All language subtitles for Great.Blue.Wild.Series.1.05of11.Belize.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

The Belize coast...

mangrove forests...

lagoons...

and gentle brushstrokes of land
fringe the Caribbean Sea.

And beneath the surface?

An equally captivating
marine ecosystem

with a mesmerizing abundance
of undersea life...

Ancient...

graceful...

It feels incredible
to be in the water

with the spotted eagle rays.

...and fearsome.

Lots of sharks
and as I came over the reef

it came swimming straight
for me.

Swimming with a barracuda,
it feels pretty intimidating.

Yeah, diving with barracudas
is sometimes scarier

than diving with sharks.

A magical place
where the surreal is real

and the otherworldly

right in front of you.

It's just thrilling to be
out there and be a part of it.

The place
Charles Darwin called

the most remarkable reef
in the West Indies.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

The Belize Barrier Reef

ranging as far as 25 miles
off the Belizean mainland

on Central America's
Atlantic coast.

The largest barrier reef
in the northern hemisphere.

Second only to Australia's
Great Barrier Reef.

It is home to more than
500 species of fish

and over 100 types
of hard and soft coral.

These coral are some of the most
fascinating living creatures

on the planet.

You see the corals
and the sea fans and the sponges

blowing in the current

and it's just
an incredible place to be.

You feel very free underwater

and just seeing the movement
of everything,

feeling weightless underwater
while you're diving,

and looking
at the incredible life

that is seen in the waters
here in Belize.

It's just thrilling to be
out there and be a part of it.

Over the centuries...

tube coral...

Elkhorn coral
and brain coral

have helped build
the foundation of life here.

Some deep-sea colonies
are estimated

to be 4,000 years old.

About one-quarter
of all known ocean species

depend on reefs like this
for food

and for shelter.

Yet incredibly reefs make up
less 1% of the ocean.

Ancient and integral,

they are the rainforests
of the sea...

A place where
astonishing creatures

thrive and survive.

(♪♪♪)

One of the most captivating
is the spotted eagle ray.

(♪♪♪)

It feels incredible
to be in the water

with the spotted eagle rays.

They're large,
they're beautiful,

they're graceful,

they move so fluidly underwater
and just being next to them

while they're moving
in their slow rhythmic area

kind of puts you
in that special place

and you could be right there
next to them.

At a weight of up
to 500 pounds

this flying leopard of the sea

is far from the largest
of the stingray family

but their 11-foot wingspan
is equal

to the world's largest bird:

the wandering albatross.

The spotted eagle ray
has a long, poisonous whiptail

used to defend
against predators.

Failing that,
they use size and speed

and are able to jump clean
out of the water

to evade attack.

Eagle rays are well armed
for hunting small prey

using flat, plate-like teeth

to crush hard-shelled
crustaceans.

But these are gentle creatures
and run-ins with humans

are purely accidental.

(♪♪♪)

The same can't be said
for the great barracuda.

Swimming with a barracuda,

you know, it feels pretty
intimidating,

especially looking at them
and seeing their teeth.

I guess that's where
most of the divers

and snorkelers, you know,

it's nice seeing
a barracuda

and feeling like the rush
from them

and their aggressive looking
looks.

Seven feet long,
weighing as much as 100 pounds,

these ferocious predators
are like missiles

cutting through the water

at speeds of up to
25 miles an hour.

Targets are struck with two rows
of razor-sharp teeth:

a technique that has served
this species well

for the last 50 million years.

The barracuda did not achieve
this astounding level of success

by being Mr. Nice Guy,

a reputation that invokes
great fascination

and fear among divers.

Barracudas do have the
tendency to go for things
that shine,

like metal or something
like it,

and there's been many reports
of people

diving with either earrings
or wedding rings

and things like that

where barracudas did
in fact attack them:

bite a finger off,
bite an ear off.

So yeah, diving with barracudas
is sometimes scarier

than diving with sharks.

