> 00:16:20,144
What they find astounds them.
300
00:16:20,146 --> 00:16:22,613
The pilots observed an object
in the water
301
00:16:22,615 --> 00:16:26,584
roughly the size of a 747,
basically right at the surface,
302
00:16:26,586 --> 00:16:32,090
and the water around it seemed
to be boiling or churning.
303
00:16:32,092 --> 00:16:34,592
For the navy to see an object
they don't recognize
304
00:16:34,594 --> 00:16:36,861
is unbelievable,
305
00:16:36,863 --> 00:16:40,965
but that it's acting this way
is even more mysterious.
306
00:16:40,967 --> 00:16:45,303
Wade: Then the pilots spot
something totally incredible.
307
00:16:45,305 --> 00:16:48,406
The pilots first observed
the bigger object in the water,
308
00:16:48,408 --> 00:16:53,578
but then they subsequently see
a smaller object, about 40 foot,
309
00:16:53,580 --> 00:16:57,648
come up to it, dock with it
and then take off into the air.
310
00:16:57,650 --> 00:17:00,852
Wade: The smaller craft suddenly
starts to move erratically,
311
00:17:00,854 --> 00:17:03,021
pinballing around.
312
00:17:03,023 --> 00:17:06,357
The largest craft disappears
into the depths,
313
00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,293
leaving no trace.
314
00:17:09,295 --> 00:17:12,697
So here we have this
monster-sized
315
00:17:12,699 --> 00:17:16,267
whatever thing bubbling
underwater and going away.
316
00:17:16,269 --> 00:17:19,170
Wade: The smaller craft shoots
off through the sky
317
00:17:19,172 --> 00:17:23,207
with the hornets giving chase.
318
00:17:23,209 --> 00:17:28,646
They describe it as 40 feet long
and shaped like a giant tic tac.
319
00:17:28,648 --> 00:17:32,183
It has no wings or visible
means of propulsion.
320
00:17:32,185 --> 00:17:34,752
They're obviously tracking
a mysterious object.
321
00:17:34,754 --> 00:17:38,256
Wade: And it does something else
that truly defies logic.
322
00:17:38,258 --> 00:17:41,659
It plummets into the water
at incredible speed.
323
00:17:41,661 --> 00:17:44,295
The calculations that they made
of the speed that this went
324
00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:46,931
from about 20,000 feet
to the surface of the sea
325
00:17:46,933 --> 00:17:51,736
was in about a second,
which is completely ridiculous.
326
00:17:51,738 --> 00:17:53,337
Man:
That didn't just happen.
327
00:17:53,339 --> 00:17:56,574
That's obviously traveling
faster than the speed of sound.
328
00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:57,909
Where are the shock waves?
329
00:17:57,911 --> 00:18:01,746
Where are the sound waves
that would emanate from it
330
00:18:01,748 --> 00:18:04,749
and then the physical impact
of going from gas
331
00:18:04,751 --> 00:18:06,217
to the other
medium, liquid,
332
00:18:06,219 --> 00:18:09,487
without having some
kind of catastrophic failure?
333
00:18:09,489 --> 00:18:13,091
Goodman:
What we're seeing doesn't seem
possible in terms of physics.
334
00:18:15,462 --> 00:18:17,995
Wade: Missile cruiser,
the uss princeton,
335
00:18:17,997 --> 00:18:20,765
is also taking part
in the exercise.
336
00:18:20,767 --> 00:18:23,668
Her sonar picks up multiple
small objects
337
00:18:23,670 --> 00:18:26,404
moving through the water.
338
00:18:26,406 --> 00:18:28,106
The fact that these objects
are moving really,
339
00:18:28,108 --> 00:18:30,341
really quickly
through the water,
340
00:18:30,343 --> 00:18:32,243
we simply don't see this.
341
00:18:32,245 --> 00:18:34,979
Wade: The fastest submarine
can reach a maximum speed
342
00:18:34,981 --> 00:18:37,381
of 51 miles per hour,
343
00:18:37,383 --> 00:18:39,717
but these objects are reported
to be traveling
344
00:18:39,719 --> 00:18:44,222
10 times that speed,
over 500 miles per hour.
345
00:18:44,224 --> 00:18:47,425
The science we have today
can't explain it.
346
00:18:47,427 --> 00:18:48,559
Has me boggled.
347
00:18:52,198 --> 00:18:55,266
Evidence of this encounter
remains classified
348
00:18:55,268 --> 00:18:59,904
until the u.S. Military
finally releases it in 2017.
349
00:18:59,906 --> 00:19:02,406
What are these incredible craft
350
00:19:02,408 --> 00:19:05,643
that appear to defy
the laws of physics?
351
00:19:05,645 --> 00:19:09,580
Is this proof of an underwater
alien encounter
352
00:19:09,582 --> 00:19:12,150
or something else entirely?
353
00:19:16,322 --> 00:19:19,957
♪
354
00:19:19,959 --> 00:19:23,961
wade:
In 2017, the u.S. Navy releases
evidence of an encounter
355
00:19:23,963 --> 00:19:27,198
with unidentified
submersible objects
356
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,669
traveling at extraordinary speed
through the pacific ocean.
357
00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:36,073
No known craft can travel
that fast through water,
358
00:19:36,075 --> 00:19:38,743
so what on earth could they be?
359
00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:44,482
While we have planes that can
achieve supersonic speeds
360
00:19:44,484 --> 00:19:49,086
through air,
water is 800 times more dense.
