All language subtitles for Equator.From.The.Air.S01E03.WEBRip.x264-ION10

af Afrikaans
ak Akan
sq Albanian
am Amharic
ar Arabic
hy Armenian
az Azerbaijani
eu Basque
be Belarusian
bem Bemba
bn Bengali
bh Bihari
bs Bosnian
br Breton
bg Bulgarian
km Cambodian
ca Catalan
ceb Cebuano
chr Cherokee
ny Chichewa
zh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)
co Corsican
hr Croatian
cs Czech
da Danish
nl Dutch
eo Esperanto
et Estonian
ee Ewe
fo Faroese
tl Filipino
fi Finnish
fr French
fy Frisian
gaa Ga
gl Galician
ka Georgian
de German
el Greek
gn Guarani
gu Gujarati
ht Haitian Creole
ha Hausa
haw Hawaiian
iw Hebrew
hi Hindi
hmn Hmong
hu Hungarian
is Icelandic
ig Igbo
id Indonesian
ia Interlingua
ga Irish
it Italian
ja Japanese
jw Javanese
kn Kannada
kk Kazakh
rw Kinyarwanda
rn Kirundi
kg Kongo
kri Krio (Sierra Leone)
ku Kurdish
ckb Kurdish (Soranรฎ)
ky Kyrgyz
lo Laothian
la Latin
lv Latvian
ln Lingala
lt Lithuanian
loz Lozi
lg Luganda
ach Luo
lb Luxembourgish
mk Macedonian
mg Malagasy
ms Malay
ml Malayalam
mt Maltese
mi Maori
mr Marathi
mfe Mauritian Creole
mo Moldavian
mn Mongolian
my Myanmar (Burmese)
sr-ME Montenegrin
ne Nepali
pcm Nigerian Pidgin
nso Northern Sotho
no Norwegian
nn Norwegian (Nynorsk)
oc Occitan
or Oriya
om Oromo
ps Pashto
fa Persian
pl Polish
pt-BR Portuguese (Brazil)
pt Portuguese (Portugal) Download
pa Punjabi
qu Quechua
ro Romanian
rm Romansh
nyn Runyakitara
ru Russian
sm Samoan
gd Scots Gaelic
sr Serbian
sh Serbo-Croatian
st Sesotho
tn Setswana
crs Seychellois Creole
sn Shona
sd Sindhi
si Sinhalese
sk Slovak
sl Slovenian
so Somali
es Spanish
es-419 Spanish (Latin American)
su Sundanese
sw Swahili
sv Swedish
tg Tajik
ta Tamil
tt Tatar
te Telugu
th Thai
ti Tigrinya
to Tonga
lua Tshiluba
tum Tumbuka
tr Turkish
tk Turkmen
tw Twi
ug Uighur
uk Ukrainian
ur Urdu
uz Uzbek
vi Vietnamese
cy Welsh
wo Wolof
xh Xhosa
yi Yiddish
yo Yoruba
zu Zulu
Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,760 This place, the equator, is easily, hands down, one of the most exciting, 2 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:16,560 most beautiful, most vibrant places on the planet. 3 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,680 [Gordon] I'm Gordon Buchanan, and I'm a wildlife cameraman. 4 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:29,160 I'm travelling the line that runs 25,000 miles 5 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:30,800 around the globe to find out what's happening to our planet. 6 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,320 Here, between the tropics, there are more plant 7 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,000 and animal species than anywhere else on earth. 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,800 Every square inch has some form of life 9 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,160 scurrying or scuffling around. 10 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,360 [Gordon] But today this same region is also home 11 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:58,960 to a staggering 40 percent of humanity. 12 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:04,400 This collision betwe 13 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,720 en man and nature...Oh my goodness. 14 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,120 [Gordon] ...is affecting all of us. 15 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,280 To get to grips with this reality, 16 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,760 experts are investigating the equator from a new angle. 17 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,160 This is one flight that I am very much looking forward to. 18 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,600 Up we go. 19 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,160 [Gordon] From the air. 20 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,960 Wow! 21 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:33,720 I can see something from up here that would be impossible to see from ground level. 22 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,600 [Gordon] From up high, startling discoveries are being made. 23 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,920 Have we passed a new species? 24 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,720 For sure. 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:43,480 Really? 26 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,760 This is really the front line because you see 27 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:46,680 the soya plantations, cattle ranches, illegal activity, 28 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,360 human population growth, it is all here. 29 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,920 [Gordon] Around the equator this aerial view 30 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,040 is changing our relationship with nature... 31 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,440 [Gordon] Oh, got it, got it. 32 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,200 Look at that. 33 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,160 Unbelievable. 34 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:08,600 [Gordon] ...as we race to protect its future and ours. 35 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,520 We live in an incredibly exciting, 36 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,240 pivotal time in our planet's history. 37 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:22,160 When salvation for the natural world could come from above. 38 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,240 I've never seen anything like it.Woo-hoo! 39 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:32,720 [Gordon] How's the adrenaline? 40 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,320 [โ™ชโ™ชโ™ช] 41 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,080 [Gordon] From the Americas to Asia, 42 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,720 the equator tracks across the Pacific Ocean. 43 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,280 It slices through the great mari 44 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,400 ne sanctuary of the Galapagos Islands and crosses nearly 10,000 miles 45 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,600 of open water to reach the Coral Triangle. 46 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,480 I'm setting out to explore this great ocean and its islands. 47 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:12,560 This is by far the largest expanse of water on the planet, 48 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,760 supporting an astounding array of marine life. 49 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,600 Scattered with more than 40,000 islands, 50 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,640 the Pacific is also home to some unique wildlife above the waves. 51 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,320 And it's a place that reminds me of my home. 52 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:47,040 I grew up on an 53 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:48,960 island on the west coast of Scotland in a community where lives and livelihoods 54 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,960 were governed by the sea. 55 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:00,520 But the world's biggest ocean is the lifeblood of our planet. 56 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,680 It sustains nature, it shapes cultures 57 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,000 and it has allowed people to prosper. 58 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:23,960 [Gor 59 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:25,880 don] But today the Pacific is under threat from rising temperatures, from pollution, from overfishing. 60 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:34,120 Only a tiny fraction 61 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,480 of the Pacific's coasts and waters are protected, so I want to meet the people 62 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,640 who are in the race to understand and defend 63 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,080 this rich source of life before it's too late. 64 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:59,680 [Gordon] First, I'm on my way to a place 65 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:00,560 that's been at the forefront of global conservation efforts 66 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,920 for decades. 67 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:08,080 My next destination is the most exciting destination 68 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,600 in my entire career. 69 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,920 I have always wanted to visit. 70 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,160 It's unbelievably exciting. 71 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:23,600 [Gordon] The Galapagos, one of the most important places 72 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,680 on the planet for wildlife. 73 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,000 Thanks to the isolation of these islands, 74 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:34,680 there are species here found nowhere else on Earth. 75 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:43,720 [Radio chatter] 76 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,080 Touchdown. 77 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,000 Ciao, ciao, gracias. 78 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,480 Welcome to the Galapagos Islands. 