Fortunately for divers

human flesh is not
the first choice

of the barracuda.

There's plenty of food
on the reef

if they can find it.

(♪♪♪)

The trumpet fish
is a truly bizarre creature.

Floating, drifting
and rotating...

It changes color
and blends in with the coral.

The trumpet fish
almost becomes invisible

among pillar coral.

(♪♪♪)

Predators can't see it,
and neither can its prey.

Small, unsuspecting fish
are unceremoniously vacuumed up

into its elongated snout.

A proficient predator.

But certainly not the only one
in these waters.

(♪♪♪)

The peacock flounder.

Like a common flatfish
but from another planet.

It has the incredible ability
to match the color

and texture of its surroundings
within seconds.

The peacock flounder
has an elongated pectoral fin

that is used in mating rituals.

During courtship,
both males and females

display the fin upright
to initiate reproduction

in true peacock fashion.

The peacock flounder
has evolved

with both eyes
on one side of its body.

Each moves independently
from the other

providing the flounder
with an incredible

panoramic view
of the ocean above.

At the slightest glimpse
of predator or prey

it simply vanishes.

(♪♪♪)

It is a handy trick,
to be sure.

Especially when faced with one
of the reef's top predators:

the nurse shark.

They're very shy,
so when you approach them

they will swim away.

We actually had one yesterday
on the dive

and as I came over the reef

it came swimming
straight for me

right up in my face.

And the next moment
it just turned away.

So it's not a dangerous shark
to swim with

but it's a beautiful shark
to see underwater.

A shy hunter, deftly weaving
along the ocean floor.

It sucks just about
anything it can

into its strong jaws.

The nurse shark
has a boundless menu

on the reef:

Crushing hard coral
or shellfish,

devouring squid,

small fish,

maybe even a peacock flounder
if it gets lucky.

Unlike the peacock flounder

red lionfish are easy to spot
on the reef.

They are not supposed
to be here

and yet,
they are everywhere.

Lionfish are native
to the Indo-Pacific region

and were accidentally introduced
into the Atlantic

more than 20 years ago.

Today, this invasive species
has upset the natural order

of the marine ecosystem
from Texas to the Bahamas.

For them, this strange
and beautiful reef

is like a 24-hour,
all-you-can eat buffet.

Here in the Atlantic

lionfish obliterate
small species

steal food from larger species
and have no natural predators.

But in their native
environment,

the Pacific Ocean,
it is a far different story.

Pacific groupers have learned
to swallow the lionfish whole.

Headfirst,
so its poisonous spines

become folded back
and disengaged.

Cornet fish are also known
to prey on the lionfish.

Here in the Atlantic these same
evolutionary adaptations

are yet to appear.

And potential predators
steer clear

of these bright colors
and venomous spines.

For predators,
learning how to hunt lionfish

could take decades,
if it's even possible.

And there's no strong evidence
to suggest that it is.

Divers try to keep
lionfish numbers down

by spearing them
whenever they can.

Once we spear them,
we injure them,

and then the sharks comes along
and they eat them

because they can't defend
themselves anymore.

(♪♪♪)

So what happens is the lionfish
will usually swim upwards

with its spines out
and the moment it's hurt,

or when it's dead,
the spines go back

and they can come from the front
and they can eat them.

(♪♪♪)

In the meantime
there are other species

that have developed
a taste for lionfish

including the queen triggerfish.

You'll find the queen
triggers anywhere from
shallow reef,

two, three feet of water down
to 100 feet.

And the queen triggers actually
like to follow us

because we feed them
with lionfish.

Defensively, queen triggers
outsmart predators

by slipping into small crevices.

Then they actually lock
themselves in

by lodging a large spine
on their backs into the rock.

They won't budge
until the coast is clear:

Staying close to the reef
and often in close proximity

to one of the open ocean's
most amazing creatures.

(♪♪♪)

Mates for life,

banded coral shrimp
are usually found in pairs.