361
00:19:49,088 --> 00:19:51,856
Polakowski:
When objects move through
an underwater environment,
362
00:19:51,858 --> 00:19:54,759
there's a lot more friction
along the hulls of vessels,
363
00:19:54,761 --> 00:19:57,762
so they have to produce
more power to be able
364
00:19:57,764 --> 00:20:00,431
to push through whatever
they're trying to move through.
365
00:20:00,433 --> 00:20:02,800
So in water,
there's more friction,
366
00:20:02,802 --> 00:20:07,071
more barriers to push through,
versus than in the air.
367
00:20:07,073 --> 00:20:10,141
Wade: The interaction between a
fluid and an object's surface
368
00:20:10,143 --> 00:20:13,644
causes a phenomenon
called skin friction drag.
369
00:20:13,646 --> 00:20:16,714
The faster you go,
the more power you need
370
00:20:16,716 --> 00:20:19,483
at an exponentially
increasing rate.
371
00:20:19,485 --> 00:20:21,752
So for something to be going
that fast through water,
372
00:20:21,754 --> 00:20:24,021
it's got to be overcoming
this friction.
373
00:20:24,023 --> 00:20:26,357
Mckay:
There are very real limits
to how fast you can travel
374
00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:27,758
underwater,
375
00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,796
and these objects
completely defy those limits.
376
00:20:31,798 --> 00:20:34,832
Wade: Could they have come
from another world?
377
00:20:34,834 --> 00:20:36,133
Mckay: The first thing that came
to my mind
378
00:20:36,135 --> 00:20:37,635
is that this is a meteorite,
379
00:20:37,637 --> 00:20:40,571
and if it were a meteorite,
you would see a burning rock.
380
00:20:40,573 --> 00:20:42,106
And then you'd see
a gigantic splash
381
00:20:42,108 --> 00:20:44,609
when it eventually
hit the ocean.
382
00:20:44,611 --> 00:20:46,744
There's also the option
it's extraterrestrials,
383
00:20:46,746 --> 00:20:49,080
which is beyond my knowledge
384
00:20:49,082 --> 00:20:52,016
and beyond anyone's
if they're extraterrestrial.
385
00:20:52,018 --> 00:20:54,819
Wade:
But there is one scientific
theory that might explain
386
00:20:54,821 --> 00:20:58,222
how an object could move
through water at great speed
387
00:20:58,224 --> 00:21:01,492
without the involvement
of extraterrestrial beings.
388
00:21:01,494 --> 00:21:04,695
It's a technology
called supercavitation.
389
00:21:04,697 --> 00:21:07,832
Clarke: This is where something
is working in an air bubble,
390
00:21:07,834 --> 00:21:10,401
so instead of it having the
friction of water to deal with,
391
00:21:10,403 --> 00:21:13,070
it's got the friction
of moving through an air bubble.
392
00:21:13,072 --> 00:21:16,040
And the air around it is what's
interacting with the water,
393
00:21:16,042 --> 00:21:18,042
so it's the friction of air
on water,
394
00:21:18,044 --> 00:21:20,511
which, of course,
is very, very small.
395
00:21:20,513 --> 00:21:22,913
So it manages to go
that much faster.
396
00:21:22,915 --> 00:21:24,515
Wade: Over 20 years ago,
397
00:21:24,517 --> 00:21:28,619
russian scientists developed
a supercavitating torpedo
398
00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:32,223
said to travel six times
faster than its predecessors.
399
00:21:32,225 --> 00:21:36,294
The russian shkval torpedo is
alleged to use supercavitation
400
00:21:36,296 --> 00:21:38,863
to achieve unimaginable
high speeds,
401
00:21:38,865 --> 00:21:40,131
but it's never been used
in combat.
402
00:21:40,133 --> 00:21:42,066
So we're not really sure.
403
00:21:42,068 --> 00:21:43,401
Wade:
New evidence is emerging
404
00:21:43,403 --> 00:21:46,237
which suggests the russian
may not be the only ones
405
00:21:46,239 --> 00:21:50,074
working on underwater
supercavitation technology.
406
00:21:50,076 --> 00:21:51,976
Recently, the u.S. Navy
407
00:21:51,978 --> 00:21:54,912
have filed for several
mysterious patents.
408
00:21:54,914 --> 00:21:56,514
Mckay: Three of these patent
are suggestive
409
00:21:56,516 --> 00:22:00,985
of a high-speed aerospace
underwater craft that could
410
00:22:00,987 --> 00:22:03,821
potentially be capable
of these kinds of speeds.
411
00:22:03,823 --> 00:22:06,357
I mean, the other question is,
is this patent really a patent
412
00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:08,059
of something
that already exists,
413
00:22:08,061 --> 00:22:11,062
or is this a patent
where this is the direction
414
00:22:11,064 --> 00:22:15,366
that they're thinking in terms
of developing future technology?
415
00:22:15,368 --> 00:22:17,301
Clarke: Is it something the
americans were developing
416
00:22:17,303 --> 00:22:18,936
and then not admitting
that they had?
417
00:22:18,938 --> 00:22:22,139
Is it something someone else
was developing?
418
00:22:22,141 --> 00:22:25,443
We don't know, so that's
what the mystery is.
419
00:22:25,445 --> 00:22:28,612
Wade: The nimitz sighting
happens in 2004.