79 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:01,720 [Gordon] My initial impressions are everything I hoped for. 80 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,920 A sanctuary where wildlife seems to 81 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,920 have nothing to fear. 82 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:13,200 There's life everywhere. 83 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,600 You look into the waters, there are hundreds of fishdarting around. 84 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,840 You look up into the skies and there's so many birds and on the shore. 85 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:23,160 On every square inch, there's some form of life scurrying or scuttling around. 86 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,480 [Gordon] But even here, some animals face 87 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,840 an uncertain future. 88 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:36,280 The Galapagos Marine Reserve was established in 1998 89 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:39,120 to protect this unique ocean habitat. 90 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:45,720 It's an important stopping off point for these bizarre 91 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,160 and beautiful migratory creatures. 92 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,240 Scalloped 93 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,800 hammerhead sharks. Great schools of them co 94 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,920 me together here. But this incredible spectacl 95 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,560 e might not last forever.Because this endangered species is in decline. 96 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,080 I'm on Santa Cruz, one of the 13 main islands here, 97 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,080 where I'm meeting up with a team of hammerhead experts 98 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,960 who are trying to turn things around. 99 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,320 [Gordon] B 100 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,400 uenos dias, buenos dias. [Eduardo] Hey, Gordon, how you doing? 101 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,440 Nice to meet you. Good, good, good. How are you?You too. 102 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,240 I'm Gordon, I'm Gordon. 103 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:30,360 [Gordon] Eduardo Espinosa is a world authority on the plight 104 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,560 of the scalloped hammerhead. 105 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,080 Here in the reserve, the hammerheads are well-protected. 106 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,600 Once they leave, they're at risk. 107 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:48,920 [Gordon] 108 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,760 In 2017, the navy seized a Chinese boat with a huge haul of illegally caught sharks onboard. 109 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,760 Many were hammerheads, 110 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,840 their fins chopped off to sell as a lucrative delicacy. 111 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:06,000 With a hundred milli 112 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,200 on sharks slaughtered annually, the oceans risk losing the top predators 113 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,200 which have such a vital role 114 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:12,920 in preserving a healthy mix of marine life. 115 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,080 [Eduardo] The water is very clear today, so... 116 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:22,360 Yeah, the conditions are great, it's nice and calm. 117 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,080 [Gordon] To protect the scalloped hammerhead, 118 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:26,640 Eduardo is turning his attention to the next generation. 119 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:33,120 Pr 120 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,120 egnant females come to these waters to give birth,but soon leave the pups to their own devices. 121 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,520 So these mother sharks that travel for thousands of miles 122 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,760 in the ocean come here to the Galapagos, 123 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,840 give birth and off they go. 124 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:59,520 [Gordon] Knowing exactly where the young hammerheads go next 125 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,240 will eventually help to make the case for protecting waters 126 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,040 beyond the Galapagos. 127 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,400 Eduardo's aim today is to tag as many as possible, 128 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,320 which means tracking them down 129 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,240 deep within the island's mangroves. 130 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,040 [Gordon] And so the mangroves, it's impenetrable forest, 131 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,760 so it's difficult to see from the water. 132 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,480 Perfect place for baby sharks to hang out. 133 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,520 [Gordon] So if I can help in any way, let me know. 134 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,240 [Eduardo] Yeah, of course. 135 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:32,400 Not just teas and coffees. 136 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:33,240 I wouldn't want that job. 137 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,840 Okay. 138 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,760 [Gordon] Eduardo's scouring the mangroves 139 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,640 for hammerhead nurseries. 140 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,280 And the best way to do that is from the air. 141 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,320 [Gordon] So it looks like a creek that goes in, 142 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:55,480 into the mangroves there. 143 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:16,240 [Gordon] Eduardo spots what seem to be the silhouettes 144 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,360 of young hammerheads. 145 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,920 It's a shark nursery, 146 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,000 a patch of water no bigger than a tennis court, 147 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,280 concealed in waters the size of England. 148 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,160 Eduardo's team only found the first of these in 2017, 149 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,240 and he's now using the drone to search for others. 150 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:50,480 [Gordon] Now we can follow the drone into the mangroves 151 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:51,480 in the hope of tagging some of those precious babies. 152 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:01,960 [Eduardo] It's a beautiful place. 153 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,040 [Gordon] Yeah, it's incredible. [Gordon] Look at that! 154 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:05,560 Such an incredible place. 155 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:06,520 There's a big turtle right in front of us there. 156 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,560 There's life everywhere. 157 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,200 [Gordon] For endangered sharks, these mangroves 158 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,080 are the perfect place to give birth, 159 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,280 teeming with small crustaceans for the babies to eat 160 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,400 but safe from larger predators. 161 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,120 Okay, we're good, we can squeeze through. 162 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,840 Some very skillful boat driving. 163 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,240 Just one more branch to get under. 164 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,040 [Branch snapping] 165 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:38,760 [Gordon] Eventually, we arrive at the spot 166 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:39,400 where Eduardo caught a glimpse of young sharks from the drone. 167 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:52,920 [Gordon] Oh, there's a hammerhead there, look! 168 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:03,040 Okay, here are the hammerheads! 169 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:04,960 I don't think I've ever seen so many sharks in one place. 170 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,640 [Eduardo] Look at them, so beautiful! 