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This place, the equator, is
easily, hands down, one of the
most exciting,
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most beautiful, most
vibrant places on the planet.
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[Gordon] I'm Gordon Buchanan,
and I'm a wildlife cameraman.
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I'm travelling the line that
runs 25,000 miles
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00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:30,800
around the globe to find out
what's happening to our planet.
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Here, between the tropics,
there are more plant
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and animal species than
anywhere else on earth.
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Every square inch has
some form of life
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scurrying or
scuffling around.
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[Gordon] But today this
same region is also home
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to a staggering 40
percent of humanity.
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This collision betwe
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en
man and nature...Oh my goodness.
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[Gordon] ...is
affecting all of us.
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To get to grips
with this reality,
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experts are investigating
the equator from a new angle.
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This is one flight that I am
very much looking forward to.
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Up we go.
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[Gordon] From the air.
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Wow!
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I can see something from up here
that would be impossible to see
from ground level.
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[Gordon] From up high, startling
discoveries are being made.
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Have we passed
a new species?
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For sure.
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Really?
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This is really the front
line because you see
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the soya plantations, cattle
ranches, illegal activity,
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human population
growth, it is all here.
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[Gordon] Around the
equator this aerial view
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is changing our
relationship with nature...
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[Gordon] Oh, got it,
got it.
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Look at that.
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Unbelievable.
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[Gordon] ...as we race to
protect its future and ours.
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We live in an
incredibly exciting,
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pivotal time in our
planet's history.
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When salvation for the natural
world could come from above.
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I've never seen
anything like it.Woo-hoo!
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[Gordon]
How's the adrenaline?
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[โชโชโช]
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[Gordon] From the
Americas to Asia,
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the equator tracks
across the Pacific Ocean.
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It slices through the
great mari
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ne sanctuary
of the Galapagos Islands and
crosses nearly 10,000 miles
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of open water to reach
the Coral Triangle.
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I'm setting out to explore this
great ocean and its islands.
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This is by far the largest
expanse of water on the planet,
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supporting an astounding
array of marine life.
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Scattered with more
than 40,000 islands,
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the Pacific is also home to some
unique wildlife above the waves.
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And it's a place that
reminds me of my home.
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I grew up on an
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island on the west coast of
Scotland in a community where
lives and livelihoods
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were governed
by the sea.
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But the world's biggest ocean
is the lifeblood of our planet.
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It sustains nature,
it shapes cultures
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and it has allowed
people to prosper.
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[Gor
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don] But today the Pacific is
under threat from rising
temperatures, from pollution,
from overfishing.
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Only a tiny fraction
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of the Pacific's coasts and
waters are protected, so I want
to meet the people
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who are in the race to
understand and defend
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this rich source of life
before it's too late.
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[Gordon] First, I'm on
my way to a place
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that's been at the forefront of
global conservation efforts
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for decades.
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My next destination is the
most exciting destination
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in my entire career.
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I have always
wanted to visit.
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It's unbelievably exciting.
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[Gordon] The Galapagos, one
of the most important places
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on the planet
for wildlife.
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Thanks to the
isolation of these islands,
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there are species here
found nowhere else on Earth.
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[Radio chatter]
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Touchdown.
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Ciao, ciao, gracias.
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Welcome to the
Galapagos Islands.
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[Gordon] My initial impressions
are everything I hoped for.
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A sanctuary where wildlife
seems to
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have nothing to fear.
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There's life everywhere.
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You look into the waters, there
are hundreds of fishdarting
around.
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You look up into the skies and
there's so many birds and on the
shore.
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On every square inch, there's
some form of life scurrying or
scuttling around.
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[Gordon] But even here,
some animals face
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an uncertain future.
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The Galapagos Marine Reserve
was established in 1998
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to protect this
unique ocean habitat.
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It's an important stopping
off point for these bizarre
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and beautiful
migratory creatures.
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Scalloped
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hammerhead sharks. Great
schools of them co
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me together here.
But this incredible spectacl
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e might not last forever.Because
this endangered species is in
decline.
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I'm on Santa Cruz, one of
the 13 main islands here,
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where I'm meeting up with a
team of hammerhead experts
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who are trying to
turn things around.
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[Gordon] B
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uenos dias, buenos dias.
[Eduardo] Hey, Gordon, how you
doing?
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Nice to meet you.
Good, good, good.
How are you?You too.
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I'm Gordon, I'm Gordon.
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[Gordon] Eduardo Espinosa is a
world authority on the plight
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of the scalloped
hammerhead.
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Here in the reserve, the
hammerheads are well-protected.
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Once they leave,
they're at risk.
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[Gordon]
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In 2017, the navy seized a
Chinese boat with a huge haul of
illegally caught sharks onboard.
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Many were hammerheads,
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their fins chopped off to
sell as a lucrative delicacy.
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With a hundred milli
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00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,200
on sharks slaughtered annually,
the oceans risk losing the top
predators
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which have such
a vital role
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in preserving a healthy
mix of marine life.
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[Eduardo] The water
is very clear today, so...
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Yeah, the conditions are
great, it's nice and calm.
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[Gordon] To protect the
scalloped hammerhead,
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Eduardo is turning his attention
to the next generation.
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Pr
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egnant females come to these
waters to give birth,but soon
leave the pups to their own
devices.
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So these mother sharks that
travel for thousands of miles
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in the ocean come here
to the Galapagos,
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give birth and
off they go.