420
00:22:28,614 --> 00:22:32,416
The patents aren't lodged
until more than a decade later,
421
00:22:32,418 --> 00:22:35,119
but could they
somehow be linked?
422
00:22:35,121 --> 00:22:36,921
Supercavitation
has never been seen.
423
00:22:36,923 --> 00:22:38,155
It's never really been
demonstrated,
424
00:22:38,157 --> 00:22:39,523
and it's never been proven.
425
00:22:39,525 --> 00:22:42,293
It is entirely a theory
which we're working towards,
426
00:22:42,295 --> 00:22:45,896
so if it was something man-made,
427
00:22:45,898 --> 00:22:50,000
then it is technology which is
yet to be admitted to the world.
428
00:22:50,002 --> 00:22:53,471
Wade: But if this really is
top-secret technology,
429
00:22:53,473 --> 00:22:56,006
why would the u.S. Military
release the footage
430
00:22:56,008 --> 00:22:57,842
and publish the patents?
431
00:22:57,844 --> 00:22:59,410
Mckay:
These sightings are so unusual,
432
00:22:59,412 --> 00:23:02,747
and they defy physics
in so many ways.
433
00:23:02,749 --> 00:23:04,915
And the fact that we know
about it, I think,
434
00:23:04,917 --> 00:23:07,284
is highly unusual, as well.
435
00:23:07,286 --> 00:23:09,687
Wade: There is one possibility
which could explain
436
00:23:09,689 --> 00:23:12,757
the sudden release
of this information.
437
00:23:12,759 --> 00:23:16,060
Clarke:
It could also be the u.S. Navy
putting a ruse out there
438
00:23:16,062 --> 00:23:18,529
to wind up and make
the chinese and the russians
439
00:23:18,531 --> 00:23:19,897
and everyone else
spend a lot of money
440
00:23:19,899 --> 00:23:22,166
on something
which is impossible.
441
00:23:22,168 --> 00:23:24,201
Mckay: Could this have been
a function of war games?
442
00:23:24,203 --> 00:23:26,837
Could one side have been toying
with the other
443
00:23:26,839 --> 00:23:29,073
with some new technology?
444
00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:31,675
That potential exists.
445
00:23:31,677 --> 00:23:34,345
Wade:
So are these extraordinary
sightings a glimpse
446
00:23:34,347 --> 00:23:36,747
into our technological future
447
00:23:36,749 --> 00:23:40,050
or evidence
of extraterrestrial life
448
00:23:40,052 --> 00:23:43,187
or an exercise
in military deception?
449
00:23:43,189 --> 00:23:45,356
The jury is still out.
450
00:23:45,358 --> 00:23:53,297
♪
451
00:23:53,299 --> 00:23:56,901
the ocean floor is littered
with shipwrecks,
452
00:23:56,903 --> 00:24:00,104
possibly as many
as 3 million of them.
453
00:24:00,106 --> 00:24:03,974
Many were sunk in battle
or wrecked by rocks,
454
00:24:03,976 --> 00:24:07,378
and there are some ships
still intact on the seabed
455
00:24:07,380 --> 00:24:11,215
that date back over 2,000 years.
456
00:24:11,217 --> 00:24:13,684
So how could one disappear
457
00:24:13,686 --> 00:24:17,521
from the bottom
of the ocean overnight?
458
00:24:17,523 --> 00:24:19,790
Goodman:
Shipwrecks can't just disappear,
459
00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:21,091
or can they?
460
00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:29,266
♪
461
00:24:29,268 --> 00:24:32,269
wade: I've witnessed up close
the sheer size
462
00:24:32,271 --> 00:24:36,740
and bulk of some sunken vessels,
463
00:24:36,742 --> 00:24:38,142
and for a huge shipwreck
464
00:24:38,144 --> 00:24:42,546
to suddenly vanish from
the seabed seems impossible.
465
00:24:42,548 --> 00:24:45,115
But is it?
466
00:24:45,117 --> 00:24:47,184
Off the coast of borneo
are the wrecks
467
00:24:47,186 --> 00:24:53,023
of three japanese cargo ships
which sank over 70 years ago.
468
00:24:53,025 --> 00:24:54,925
Known as the usukan wrecks,
469
00:24:54,927 --> 00:24:59,430
they become rich,
artificial reefs.
470
00:24:59,432 --> 00:25:02,099
On January 31, 2017,
471
00:25:02,101 --> 00:25:04,902
a team of divers
goes to see the wrecks,
472
00:25:04,904 --> 00:25:07,972
but they've
completely disappeared.
473
00:25:07,974 --> 00:25:11,775
These are documented wrecks
that have just gone missing.
474
00:25:11,777 --> 00:25:14,011
Tuttle: People go back to look
for these wrecks.
475
00:25:14,013 --> 00:25:15,112
They're gone.
476
00:25:15,114 --> 00:25:17,114
There's a giant hole
in the seabed.
477
00:25:17,116 --> 00:25:21,185
Wade:
Where these huge hulks once lay,
nothing but an eerie void
478
00:25:21,187 --> 00:25:24,321
and a few mangled scraps
of metal remain.
479
00:25:24,323 --> 00:25:27,391
You would expect pieces of it
to be left behind,
480
00:25:27,393 --> 00:25:30,294
but to go to a known shipwreck
481
00:25:30,296 --> 00:25:33,931
and to just see a depression
in the sediment there
482
00:25:33,933 --> 00:25:39,103
and virtually nothing left
behind, that is bizarre.