171 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,000 [Speaking Spanish] 172 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,160 [Gordon] To closely monitor this population of sharks, 173 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:15,520 the team wants to tag as many babies as possible. 174 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,680 There's definitely two, three. 175 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:25,720 There's at least three hammerheads in this area 176 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,320 that we're just encircling with the net. 177 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:41,240 [Gordon] To fit the tags, 178 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:41,960 the team will be up against the clock. 179 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,240 Okay, we have one! 180 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,600 Okay. 181 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,120 [Gordon] Well done. 182 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:11,520 [Gordon] That is a beautiful shark. 183 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,880 [Gordon] After just 90 seconds out of the water, 184 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,600 the sharks can begin to lose consciousness. 185 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:52,120 [Gordon] Sharks can be revived by mimicking a swimming motion, 186 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,440 to flush water though their gills. 187 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:03,560 [Gordon] Well done! 188 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:04,080 One a half minutes from water to water. 189 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,760 Very impressive. 190 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,960 [Gordon] They're like a well-oiled machine. 191 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:20,240 It's like a Formula 1 car in a pit stop. 192 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:32,160 [Gordon] But there's a problem. 193 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,840 One of the hammerheads isn't responding. 194 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,640 It didn't dart off, which showed that it wasn't breathing 195 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,200 properly, so Eduardo's jumped in. 196 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,440 Just make sure fully 197 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,840 breathing before he lets it go. 198 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,760 [Gordon] I'm struck by how determined Eduardo is 199 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,400 to care for every single shark. 200 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:27,240 Finally revived, this pup returns to its nursery. 201 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,640 With numbers so low, they all matter. 202 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:49,520 [Gordon] This is just the start of Eduardo 203 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:50,240 and his team's tagging project and aerial tools will be key. 204 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,600 [Gordon] And I feel very lucky to be here 205 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:08,320 to watch you do this work, it's been amazing. 206 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:24,160 [Gordon] The protection of nature in the waters 207 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,680 of the Galapagos is critical, but despite strict controls on development, the ever-increasing presence 208 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:30,480 of humans on the land has unintended consequences 209 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,600 for some wildlife. 210 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,560 Including the island's most iconic animal, 211 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,240 the extraordinary and ancient giant tortoise. 212 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,760 In the car in front there are some giant tortoise scientists, 213 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,440 and we're on our way to try and find some. 214 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,560 How are you? 215 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,440 I'm Gordon. 216 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:03,760 Hey. Hi.I'm Ainoa, nice to meet you. Hi, Diego. 217 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:04,720 Hi, nice to meet you, Diego. 218 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:05,760 Hi, nice to meet you. 219 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,080 How are you doing? 220 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:09,200 [Gordon] Once, giant tortoises roamed across four continents. 221 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:14,840 Hunted almost to ext 222 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,440 inction, only two precious groupsnow remain in the wild, one in the Seychelles 223 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,200 and the other right here. 224 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,360 So that big fellow on the far side, 225 00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:29,640 the biggest one, he could be a hundred years old? 226 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,640 [Diego] Easily. [Gordon] Amazing. 227 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:38,320 [Gordon] Are you getting signal yet? 228 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,080 [Diego] Yep, the signal is getting stronger. 229 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,520 [Gordon] The team is trying to make sure this fragile species 230 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,040 doesn't disappear entirely, 231 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,080 which means keeping the population 232 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:50,200 under close surveillance. 233 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:55,320 So 234 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:55,640 we're using the telemetry equipment, the radio tag, just to zone in somewhere in front. 235 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:02,800 [Gordon] W 236 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:04,200 e're on the trail of one of the dozensof critically endangered tortoises that have been fitted 237 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,320 with G.P.S. transmitters. 238 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:08,040 [Ainoa] You can hear how strong the sound is now. 239 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,720 [Gordon] Oh my goodness, this is incredible. 240 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:22,320 Watch she doesn't move. 241 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:28,160 [Gordon] Today, they're checking for any viruses 242 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:29,480 or bacteria introduced from the outside world. 243 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,080 [Ainoa] 99.6. 244 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,520 [Gordon] 99.6. 245 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,240 [Ainoa] And this is 115. 246 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,160 It looks like the underside of a four-wheel drive vehicle 247 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,440 that I had. 248 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:53,760 We're gonna collect a blood sample. 249 00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:02,680 We wanna assess if the tortoises 250 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,000 are carrying antibiotic resistance. 251 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,640 It develops because we are having so much antibiotics. 252 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:11,240 What, human beings are? 253 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,880 Human beings, but also we are using it foranimal food production. 254 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:16,960 So we give it to the cows or our farm animals, 255 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,800 they can contaminate the water, they can contaminate the soil, 256 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,240 and the tortoises are sharing the same environment. 257 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:27,520 [Tortoise breathing loudly] 258 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,120 [Gordon] Some of these tortoises now carry bacteria 259 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:33,000 that are resistant to antibiotics. 260 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,640 [Ainoa] And now we can process the samples. 261 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,960 [Gordon] The bacteria don't harm the tortoises, 262 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,360 but this is more evidence that the antibiotics we depend on 263 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:44,520 are growing less effective. 264 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:45,880 Discovering this in such a far-flung ecosystem is alarming. 265 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,680 Humans also created a more immediate challenge 266 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,120 when we unleashed an unlikely alien predator 267 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:03,600 on these islands. 