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[Gordon] Knowing exactly where
the young hammerheads go next
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will eventually help to make
the case for protecting waters
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00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,040
beyond the Galapagos.
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Eduardo's aim today is to
tag as many as possible,
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which means
tracking them down
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deep within the
island's mangroves.
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[Gordon] And so the mangroves,
it's impenetrable forest,
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so it's difficult to
see from the water.
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Perfect place for
baby sharks to hang out.
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[Gordon] So if I can help
in any way, let me know.
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[Eduardo] Yeah,
of course.
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Not just teas
and coffees.
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I wouldn't
want that job.
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Okay.
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[Gordon] Eduardo's
scouring the mangroves
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for hammerhead
nurseries.
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And the best way to do
that is from the air.
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[Gordon] So it looks
like a creek that goes in,
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into the mangroves there.
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[Gordon] Eduardo spots what
seem to be the silhouettes
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of young
hammerheads.
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It's a shark nursery,
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a patch of water no bigger than
a tennis court,
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concealed in waters
the size of England.
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Eduardo's team only found
the first of these in 2017,
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and he's now using the
drone to search for others.
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[Gordon] Now we can follow
the drone into the mangroves
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in the hope of tagging some
of those precious babies.
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[Eduardo] It's a
beautiful place.
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[Gordon] Yeah,
it's incredible.
[Gordon] Look at that!
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Such an incredible place.
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There's a big turtle
right in front of us there.
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There's life everywhere.
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[Gordon] For endangered
sharks, these mangroves
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are the perfect
place to give birth,
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teeming with small crustaceans
for the babies to eat
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but safe from
larger predators.
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Okay, we're good, we
can squeeze through.
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Some very skillful
boat driving.
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Just one more
branch to get under.
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[Branch snapping]
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[Gordon] Eventually,
we arrive at the spot
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where Eduardo caught a glimpse
of young sharks from the drone.
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[Gordon] Oh, there's a
hammerhead there, look!
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Okay, here are
the hammerheads!
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I don't think I've ever seen
so many sharks in one place.
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[Eduardo] Look at
them, so beautiful!
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[Speaking Spanish]
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[Gordon] To closely monitor
this population of sharks,
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the team wants to tag as
many babies as possible.
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There's definitely
two, three.
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There's at least three
hammerheads in this area
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that we're just
encircling with the net.
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[Gordon] To
fit the tags,
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the team will be up
against the clock.
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Okay, we have one!
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Okay.
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[Gordon] Well done.
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[Gordon] That is a
beautiful shark.
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[Gordon] After just 90
seconds out of the water,
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the sharks can begin
to lose consciousness.
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[Gordon] Sharks can be revived
by mimicking a swimming motion,
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to flush water
though their gills.
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[Gordon] Well done!
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One a half minutes
from water to water.
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Very impressive.
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[Gordon] They're like
a well-oiled machine.
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It's like a Formula
1 car in a pit stop.
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[Gordon] But
there's a problem.
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One of the
hammerheads isn't responding.
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It didn't dart off, which
showed that it wasn't breathing
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properly, so
Eduardo's jumped in.
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Just make sure fully
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00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,840
breathing before he lets it go.
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[Gordon] I'm struck by how
determined Eduardo is
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to care for every
single shark.
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00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:27,240
Finally revived, this pup
returns to its nursery.
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With numbers so
low, they all matter.
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[Gordon] This is just
the start of Eduardo
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and his team's tagging project
and aerial tools will be key.
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[Gordon] And I feel
very lucky to be here
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to watch you do this
work, it's been amazing.
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[Gordon] The protection
of nature in the waters
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of the Galapagos is critical,
but despite strict controls on
development, the ever-increasing
presence
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of humans on the land has
unintended consequences
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for some wildlife.
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Including the island's
most iconic animal,
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the extraordinary and
ancient giant tortoise.
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In the car in front there are
some giant tortoise scientists,
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and we're on our way
to try and find some.
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How are you?
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00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,440
I'm Gordon.
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00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:03,760
Hey.
Hi.I'm Ainoa, nice
to meet you. Hi, Diego.
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00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:04,720
Hi, nice to meet
you, Diego.
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00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:05,760
Hi, nice to
meet you.
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00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,080
How are you doing?
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00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:09,200
[Gordon] Once, giant tortoises
roamed across four continents.
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Hunted almost to ext
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00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,440
inction, only two precious
groupsnow remain in the wild,
one in the Seychelles
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00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,200
and the other
right here.
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So that big fellow
on the far side,
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the biggest one, he could
be a hundred years old?
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00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,640
[Diego] Easily.
[Gordon] Amazing.
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00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:38,320
[Gordon] Are you
getting signal yet?
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00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,080
[Diego] Yep, the
signal is getting stronger.
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00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,520
[Gordon] The team is trying to
make sure this fragile species
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00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,040
doesn't disappear entirely,
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which means keeping
the population
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under close
surveillance.
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So
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we're using the telemetry
equipment, the radio tag, just
to zone in somewhere in front.
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00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:02,800
[Gordon] W
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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
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00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,320
with G.P.S.
transmitters.
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00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:08,040
[Ainoa] You can hear how
strong the sound is now.
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00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,720
[Gordon] Oh my
goodness, this is incredible.
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Watch she doesn't move.
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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
[โชโชโช]
752
00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,760
[โชโชโช]
56537
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