483
00:25:41,741 --> 00:25:44,942
Wade: Many wrecks do slowly
dissolve over time
484
00:25:44,944 --> 00:25:47,378
due to saltwater corrosion,
485
00:25:47,380 --> 00:25:52,716
but the usukan wrecks
disappeared much more suddenly.
486
00:25:52,718 --> 00:25:55,920
How is that possible?
487
00:25:55,922 --> 00:25:59,290
There are a number of theories
about what might have happened.
488
00:25:59,292 --> 00:26:01,825
One of the possible reasons
that's been proposed is
489
00:26:01,827 --> 00:26:04,695
that maybe it has to do
with commercial fishing.
490
00:26:04,697 --> 00:26:08,198
For years, shipwrecks
have been disturbed
491
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,301
by commercial
fishing practices.
492
00:26:10,303 --> 00:26:13,170
Wade: Could the vast net
of a deep-sea trawler
493
00:26:13,172 --> 00:26:14,838
have caught on one of the wrecks
494
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,341
and dragged it
across the seabed?
495
00:26:17,343 --> 00:26:20,277
There's no fishing boat
out there that's going to trawl
496
00:26:20,279 --> 00:26:24,582
and move a huge battleship
on the ocean floor.
497
00:26:24,584 --> 00:26:27,418
Wade: Our deep oceans also have
strong currents
498
00:26:27,420 --> 00:26:30,521
running far
beneath the surface.
499
00:26:30,523 --> 00:26:33,991
Cold temperatures
and high concentrations of salt
500
00:26:33,993 --> 00:26:37,962
make them much denser
than the surrounding water.
501
00:26:37,964 --> 00:26:39,229
Clarke:
We do know some currents
502
00:26:39,231 --> 00:26:42,633
can carve deep forges
through the ocean,
503
00:26:42,635 --> 00:26:45,636
can give really deep trenches.
504
00:26:45,638 --> 00:26:47,104
Wade:
Ocean currents have been known
505
00:26:47,106 --> 00:26:50,874
to move aircraft
debris large distances,
506
00:26:50,876 --> 00:26:53,577
but we're talking about
three huge shipwrecks
507
00:26:53,579 --> 00:26:56,413
weighing thousands of tons.
508
00:26:56,415 --> 00:26:59,083
There is another force that lies
beneath our ocean bed
509
00:26:59,085 --> 00:27:01,352
that could be powerful enough.
510
00:27:01,354 --> 00:27:03,621
Elliott: The ocean floor
is very active geologically.
511
00:27:03,623 --> 00:27:05,222
You only have to look at footage
of the deep ocean
512
00:27:05,224 --> 00:27:08,025
to know there are very strange
things happening down there,
513
00:27:08,027 --> 00:27:12,162
for example, vents giving off
tall columns of gases.
514
00:27:12,164 --> 00:27:14,798
There are underwater
earthquakes and volcanoes.
515
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,267
We're just not normally
aware of them.
516
00:27:17,269 --> 00:27:20,304
Elliott: We do have equipment
which monitors seismic activity
517
00:27:20,306 --> 00:27:22,072
underwater around the world,
518
00:27:22,074 --> 00:27:24,008
but that data doesn't show
any activity
519
00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:27,678
which correlates to where
the ships are disappearing.
520
00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,347
Wade: A deep-sea tremor of
the magnitude necessary
521
00:27:30,349 --> 00:27:31,949
to swallow these ships
522
00:27:31,951 --> 00:27:35,519
would surely have been
picked up by seismic monitoring,
523
00:27:35,521 --> 00:27:39,556
and new evidence has come to
light that deepens the mystery.
524
00:27:39,558 --> 00:27:42,226
The usukan wrecks are not
the only shipwrecks
525
00:27:42,228 --> 00:27:45,095
to have gone missing
in recent years.
526
00:27:45,097 --> 00:27:48,832
This has become
a widespread phenomenon.
527
00:27:48,834 --> 00:27:50,768
Goodman: There's this really
unusual situation happening
528
00:27:50,770 --> 00:27:52,336
right now where, worldwide,
529
00:27:52,338 --> 00:27:56,073
shipwrecks are
seemingly disappearing.
530
00:27:56,075 --> 00:28:00,277
Rondeau: Ships like hms warrior
in danish waters,
531
00:28:00,279 --> 00:28:04,281
the hms repulse
and hms prince of wales
532
00:28:04,283 --> 00:28:07,184
that were sunk in malaysia,
533
00:28:07,186 --> 00:28:10,587
and the question is,
what's going on here?
534
00:28:15,728 --> 00:28:19,563
♪
535
00:28:19,565 --> 00:28:22,733
divers revisiting the site
of three sunken
536
00:28:22,735 --> 00:28:26,637
japanese cargo ships
discover they vanished,
537
00:28:26,639 --> 00:28:30,841
and other shipwrecks across
the world are going missing.
538
00:28:30,843 --> 00:28:33,677
So what's going on?
539
00:28:33,679 --> 00:28:35,946
Mckay:
The fact that it's happening
all over the world
540
00:28:35,948 --> 00:28:38,248
in multiple locations
541
00:28:38,250 --> 00:28:42,619
and in the numbers that we're
seeing, it's a catastrophe.
542
00:28:42,621 --> 00:28:44,888
Wade: Perhaps there's a clue
in the type of ships
543
00:28:44,890 --> 00:28:47,491
that are disappearing.