268 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,520 [Gordon] Brought here over a century ago, 269 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,960 domesticated pigs have now gone feral. 270 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,320 And they've been decimating each generation of baby tortoises 271 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,000 ever since. 272 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,280 To reduce this disastrous toll, the team wants to protect 273 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,120 nesting sites and they've turned to aerial technology. 274 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:30,680 So at the start of your career, did you ever imagine 275 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,000 that something like this was possible? 276 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:34,960 Not at all, not at all. 277 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:36,400 It's crazy. 278 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,120 Let's take off. 279 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,000 [Drone buzzing] 280 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,400 [Gordon] What they plan to create 281 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,160 is an image of incredible detail. 282 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,920 [Gordon] What direction do we want to go? 283 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:53,600 [Gordon] A plant-by-plant, rock-by-rock digital map 284 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,760 of this entire 60-square-mile territory. 285 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:01,640 [Gordon] Camera pointing down? 286 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,640 Yes, we can just turn a little bit. To be able to fly over a great area 287 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:09,200 and have more information is amazing. 288 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,360 And what the drone is going to do 289 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:15,120 is it's taking an image every two seconds 290 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,000 and a programme can put all that information together 291 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,000 to create a 3D model. 292 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,800 [Gordon] That model 293 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,080 will help them identify the best areas for nesting.They can then use G.P.S. 294 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,680 to search for pregnant females, and finally, 295 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,400 nests can be covered with wire mesh to keep out the pigs. 296 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,000 The first nests have already been protected 297 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,160 and the next generation is feeling the benefits. 298 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,880 565, that's it. 299 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,600 On we go. 300 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:56,560 Oh! 301 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,040 So I'm getting the strongest signal in this direction. 302 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,440 Very strong, in fact. 303 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:07,800 I don't wanna stand on her. 304 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,440 [G.P.S. beeping] 305 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:12,800 [Gordon] I see. 306 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:13,720 I do see her, I see her. 307 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,200 [Diego] This is Deana. 308 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:17,480 Oh wow, that is amazing. 309 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,840 That is great. 310 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,920 She is beautiful. 311 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,120 Ah, so one day, all being well, 312 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:32,160 she is going to be the size of a fridge, 313 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,560 walking about this forest. 314 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:41,240 [Diego] Mm-hmm, it's really important 315 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:42,480 to protect this critical area for their survival, so that these little giants or giants-to-be can thrive. 316 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,200 288. 317 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,200 She's very cute. 318 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,520 When you see a tortoise of this size, 319 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:57,200 you realise that survival is tough here. 320 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:02,520 [Gordon] P 321 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,120 rotecting each individual nest and monitoring the tortoises one by one, 322 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:07,560 these scientists are laying the foundations 323 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:08,920 for a better future for giant tortoises. 324 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:19,720 What's inspired me here in the Galapagos 325 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,400 is the attention to detail being devoted 326 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:23,920 to the fight against extinction. 327 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,680 But for the vast majority of the Pacific's equatorial waters, 328 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,360 it's a different story. 329 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:39,920 Up, up and away. 330 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:45,080 [Gordon] Directl 331 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,320 y east of the Galapagos lies one of the mostdegraded marine habitats in this entire ocean. 332 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,880 [Gordon] On Ecuador's western coastline, 333 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,400 the port of Guayaquil sits a hundred and fifty miles 334 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,080 south of the equator. 335 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,760 [Gordon] I'm headed just outside the city 336 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,120 to see something I've heard you can only really appreciate 337 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:09,280 from above. 338 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,400 More than two thirds of Ec 339 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,320 uador's mangrove forests are found right here. 340 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,720 A vital refuge and 341 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:22,440 feeding ground for all kinds of marine life. 342 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,360 [Gordon] There's something about mangrove forests.They don't get the same attention as rainforests, 343 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:31,560 but they are as equally valuable. 344 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,480 So you're talking about thousands of different species 345 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,040 benefitting from these ecosystems. 346 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,640 [Gordon] But since 1980, Ecuador has cleared more than 347 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,440 200 square miles of its mangroves, 348 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,120 making way for giant ponds 349 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:55,520 containing one of the world's most popular types of seafood. 350 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:01,520 Shrimp. 351 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,000 And this region has lost a th 352 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,040 ird of a habitat that's home to a stunning variety of species. 353 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,920 It's this typically human thing of trying to 354 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,640 make things easy 355 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:19,600 for ourselves and without ever having an eye on the future 356 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,000 and without really addressing what we're doing to the planet. 357 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,600 And the one reason that they're being destroyed in this case 358 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,160 is so that we can have eat-all-you-want shrimp. 359 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:35,400 [Gordon] With Earth's hu 360 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,000 man population booming, farming the world's waters is an increasingly important way 361 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,720 to keep us all fed. 362 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:43,720 But when the ocean is exploited like this, 363 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:47,760 nature pays the price. 