Their crimson and white stripes
are one of a kind.

Their 'fur' is actually made up
of small spines

used for self-defense.

But incredibly,
they go largely unused.

Banded coral shrimp are far
from the top of the food chain

almost as far as you can get,

yet they have
no known predators.

How?

They earn their keep.

These are cleaner shrimp:

removing parasites,
injured tissue

and leftover food particles
from fish

such as the green moray eel.

(♪♪♪)

Even more amazing,

the banded coral shrimp
advertises its services.

When hungry,
it's been observed dancing

to make itself visible
to potential customers.

For the large predators
of the Belize Barrier Reef

the banded coral shrimp
is more valuable alive

than dead.

(♪♪♪)

Its satisfied customer
the green moray eel

is one of the reef's most
stealthy and infamous predators.

Slithering from cave to cave
relying on its green coloring

to blend into the coral
and rock.

Even at lengths
of up to eight feet

the green moray eel
is a hard-to-catch target

for predators,
such as the barracuda.

It rarely leaves
the tight quarters

of the caves and holes
in which it lies

in wait for passing prey.

The green moray
has an astonishing ability

to swallow entire prey whole
without expanding its body.

Most fish rely on suction
to swallow prey whole.

But this process makes
the body of the predator

expand significantly.

It just can't be done
in a small cave.

Unless you're a green moray eel.

They catch their prey
in their jaws.

And, incredibly,
the prey is pulled down

into the throat
by a second jaw

that launches out, clamps down
and pulls.

No suction.

No expansion.

It's a sci-fi horror movie
come to life...

and a nightmare scenario
that the French grunt

would much rather avoid.

Individually
less than seven inches long

French grunts travel
in large, beautiful schools.

Though breathtaking,

these schools
have a practical purpose:

Traveling in large groups
increases the odds of survival

during an attack.

And if one fish
finds a good feeding area

they all do.

Come nightfall,
the school splits up

and individuals forage
the ocean floor

for small crustaceans.

Swimming solo,
they must be extra vigilant

for they are one of the tastiest
fish on the reef.

All the barracudas out there,
even the dolphins,

they love the grunts.

You see them all around
and they make like grunt noise

actually just like their name.

So they go like 'gruh-gruh'

and it's one of the fish
we found that the dolphins like

because of their noise
they make.

The grunting noise
is actually the sound

of small jaws grinding together.

Though the reason
for this remains unknown.

While foraging the ocean floor
at night

the French grunt
may cross paths

with another little noisemaker:
the squirrelfish.

Known to make a staccato
chattering sound

not unlike that of their
terrestrial namesake,

they're actually called
squirrelfish

for a different reason:

A third spine
that juts straight up

like a squirrel's tail.

Unlike French grunts

the purpose
of squirrelfish sounds is known:

One 'grunt' is used
when guarding territory

and when their eerily
large eyes pick up

on an approaching predator

a staccato noise sounds
the alarm.

But until that happens

the squirrelfish
are free to feed.

And one species they may try
to take a bite from...

is the sea cucumber.

One of the most common creatures
in the sea,

yet, it is like something
from another planet.

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms

related to sea stars
and sea urchins.

They come in all shapes, sizes
and colors:

From just one inch
to more than six feet long.

The sea cucumber
is a popular menu item

for predators,

but surprisingly,
it's no pushover.

If threatened, it contracts,
lightning fast,

and shoots toxic internal organs
at an attacker

only to quickly
regenerate them later.

Some sea cucumber species
may discharge sticky threads

to ensnare their enemies.

These truly remarkable
defense mechanisms

may work on smaller fish
looking for a quick bite.

But not on the larger ones.

(♪♪♪)

The southern stingray.

These diamond-shaped rays
are expert bottom feeders.

Reaching up to six feet
in diameter

and more than 200 pounds
in weight.

(♪♪♪)

Like most rays,
they're often found

buried on the sea floor
with just their eyes

poking above the sand.