544
00:28:47,493 --> 00:28:49,660
They have one thing in common.
545
00:28:49,662 --> 00:28:52,763
They were all sunk
in world war ii,
546
00:28:52,765 --> 00:28:57,334
and fragments left at some of
the sites give us further clues.
547
00:28:57,336 --> 00:29:02,906
It appears that these wrecks
have been taken by human hands
548
00:29:02,908 --> 00:29:05,743
in search of one
particular commodity.
549
00:29:05,745 --> 00:29:07,611
Goodman: One of the reasons
that they were disappearing
550
00:29:07,613 --> 00:29:09,646
is because of
the valuable metals
551
00:29:09,648 --> 00:29:11,849
that are in these shipwrecks.
552
00:29:11,851 --> 00:29:17,387
A shipwreck represents a literal
treasure trove of metals.
553
00:29:17,389 --> 00:29:21,925
Brass, copper, there is tons
and tons and tons of metals
554
00:29:21,927 --> 00:29:23,494
in these things.
555
00:29:23,496 --> 00:29:25,129
Wade:
Under international law,
556
00:29:25,131 --> 00:29:27,231
these shipwrecks
remain the property
557
00:29:27,233 --> 00:29:29,566
of the country they came from.
558
00:29:29,568 --> 00:29:31,635
In the case of the usukan
wrecks,
559
00:29:31,637 --> 00:29:33,470
the government had permitted
a company
560
00:29:33,472 --> 00:29:35,906
to do archaeological research,
561
00:29:35,908 --> 00:29:41,078
but someone went a step further
and removed the wrecks entirely.
562
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,749
This is an example of what's
referred to as metal piracy.
563
00:29:45,751 --> 00:29:49,753
These are people who are
illegally salvaging
564
00:29:49,755 --> 00:29:54,658
these shipwrecks,
taking the metal, selling them,
565
00:29:54,660 --> 00:29:57,961
I would presume,
in the black market.
566
00:29:57,963 --> 00:30:00,430
Who are these metal pirates?
567
00:30:00,432 --> 00:30:04,067
We don't know what nations
they normally come from,
568
00:30:04,069 --> 00:30:08,372
what they're underground network
is like.
569
00:30:08,374 --> 00:30:10,841
Wade: Many of these shipwrecks
contain something
570
00:30:10,843 --> 00:30:13,377
that makes them
especially valuable.
571
00:30:13,379 --> 00:30:16,747
World war ii ships are one
of the few remaining sources
572
00:30:16,749 --> 00:30:20,150
of a particularly rare
category of metal.
573
00:30:20,152 --> 00:30:23,420
This metal is highly valuable
because, for most of it,
574
00:30:23,422 --> 00:30:26,523
it was produced before
the second world war,
575
00:30:26,525 --> 00:30:31,628
so it has what's referred to
as the pre-nuclear signature.
576
00:30:31,630 --> 00:30:32,930
We're talking about metal
577
00:30:32,932 --> 00:30:36,633
that was produced
prior to nuclear testing.
578
00:30:36,635 --> 00:30:38,969
Wade: Decades beneath the watery
depths
579
00:30:38,971 --> 00:30:41,805
have protected the ships
from radiation,
580
00:30:41,807 --> 00:30:46,143
which metal above the surface
has been exposed to.
581
00:30:46,145 --> 00:30:47,511
They're called low-grade metals,
582
00:30:47,513 --> 00:30:49,613
which means that they have
a lower radiation value,
583
00:30:49,615 --> 00:30:52,583
and they're very useful
for medical use,
584
00:30:52,585 --> 00:30:55,018
for technological use.
585
00:30:55,020 --> 00:31:00,724
And it's also highly used in
modern scientific equipment,
586
00:31:00,726 --> 00:31:04,361
so there's a big demand
for this kind of metal.
587
00:31:04,363 --> 00:31:07,130
Wade: Metals with little or no
trace of radiation
588
00:31:07,132 --> 00:31:09,399
are able to produce
more accurate readings
589
00:31:09,401 --> 00:31:11,335
for finely tuned instruments
590
00:31:11,337 --> 00:31:13,937
from geiger counters
to space sensors,
591
00:31:13,939 --> 00:31:16,640
so they command
a very high price.
592
00:31:16,642 --> 00:31:18,809
But the idea that these
historic sites
593
00:31:18,811 --> 00:31:22,646
are being picked apart is,
for many people, abhorrent.
594
00:31:22,648 --> 00:31:27,484
There are world war ii wrecks
with world war ii dead on them.
595
00:31:27,486 --> 00:31:29,519
War vessels with war dead
on them
596
00:31:29,521 --> 00:31:32,623
should be considered
war graves and sacred.
597
00:31:32,625 --> 00:31:34,892
Goodman: We're talking about
places where people died.
598
00:31:34,894 --> 00:31:37,327
We're talking about
military battles,
599
00:31:37,329 --> 00:31:39,229
and they're essentially a place
that needs to be honored
600
00:31:39,231 --> 00:31:41,064
and respected.
601
00:31:41,066 --> 00:31:44,334
Wade: Can anything be done to
stop the illegal salvage
602
00:31:44,336 --> 00:31:48,438
before all these irreplaceable
monuments are stolen?
603
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,574
Goodman: These are
well-organized professionals.
604
00:31:50,576 --> 00:31:52,276
They have to have
the right equipment.