364 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,760 [Gordon] When you get up in the air, 365 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:51,480 you see a landscape that has been utterly, 366 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,200 utterly devastated. 367 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,800 [Gordon] Thankfully, Ecuador has now put a stop 368 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:59,680 to further clearing of its mangroves. 369 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:04,200 Muchas gracias. 370 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,160 [Gordon] But right across this ocean, 371 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:07,680 habitats are now threatened by human interference. 372 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:16,000 So to meet the people fighting back on behalf of nature, 373 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,320 I'm heading for one of the most beautiful and most remote 374 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,160 corners of the Pacific. 375 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,360 Ten thousand miles west of Ecuador, the equator reaches the Coral Triangle 376 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:31,520 and one of the hidden jewels of the world's oceans. 377 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,120 Raja Ampat. 378 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,680 Belonging to Indonesia, Raja Ampat is an archipelago 379 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,200 of coral islands that extends over 15,000 square miles. 380 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,920 [Gordon] Oh my God! 381 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,160 Look at that! 382 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:04,880 [Gordon] Below me is a breath-taking patch 383 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:05,520 of one of the least-explored reef systems in the world. 384 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,360 [Gordon] Never seen anything like it. 385 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:15,680 Wow! 386 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,800 [Gordon] A quarter of all known marine species 387 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:25,320 depend on coral reefs for their existence. 388 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:31,040 And we're only just 389 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:31,960 starting to realise how important these ones are. 390 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,880 We're talking about an abundance of life that rivals and beats 391 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,240 any part of any of the world's great oceans right here. 392 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:05,600 [Gordon] But much of the Coral Triangle 393 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,520 has only patchy protection. 394 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,680 So I'm here to meet the pioneers 395 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:12,480 who are racing to defend the world below the surface. 396 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,480 To navigate the region, the crew and I will be travelling 397 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,400 on the Putiraja. 398 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,040 Today, we're heading to 399 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:36,040 the island of Misool. 400 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:40,080 [Gordon] What do you think, Josephine? 401 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:41,600 Is it clearing up? 402 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,320 I think it's clearing up. 403 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,440 You can see the sun is coming out. 404 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,760 Hopefully getting better. 405 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:48,680 Fingers crossed. 406 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,280 Mm-hmm. 407 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:05,200 [Gordon] I'm meeting Andy Miners... 408 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,560 This is Andy coming now. 409 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,200 [Gordon] ...a British conservationist 410 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,640 who wants to bring this exceptional habitat to the world's attention 411 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,440 and to try and give it the protection it needs. 412 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,720 [Gordon] We've set it up like this 413 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:19,240 to make it difficult for pirates! 414 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,840 Whoa! 415 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,280 Welcome aboard. 416 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:25,200 How you doing? Morning. 417 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,520 I'm good, yeah. 418 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:29,320 Woo! 419 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,400 [Gordon] Well done. 420 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:32,760 [Andy] Bit choppy this morning.[Gordon] It is! 421 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:33,680 Do you want a cup of tea? 422 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:34,960 [Andy] Yeah, love it. 423 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:36,480 [Gordon] While searching the area for dive sites, 424 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,960 Andy made a remarkable discovery. 425 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,240 We were exploring in this area and I saw on an old Dutch map 426 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:47,520 that a ship had reported a shadow. 427 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:49,640 And so we cruised out over there and we spent a couple of hours 428 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,120 going round and round in circles and in the end 429 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,120 I decided the best way was to climb right up 430 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:55,520 to the top of the mast to get the best view 431 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,520 and get really high up. 432 00:29:58,520 --> 00:29:59,160 And that's when I spotted this reef, 433 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:00,960 so it's fantastic. 434 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,120 See, I love that. 435 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,560 There's no technology involved. 436 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:05,680 An old book and a bit of scrambling. 437 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,760 Yeah, that's right. 438 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,440 [Gordon] Andy had spotted the submerged peak of a seamount. 439 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:16,000 These underwater mountains rise up from t 440 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,480 he ocean floor to a summit that lurks just beneath the waves. 441 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,080 [Gordon] And I want to see this one for myself. 442 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,960 Yeah, on windy, choppy days like today, 443 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,880 it feels like a lot of effort to get out to go for a dive, 444 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:42,920 but once you get under, it's all worth it. 445 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:48,280 Right, let's get in. 446 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,720 I've come this far. 447 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,800 Good? 448 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:04,240 [Gordon] There's a greater diversity of coral in Raja Ampat 449 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,280 than anywhere else on the planet. 450 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,040 Fifteen hundred species of fish 451 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:16,440 have been spotted in these waters. 452 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:22,240 But right he 453 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,760 re, deflected upwards by the seamount, deep-sea currents bring even more nutrients for life 454 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:28,040 to feast on. 455 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:32,280 No wonder Andy has 456 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:36,560 called it "Magic Mountain." 457 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,240 It's a magnet for visitors, including sharks and turtles. 458 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,280 And it's the only place in the world 459 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:55,600 with a four-metre reef manta ray and its even larger cousin, 460 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,560 the oceanic manta, have been seen side-by-side. 461 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,440 They take a pit stop here and get a scrub down from other fish 462 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:10,960 before continuing their epic journeys across the ocean. 