(♪♪♪)

The southern stingray avoids
reef walls and rocky areas.

Its hunting
and hiding techniques

are strongest
on the sandy sea floor.

(♪♪♪)

To locate their target,

they use acute senses
of smell and touch.

But they also have a 6th sense
called electro reception.

Which means it can detect
the natural electric currents

given off
by all living organisms.

When prey is sensed
hiding nearby

the ray sprays water
out of its mouth

disturbs the sand
with its wings

and flushes out its meal.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

The southern stingray's
much smaller cousin

is the yellow stingray.

(♪♪♪)

Round in shape
about the size of a tea saucer,

these rays have a broader
hunting ground

than their larger relatives.

Exploring rocky areas
and coral reefs for food.

(♪♪♪)

But they use
their most clever trick

in the sand.

When the yellow stingray
senses nearby prey

it raises its snout
to create a cozy-looking nook

for a small creature:

Luring them into what appears
to be a safe harbor.

Southern stingrays fall prey
to larger fish

such as tiger sharks.

They are able
to avoid predators

by hiding in the sand

or exploding with quick bursts
of speed.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

Meanwhile, up above

one of the ocean's
most majestic creatures,

the hawksbill sea turtle
visits the reef for food.

Sometimes they could be
a little spooked

if you kind of pull up
on them suddenly

they get frightened
and just take off.

But generally they're very,
very friendly with divers.

When they're feeding
they generally would just

kind of look up and go,
"Oh, it's just a diver."

(♪♪♪)

Named for their
bird-like beak

they are one of the smaller
species of sea turtle

growing to about 150 pounds.

Hawksbill have a pair of claws
on each flipper

something that sets them apart
from other sea turtles.

(♪♪♪)

They are omnivores,
drawn to reefs

such as this one in Belize.

(♪♪♪)

Here, they feed mostly
on invertebrates

like sponges, algae
or sometimes even fish.

Hawksbills can be found
in the Atlantic, Pacific,

and Indian Oceans.

And although populations
are most dense

here in the Caribbean,

the hawksbill is listed as
a critically endangered species.

(♪♪♪)

Its beautiful shell,
makes it a target for poachers

who profit from the illegal sale
of the 'tortoiseshell'

used to make jewelry
and other ornaments.

(♪♪♪)

Hawksbills are also susceptible
to entanglement in gill nets

and are caught accidentally
on long fishing lines.

The decline of the hawksbill
is bad news

for the Belize Barrier Reef.

These ancient creatures
remove sponges

from the surface of the reef

allowing better feeding access
for fish.

(♪♪♪)

Turtles are also
an important element

of the Belize
ecotourism industry

attracting divers eager
to swim side by side

with creatures
that have roamed these oceans

for the last 100 million years.

Here on the reef,
hawksbills often cross paths

with their much larger
cousins...

the green sea turtle.

Weighing as much as 500 pounds.

They have been known to snack
on sponges and jellyfish,

but for the most part,

these gentle giants
are herbivores

feeding mainly
on grass and algae.

The pigment from this
predominantly green diet,

colors their fat.

This is how they earned
their name.

Like all species of sea turtle

they face incredible odds
of survival.

For every one to 200 eggs
laid by a female

just 1% reach sexual maturity

which can take
as long as 35 years.

But the lucky few who make it
can live to 80 years or more.

These sea turtles
have likely migrated

thousands of miles
to forage here

from their breeding ground,
elsewhere in the Caribbean.

They'll shuttle back and forth
for their entire lifetime.

Incredibly,
every 2 or 3 years,

female hawksbill
and green sea turtles

will return to the exact beach,
on which they hatched,

to lay their eggs.

Long distance swimming
is a part of their DNA.

The ancestors
of this ancient species

once swam side by side
with prehistoric creatures.

The oldest known sea turtles

date back about
150 million years:

85 million years before
the dinosaurs became extinct.