605
00:31:52,278 --> 00:31:54,011
It's not cheap.
They're going out there.
606
00:31:54,013 --> 00:31:56,213
They're using commercial diving.
607
00:31:56,215 --> 00:31:58,649
Wade:
It's hard to police something
that's underwater
608
00:31:58,651 --> 00:32:02,386
in vast areas of ocean,
but new satellite technology
609
00:32:02,388 --> 00:32:06,390
could help the authorities
catch the pirates in the act.
610
00:32:06,392 --> 00:32:08,225
Goodman: With all the satellites
that we have today,
611
00:32:08,227 --> 00:32:10,027
if it's clear enough water
and shallow enough,
612
00:32:10,029 --> 00:32:12,896
you can even see the shipwrecks
themselves from space.
613
00:32:12,898 --> 00:32:14,865
They can actually monitor
subtle changes
614
00:32:14,867 --> 00:32:16,266
that are happening
on the surface
615
00:32:16,268 --> 00:32:17,634
where these shipwreck sites are
616
00:32:17,636 --> 00:32:20,437
and be able to recognize
if something is happening.
617
00:32:20,439 --> 00:32:23,373
When you try to move something
as large
618
00:32:23,375 --> 00:32:25,108
as a shipwreck
from the seafloor,
619
00:32:25,110 --> 00:32:28,445
you're undoubtedly going to
leave a large sediment plume,
620
00:32:28,447 --> 00:32:32,950
and landsat can also be used
to detect these sediment plumes
621
00:32:32,952 --> 00:32:36,954
to give some indication of
where wrecks are under threat.
622
00:32:36,956 --> 00:32:39,022
These plumes would show
in discoloration
623
00:32:39,024 --> 00:32:42,225
or differences in water,
and they could give us an idea
624
00:32:42,227 --> 00:32:45,295
that the water
has been disturbed.
625
00:32:45,297 --> 00:32:48,298
Wade: Satellites could provide
vital in helping us to monitor
626
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:53,537
these wrecks and to act quickly
if we spot anything suspicious.
627
00:32:53,539 --> 00:32:58,175
Technology is really our way
to protect these wrecks.
628
00:32:58,177 --> 00:33:00,377
It's important to remember
that these are cultural heritage
629
00:33:00,379 --> 00:33:03,747
artifacts that need
to be preserved for everyone.
630
00:33:06,118 --> 00:33:08,852
Wade: Will these technological
spies in the sky
631
00:33:08,854 --> 00:33:13,223
be enough to turn the tide
on the mysterious metal pirates
632
00:33:13,225 --> 00:33:15,459
before it's too late?
633
00:33:15,461 --> 00:33:22,132
♪
634
00:33:22,134 --> 00:33:24,001
I've been lucky enough
to explore
635
00:33:24,003 --> 00:33:27,270
some amazing
underwater sites,
636
00:33:27,272 --> 00:33:33,310
and among the most jaw-dropping
I've visited are blue holes.
637
00:33:33,312 --> 00:33:36,113
Diving
these deep marine sinkholes
638
00:33:36,115 --> 00:33:39,783
is like venturing
into an abyss.
639
00:33:39,785 --> 00:33:42,886
But what has led to one
particular blue hole
640
00:33:42,888 --> 00:33:48,392
being dubbed the most deadly
dive site in the world?
641
00:33:48,394 --> 00:33:50,527
30 miles east of mount sinai
642
00:33:50,529 --> 00:33:52,929
on the coast of
the egyptian red sea
643
00:33:52,931 --> 00:33:55,732
lies a remarkable
underwater formation
644
00:33:55,734 --> 00:33:58,502
known as
the blue hole of dahab.
645
00:33:58,504 --> 00:34:01,204
The blue hole in dahab,
egypt, is this really,
646
00:34:01,206 --> 00:34:03,306
really special place.
647
00:34:03,308 --> 00:34:07,277
Wade: Dahab's blue hole
is a giant circular sinkhole,
648
00:34:07,279 --> 00:34:11,782
a deep, vertical shaft
surrounded by coral and rock.
649
00:34:11,784 --> 00:34:14,618
Its pristine waters
and proximity to the shore
650
00:34:14,620 --> 00:34:17,554
have lured divers
to it for decades.
651
00:34:20,359 --> 00:34:25,429
But despite its beauty, this
place holds a deadly mystery.
652
00:34:25,431 --> 00:34:27,831
Clarke: The blue hole
of the red sea in egypt
653
00:34:27,833 --> 00:34:30,033
is one of the world's
most mesmerizing
654
00:34:30,035 --> 00:34:32,169
underwater phenomenon.
655
00:34:32,171 --> 00:34:34,838
The trouble is it's also
a death trap.
656
00:34:39,111 --> 00:34:43,880
Wade:
In August 2004, seasoned diver
andrey nikitin embarks on his
657
00:34:43,882 --> 00:34:49,052
first dahab blue hole dive
with his buddy and their guide.
658
00:34:49,054 --> 00:34:50,787
Knowing the challenges
of the site,
659
00:34:50,789 --> 00:34:52,055
he has the right gear
660
00:34:52,057 --> 00:34:56,026
and has even completed
several preparatory dives.
661
00:34:56,028 --> 00:34:59,696
Despite all this,
he never makes it out alive.
662
00:35:02,768 --> 00:35:04,334
Clarke:
This is an experienced diver.
663
00:35:04,336 --> 00:35:06,870
He's well prepared.