463 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,960 Any damage to this world-class reef 464 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,160 would have a huge impact on all these beautiful creatures. 465 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,400 Amazing! 466 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:44,200 Fabulous. 467 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:45,880 [Laughing] 468 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,920 Whoa, that is hard to beat. 469 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:57,040 I'd say that's unbeatable. 470 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:58,880 You reckon there's other places like that still out there? 471 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:04,000 Absolutely, yeah. 472 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:05,280 As we do more stuff with the drones and we get better sort of visuals, I think we're gonna find many more. 473 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,560 [Gordon] I know from experience 474 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:14,800 that you just don't find sea life like this 475 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,280 in much of the ocean anymore. 476 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:22,360 What we've seen today has convinced me of how important it is to safeguard reefs like this 477 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,960 as soon as possible. 478 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,160 I keep on closing my eyes and thinking back, 479 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:32,040 everything that I've seen, and it's unimaginable. 480 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:39,440 These reef systems are home to record-breaking biodiversity. 481 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:48,640 A place that rivals the great Amazonian rainforest 482 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,920 in its abundance and diversity of life. 483 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,640 [Gordon] If these reefs were damaged, 484 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:05,320 we'd lose not one or two species but thousands. 485 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,120 And the threat is very real. 486 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:19,720 Rogue fishermen use explosives and even cyanide 487 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:22,560 to harvest sea life in this area, 488 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,680 destroying coral in the process. 489 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,520 [Gordon] But Andy is among the keen conservationists 490 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,680 now taking action. 491 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:43,720 He's 492 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:46,280 leasing a corner of Misool to create his very own no-fishing zone, which his team defend from the skies. 493 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:53,000 How you doing? 494 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,280 Reckon it's gonna rain? 495 00:34:55,280 --> 00:35:00,120 Yeah, that big dirty rain cloud's coming this way. [Gordon] Mark Atkinson helps 496 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,480 monitor for illegal fishing. With no government aircraft to scan these waters, 497 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,000 the team bought their own remote-controlled plane 498 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,280 and kitted it out with cameras. 499 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:14,080 What might look like a toy 500 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:15,240 is the frontline of defence against invaders. 501 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:19,640 [Gordon] How effective is this, 502 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,920 using aerial technology in this way? 503 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,240 I think it's very effective if you can get it to a point where 504 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:27,440 it's reliable. 505 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:27,920 If it's reliable, it's gonna be the next big thing, right? 506 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,440 Here we go. 507 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:35,080 [Mark] Let's see how this goes. 508 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:36,320 [Plane engine revving] 509 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:42,480 [Gordon] Easy as that. 510 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,120 So up there I have three different cameras on board. 511 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,240 So that's a video camera that's recording. 512 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:50,320 It's the same as the flight camera. 513 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,280 [Gordon] And if you saw a boat down there, 514 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,600 you could just go into a circle? 515 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:56,520 [Mark] Yep, just circle around 'em and watch 'em. 516 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,120 There's a boat right there in front of us. 517 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:00,360 [Gordon] Oh yeah. 518 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:05,000 [Gor 519 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:06,560 don] This boat's legit. But if they spot one that looks illegal, 520 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:07,560 they'll alert the authorities. 521 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:17,360 [Gordon] Since creating the no-fishing zone, 522 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:18,320 stocks have risen by up to 600 percent, 523 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:24,240 an astonishing result. 524 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:26,600 And locals are starting to see earnings from fishing 525 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:28,200 replaced by income from the fledgling tourism trade. 526 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:35,880 [Gordon] But there's one threat to our oceans that's much harder 527 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,280 to defend against. 528 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:43,400 As our seas warm up, coral is dying. 529 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:47,560 Some predictions suggest the vast majority 530 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,160 could disappear this century. 531 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:55,320 Scientists urgently want to 532 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,160 know how each type of coral will react to warming seas. 533 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:05,320 And they believe that one secret corner of Raja Ampat 534 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,640 holds precious clues. 535 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:13,280 Today, I'm meeting two trailblazing mar 536 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:15,080 ine biologists, who are using these islands to look into a possible future. 537 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:20,840 [Gordon grunting] 538 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:21,720 All aboard. 539 00:37:21,720 --> 00:37:23,320 [Augustine] All aboard. 540 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:24,200 [Gordon] Where abouts are you from? 541 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:25,160 [Augustine] I'm from Sumatra. 542 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:27,720 [Gordon] Oh, okay. 543 00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:31,040 Us Northern Europeans feel quite at home in this weather. [Augustine laughing] 544 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,240 [Gordon] Christiaan de Leeuw and Augustine Capriati 545 00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:36,000 are using aerial technology to hunt for marine lakes, 546 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,760 rare geological features at the heart of their research. 547 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:49,320 So quite likely no one has ever, ever been to those places? 548 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:51,720 That would be my guess, yeah, for sure. 549 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:57,920 [Gordon] Until now, today's target lake 550 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:00,240 has only ever been glimpsed from a plane. 551 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,200 It's hidden amid thick jungle and jagged cliffs. 552 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:09,800 It looks like a lost world. 553 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,400 [Gordon] But now, to find a route into these hidden spots, 554 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,600 Christiaan and Augustine can turn to their drone. 555 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,080 [Drone beeping] 556 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,920 [Christiaan] Yes, there they are. 557 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:38,440 So there's two next to each other. 558 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:41,720 [Gordon] Wow. 559 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:44,040 [Gordon] Marine lakes are filled with salt water 560 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,440 but almost completely cut off from the surrounding ocean. 561 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,880 Of the 200 thought to exist worldwide, 562 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,000 more 50 are here in Raja Ampat. 563 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,000 Spectacularly beautiful. 564 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:58,800 [Christiaan] Yeah, they're so blue. 565 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:03,320 The bluest blue I've seen on the water, you know? 566 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:06,480 [Gordon] These lakes are both warmer 567 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:08,320 and more acidic than seawater. 568 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,040 That means they perfectly match the ocean conditions 569 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:12,920 predicted for the end of this century. 570 00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:18,560 The question is how are corals faring in these warmer waters? 571 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:26,200 In the marine la 572 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,200 kes in this area, there's actually a species that've been found 573 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,280 that haven't been found anywhere else in the world. [Gordon] That is phenomenal. 574 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,920 [Christiaan] Whatever's in here is really isolated 575 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,080 from the surrounding sea. 576 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:37,320 I do actually think this is kind of promising. 577 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,120 [Christiaan] <Inaudible> minute, Ali? 578 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:41,880 [Ali] Maybe ten minutes. 579 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,040 [Christiaan] Ten minutes? 580 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,600 Really excited at the prospect of walking in there, 581 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,160 and I'm a bit concerned about it because it's risky. 582 00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:00,560 Okay. 583 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:02,760 No glove, no lake. 584 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:04,200 Right, okay. 585 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:12,240 Let's go. [Gordon] The lake 586 00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:14,760 is 100 metres away... A little bit slidey here to begin with. 587 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:19,240 Watch yourself. 588 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:20,320 [Gordon] ...but it's over a steep, craggy hill. 589 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,320 [Gordon] God, it's so sharp. 590 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,080 Ridiculous. 591 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,320 So good so far. 592 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:29,520 [Christiaan] Try where you put your foot first, 593 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:31,280 try with all your weight. 594 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,320 [Gordon] Yeah. 595 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:34,720 Oh, watch, there's a big loose rock here. 596 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:37,360 [Augustine] Yeah. 597 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,440 [Gordon] Not m 598 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,840 uch to grab onto there. 599 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,680 There's our lake. 600 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,800 Cool. 601 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:53,120 Very cool indeed. 602 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,680 [Christiaan] It's such a relief, right? 603 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,160 Yeah, right. 604 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,800 I think we should get in. 605 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:07,600 Treasure awaits. 606 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:09,600 Let's go. 607 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,000 [Gordon] As far as we know, 608 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,360 we're the first people ever to explore these waters. 609 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,840 Whilst Christiaan and Augustine start their search 610 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:26,760 to see what survives in the lake, I take some measurements. 611 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:33,840 It's 28 metres deep. 612 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,520 And at 31 degrees Celsius, it's two degrees warmer 613 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:40,320 than the surrounding sea, exactly as forecast 614 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,000 for world's oceans in 80 years' time. 615 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:50,600 And it's immediately obvious that the balance of life here 616 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:54,320 bears little resemblance to the open ocean. 617 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:56,800 Instead of coral, the rocks are dominated by far less colourful 618 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,440 masses of sponge. 619 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:05,320 The 620 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,040 community of species is totally different than what you would find in the sea. 621 00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:08,720 So there's more sponges, molluscs and all these anemones, 622 00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:13,200 they're all over the place. 623 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,560 You never see such high densities in other lakesor in the ocean. 624 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:17,880 [Gordon] But then after a long search surrounded by sponges, 625 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:21,680 we find something amazing. 626 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,960 A solitary species of coral. 627 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:29,280 Against the odds, it seems 628 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:31,240 to be thriving, even in the warmer waters of the lake. 629 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:49,000 It is a magical place, it really is. 630 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,920 Well worth the small walk through the forest. 631 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,600 [Chuckling] 632 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:56,760 That was nothing. 633 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:57,440 [Gordon] This was the 36th lake the team has explored. 634 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:09,080 [Christiaan] This looks different from the <inaudible> 635 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,480 in the other lakes, right? 636 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:13,680 [Gordon] The species we catalogued today 637 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,320 will add to a growing list of candidates 638 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:17,760 that might be able to survive in the oceans of the future. 639 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:21,440 This is a type of genus of sponges, 640 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:22,880 and I've never seen this particular type 641 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:25,800 in a lake before. 642 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:27,800 We can see here, like here, 643 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:28,880 there's only multiple sponge species and a type of coral. 644 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:34,320 I'm very excited about this. 645 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:37,040 [Gordon] By identifying the species that could endure, conservationists can start to devise strategies 646 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,680 to try and preserve coral reefs into the future. 647 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:43,360 The type of coral is not only stone coral 648 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:45,080 but also like a plate coral. 649 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,440 [Christiaan] Yeah. 650 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:48,560 How do they survive? 651 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:51,520 Yeah. 652 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,600 [Gordon] It's up to you guys to try and find out. [Christiaan] We'll keep you updated. 653 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:57,280 [Gordon] But as scientists look for the best path forwards, 654 00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:58,080 there are also lessons to be learned from the past. 655 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:05,920 Before I leave this part of the equator, 656 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,280 I'm heading fifteen miles along the coast 657 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,480 where I've heard about an ancient tradition 658 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:11,480 that's kept one stretch of ocean in rude health. 