He's organized.
664
00:35:06,872 --> 00:35:09,172
It doesn't make sense.
665
00:35:09,174 --> 00:35:11,708
Wade:
This isn't an isolated incident.
666
00:35:11,710 --> 00:35:13,710
The dahab blue hole
is estimated
667
00:35:13,712 --> 00:35:17,380
to have claimed the lives
of around 200 divers,
668
00:35:17,382 --> 00:35:20,784
making it the world's
deadliest dive site.
669
00:35:20,786 --> 00:35:23,220
200 fatalities
for a single dive site
670
00:35:23,222 --> 00:35:26,456
is very, very high.
671
00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:28,825
This makes the blue hole
only second to everest
672
00:35:28,827 --> 00:35:31,428
in terms of the dangers.
673
00:35:31,430 --> 00:35:37,467
It's very alarming for one spot,
for one popular diving spot.
674
00:35:37,469 --> 00:35:39,269
Wade: Is there something lurking
at the bottom
675
00:35:39,271 --> 00:35:40,837
of this underwater chasm
676
00:35:40,839 --> 00:35:45,108
that's luring divers
down to their deaths?
677
00:35:45,110 --> 00:35:47,878
Despite its beauty,
the blue hole is a place
678
00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:51,248
that the local bedouin tribes
have long avoided
679
00:35:51,250 --> 00:35:54,684
because, according to legend,
it's cursed.
680
00:35:54,686 --> 00:35:57,354
There's a bedouin legend of
a young girl who drowned while
681
00:35:57,356 --> 00:35:59,723
trying to escape
an arranged marriage,
682
00:35:59,725 --> 00:36:02,893
and her spirit now haunts it.
683
00:36:02,895 --> 00:36:05,228
This story indicates something
very strange
684
00:36:05,230 --> 00:36:07,364
has been going on there
for some time.
685
00:36:07,366 --> 00:36:09,599
Wade:
The curse of a bedouin bride,
686
00:36:09,601 --> 00:36:12,536
or is there something
more tangible at work here?
687
00:36:16,708 --> 00:36:21,211
♪
688
00:36:21,213 --> 00:36:26,116
dahab's blue hole is the world's
most dangerous dive site.
689
00:36:26,118 --> 00:36:28,485
The bedouin believe
it may be cursed
690
00:36:28,487 --> 00:36:32,189
by the ghost of a local girl
who drowned there.
691
00:36:32,191 --> 00:36:34,357
What is lurking in its depths
692
00:36:34,359 --> 00:36:39,930
that has claimed
the lives of so many divers?
693
00:36:39,932 --> 00:36:44,701
There are many unseen forces
in our oceans that can kill.
694
00:36:44,703 --> 00:36:48,338
The red sea is home to more
than 40 types of shark,
695
00:36:48,340 --> 00:36:50,307
including the tiger shark,
696
00:36:50,309 --> 00:36:54,311
one of the few species
known to bite humans.
697
00:36:54,313 --> 00:36:57,347
It also has deepwater currents
698
00:36:57,349 --> 00:37:03,420
capable of pulling a diver
down in the depths,
699
00:37:03,422 --> 00:37:05,488
but from the evidence so far,
700
00:37:05,490 --> 00:37:08,258
it doesn't seem either of these
factors are responsible
701
00:37:08,260 --> 00:37:10,093
for the deaths at dahab.
702
00:37:12,397 --> 00:37:15,031
Could a new insight help us
to understand
703
00:37:15,033 --> 00:37:18,969
what makes this beautiful
blue hole such a killer?
704
00:37:21,340 --> 00:37:22,806
Figueroa: It's a deep dive.
705
00:37:22,808 --> 00:37:25,075
You want to have training
and experience,
706
00:37:25,077 --> 00:37:28,411
and it's a dive that you want
to have your wits about you.
707
00:37:28,413 --> 00:37:32,315
Its deepest depth
is about 400 feet.
708
00:37:32,317 --> 00:37:37,420
The maximum depth for
recreational divers is 130 feet.
709
00:37:40,726 --> 00:37:44,227
Wade: Diving deep can come with
a dangerous side effect,
710
00:37:44,229 --> 00:37:49,466
something known
as nitrogen narcosis.
711
00:37:49,468 --> 00:37:53,303
Narcosis is having
a high amount of nitrogen
712
00:37:53,305 --> 00:37:54,671
that accumulates in your body,
713
00:37:54,673 --> 00:37:57,774
and that changes your perception
of what's around you.
714
00:37:57,776 --> 00:38:01,411
It's very similar
to being drunk.
715
00:38:01,413 --> 00:38:07,917
Light-headedness,
a little dizzy, you're confused.
716
00:38:07,919 --> 00:38:10,787
They say it's the effect
of drinking a couple martinis
717
00:38:10,789 --> 00:38:13,256
on an empty stomach.
718
00:38:13,258 --> 00:38:16,660
It can have a euphoric effect
on the diver.
719
00:38:16,662 --> 00:38:19,195
They can be afraid
all of a sudden.
720
00:38:19,197 --> 00:38:22,699
They can lose their orientation.
721
00:38:22,701 --> 00:38:25,935
This is not something that you
want to happen to you
722
00:38:25,937 --> 00:38:29,072
when you're at depth.
723
00:38:29,074 --> 00:38:31,107
Goodman: It doesn't matter
how experienced you are.