659 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:31,680 [Gordon] I've come to the fishing village of Folley, 660 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:34,240 where what I would call modern sustainable living 661 00:44:34,240 --> 00:44:37,440 has been practised for generations. 662 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,960 It's quite something to be part of a ceremony like this. 663 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:47,840 The tree is an offering to the ancestors. 664 00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:52,400 And it's the ancestors who will play a part 665 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:53,520 in providing a good harvest this year. 666 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:11,640 [Gordon] For generations, 667 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:13,120 the people here have been performing the ritual of Sasi. 668 00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:18,120 Sasi translates as "forbidden." 669 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:21,760 What's forbidden here is for anyone to fish these waters 670 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:25,240 for 50 weeks of the year. 671 00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:28,040 Anyone caught breaking the Sasi oath 672 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:31,080 is fined, or even cursed. 673 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:35,040 [Gordon] But with this offering, 674 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:36,680 the waters are now being opened up 675 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:38,680 for the annual two-week harvest. 676 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:42,360 What they're trying to safeguard is thi 677 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:47,720 s strange-looking thing, 678 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:51,400 the sea cucumber. 679 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:55,560 Related to the sea urchin a 680 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,120 nd starfish, they play a vital role, cleaning the reef of waste 681 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:00,280 and keeping coral healthy. 682 00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:08,200 They also provide an income, because sea cucumbers 683 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,520 sell as prized delicacies in Asia. 684 00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:21,120 So for just two weeks, the people of Folley will harvest 685 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:22,880 these peculiar creatures from dusk til dawn. 686 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:35,720 It's a new day, 687 00:46:35,720 --> 00:46:37,120 and the community will have been capitalising 688 00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:40,000 on last night's low tide. 689 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,160 So I'm heading back to the island 690 00:46:42,160 --> 00:46:43,200 to find out how they've got on. 691 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:52,400 Whoa, what a haul. 692 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,880 There's some weight in this. 693 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:57,440 A share in the profits. 694 00:46:57,440 --> 00:46:58,760 [Gordon] Nahimya Fatimpol has fished these waters 695 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,360 since he was a boy. 696 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:02,760 How much do you think you'll have made in just one night? 697 00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:09,440 [Gordon] Wow! 698 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:13,640 Round about $100 for a dried kilo. This is gold. 699 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:17,720 Rather unusual looking gold. 700 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:19,160 [Gordon] The people here depend hugely on selling sea cucumbers 701 00:47:19,160 --> 00:47:22,680 on the international market. 702 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:24,440 But despite the temptation of big profits, 703 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,320 they don't overfish. 704 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:30,080 [Gordon] It looks like a monster. 705 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:31,040 [Gordon] In a fortnight's time, all harvesting will cease 706 00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:35,000 until the following year, 707 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:35,880 allowing the sea cucumbers to replenish. 708 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:42,920 As the harvest celebrations get under way, 709 00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:44,080 I meet Folley's cultural leader, Yefta Machun. 710 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:50,640 I'm Gordon, pleased to meet you. 711 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:14,080 I love this, I love this, the ceremony of it. 712 00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:17,480 You can walk down this street and think that maybe, 713 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:20,360 kind of, a lot of the old ways and traditions are gone 714 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:23,120 and they are very, very much alive. 715 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:25,360 This is it, right here. 716 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:32,200 [Gordon] What's heartening is that the Sasi is now supported by local government and N.G.O.s. 717 00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:38,400 They're monitoring 718 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:40,720 its effects and helping to protect the waters at stake. 719 00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:44,160 There's a growing recognition that the Sasi is profitable 720 00:48:44,160 --> 00:48:46,600 and that it allows sea life to bounce back. 721 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:11,200 [Gordon] As I reach the end of my time in the Pacific, 722 00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:14,120 I think we could all learn something 723 00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:15,560 from the people of Folley. 724 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:29,640 This is one of the most... 725 00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:31,240 not just the most extraordinary parts of the equator, 726 00:49:31,240 --> 00:49:33,000 it is one of the most extraordinary parts 727 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:34,400 of our planet. 728 00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:42,720 And I think there's a lot to be proud of. 729 00:49:42,720 --> 00:49:45,000 We kind of tend to beat ourselves up as human beings, 730 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:47,320 because we see so much destruction 731 00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:49,840 that we are responsible for. 732 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:51,160 But here is an example of people working together. 733 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:56,000 So people with kind of bold ideas, 734 00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:58,040 people with sort of motivation, people with a sort of 735 00:49:58,040 --> 00:50:00,680 dream to protect and reinstate nature's balance, 736 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:04,120 and it is amazing what can be done 737 00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:06,720 if you get the right people on board. 738 00:50:06,720 --> 00:50:09,000 You get communities to come together, 739 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:10,880 and you employ science and technology 740 00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:14,400 in a really positive way. 741 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:15,720 And that's what I love. 742 00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:22,440 [Gordon] This Pacific leg of my journey 743 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:23,640 has transformed the way I think about our oceans. 744 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:33,080 Looking from above, it's clear that all of us can impact 745 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:34,960 the natural world far beyond our own backyard. 746 00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:44,440 We may not be able to protect every square mile of the oceans, 747 00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:48,600 but we can take small steps to create and defend marine 748 00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:51,000 sanctuaries that allow our seas to replenish and regenerate. 749 00:50:57,120 --> 00:51:00,840 Only then will the oceans of the equator 750 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:02,880 continue to thrive and benefit us all. 751 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:08,960 [โ™ชโ™ชโ™ช] 752 00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,760 [โ™ชโ™ชโ™ช] 56537

Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.