724
00:38:31,109 --> 00:38:33,243
This will impact your judgment.
725
00:38:33,245 --> 00:38:34,878
It will impact
your decision-making,
726
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:37,480
and it changes
how you respond to things.
727
00:38:37,482 --> 00:38:39,549
This can be totally lethal.
728
00:38:42,354 --> 00:38:45,855
Wade:
And there's another spectacular
feature of the dahab blue hole
729
00:38:45,857 --> 00:38:48,091
that could be involved.
730
00:38:48,093 --> 00:38:51,528
Archaeologist beverly goodman
experienced it firsthand
731
00:38:51,530 --> 00:38:55,231
when she dived
the dahab blue hole in 1997.
732
00:38:55,233 --> 00:38:57,267
You're coming down the side
of the coral wall.
733
00:38:57,269 --> 00:39:00,036
You have this beautiful coral
all around the ring,
734
00:39:00,038 --> 00:39:01,504
and then you're
going down in depth.
735
00:39:01,506 --> 00:39:03,640
And below you, it just goes
into the blue,
736
00:39:03,642 --> 00:39:05,442
and it gets darker and darker.
737
00:39:05,444 --> 00:39:08,978
But then this light starts
coming through this large arch.
738
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:13,083
Wade:
The arch is a strange feature
unique to the dahab blue hole.
739
00:39:13,085 --> 00:39:15,919
At a depth of approximately
170 feet,
740
00:39:15,921 --> 00:39:17,253
it's a mysterious tunnel
741
00:39:17,255 --> 00:39:20,757
that connects the main shaft
to the open sea.
742
00:39:20,759 --> 00:39:23,660
Elliott: Suddenly, you find
yourself into this cavern
743
00:39:23,662 --> 00:39:28,264
which link the sinkhole
with the red sea.
744
00:39:28,266 --> 00:39:31,468
Wade:
Light reflected through the arch
creates a mesmerizing
745
00:39:31,470 --> 00:39:35,105
but incredibly
disorientating effect.
746
00:39:35,107 --> 00:39:37,640
Goodman:
The arch is this incredible
optical illusion.
747
00:39:37,642 --> 00:39:42,312
Clarke:
It is this beautiful passageway
that can appear both small
748
00:39:42,314 --> 00:39:43,780
and large
depending on your position
749
00:39:43,782 --> 00:39:46,483
thanks to the diffraction
of the light going through it.
750
00:39:46,485 --> 00:39:48,385
And then it opens up
to this clear water
751
00:39:48,387 --> 00:39:50,620
going to 1,000 meters.
752
00:39:50,622 --> 00:39:52,422
Wade: It's a huge temptation
for divers
753
00:39:52,424 --> 00:39:56,059
to follow this passageway
out to the open sea.
754
00:39:56,061 --> 00:39:58,795
The dazzling underwater
illusions can make it look
755
00:39:58,797 --> 00:40:00,897
like an easy 30-foot swim.
756
00:40:00,899 --> 00:40:03,233
In fact, it's over 80.
757
00:40:03,235 --> 00:40:05,168
Judging distance underwater
is quite tricky,
758
00:40:05,170 --> 00:40:07,670
especially when
it's clear water.
759
00:40:07,672 --> 00:40:09,973
You really lose perception.
760
00:40:09,975 --> 00:40:13,877
So what you think is close might
not be as close as you think.
761
00:40:13,879 --> 00:40:17,280
What you think is far might
not be as far as you think.
762
00:40:17,282 --> 00:40:19,315
Wade: Could a deadly cocktail
of narcosis,
763
00:40:19,317 --> 00:40:23,953
confusion and optical illusion
be behind these divers' deaths?
764
00:40:23,955 --> 00:40:25,922
Goodman:
You're feeling really good.
765
00:40:25,924 --> 00:40:28,758
You're feeling this is basically
laughing gas at this point,
766
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:30,226
so you're feeling
a little bit high.
767
00:40:30,228 --> 00:40:33,296
You're seeing this beautiful
light coming through.
768
00:40:33,298 --> 00:40:35,732
You're not exactly where
you're supposed to be,
769
00:40:35,734 --> 00:40:40,003
but the draw of going towards
that light
770
00:40:40,005 --> 00:40:43,339
and going through it
is really irresistible.
771
00:40:43,341 --> 00:40:48,344
Being a confused diver at depth
could be fatal.
772
00:40:48,346 --> 00:40:52,282
Wade:
Is the bedouins' ghostly girl
in fact the fatal attraction
773
00:40:52,284 --> 00:40:56,219
of this beautiful
but deadly place?
774
00:40:56,221 --> 00:40:59,389
Humans love to push the limits,
and I don't know if it's humans
775
00:40:59,391 --> 00:41:02,358
are attracted
to these dangerous experiences.
776
00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:07,797
But I think we really enjoy the
spectacularness of the unknown.
777
00:41:07,799 --> 00:41:12,836
♪
778
00:41:12,838 --> 00:41:15,038
we still have so much to learn
779
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:18,608
about the spectacular
underwater realm,
780
00:41:18,610 --> 00:41:24,180
but the deadly dahab blue hole
teaches us a valuable lesson.
781
00:41:24,182 --> 00:41:27,650
The world beneath the waves
is a different dimension
782
00:41:27,652 --> 00:41:30,453
where the normal rules
don't apply,
783
00:41:30,455 --> 00:41:33,323
and we forget that
at our peril.
68010
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