Just like
the prehistoric giants

with whom they once
shared the earth

sea turtles are reptiles.

They breathe air

but are able to hold
their breath

for unbelievable amounts
of time.

When resting
or sleeping underwater

a sea turtle
can go four to seven hours

without surfacing.

But the time is much shorter

when the turtle
is actively foraging.

Quite possibly, for sea grass

which can be a hard meal
to catch

if it's in fact not sea grass
at all.

These are garden eels.

The width of a straw,

they are usually about
16 inches in length.

But you're not likely to see
that much of them.

The garden eel uses its hard,
pointy tail

to burrow into the sandy
sea floor.

Slime on their skin
cements the walls of the burrows

preventing cave-ins.

Here they will stay
for most of their lives

surviving on plankton
that float by continuing

their expert imitation
of billowing sea grass...

or simply vanishing.

Also finding a home
on the sandy bottom

is one of the reef's
most-peculiar creatures:

the cushion sea star.

There are about
1,500 species of sea stars

in the world's oceans:
occupying the seabed

giving rise to questions
such as:

Are they alive?

Do they eat?

The answers:

They are alive
and they do eat.

Using a remarkable adaptation:

The sea star pushes its stomach
outside of its body

lays it over a bed of coral
and waits.

While its stomach acids
and digestive juices

break down the coral.

The sea star then eats

the defenseless,
nutrient-rich organisms

inside the coral
at its leisure.

These insidious
slow-motion killers

also threaten the coral reef.

If left unchecked,

they can consume vast amounts
of coral

leaving a trail of devastation
in their path.

(♪♪♪)

The yellow line arrow crab,
on the other hand

usually leaves behind
nothing more than a trail

of excited reef divers.

With its truly unique
triangular head

framed by eight spider-like legs
it is always a popular photo op.

These small crabs
are nocturnal feeders

and tend to scavenge the reefs
for invertebrates.

Moving nimbly around the reef
is the smooth trunkfish.

(♪♪♪)

Dorsal and anal fins
propel it forward

while its tail acts as a rudder.

They're not fast
but they don't need to be

to snare the small plant
and animal particles

on which they feed.

Occasionally they blow
at the sea floor

to uncover hidden morsels.

If bothered by a predator
such as the nurse shark

the smooth trunkfish
does not need to flee.

When touched,
it secretes colorless toxins

fatal to predators
who are usually warned off

by the bright colors
of the potential prey.

(♪♪♪)

But not all colorful characters
on the Belize Barrier Reef

are afforded
the same protection.

The spotlight parrotfish
has no such defense

against predators
such as moray eels.

Instead, it is quick:

Poking in and out
of coral crevices and caves.

These parrotfish
use their beak-like jaw

to bite of chunks of coral.

(♪♪♪)

Specialized teeth in the throat,
designed for crushing

release the nutrients from algae
and the coral itself.

This ability to consume

one of the most plentiful
food sources in the reef

is a powerful survival
adaptation.

But the spotlight parrotfish
has an even stronger one:

when population densities
are low

and breeding slows down.

Females
can actually become males

in order to help
repopulate the species.

This incredible transformation
is brightly advertised

as secondary males,
as they're called

will change color:

from red and brown
to bright blue.

(♪♪♪)

Here in the Belize Barrier Reef
and on reefs around the globe

shimmering creatures
glide weightlessly

through rocky coral.

Angelfish.

Like most of its
salt-water cousins,

this French angelfish
can reach lengths of two feet

and weigh up to four pounds

feeding on sponges, algae
and invertebrates.

Juveniles act as cleaner fish:

Removing parasites from grunts,
snappers and moray eels.

But one of the most
remarkable aspects

of this species is their
monogamous social structure.

Angelfish
such as these grey angels

remain loyal to one mate.

Pairing helps them care
for their young

and defend their territory
against competitors.

But defending against
the black-tipped reef shark

is a different story.

(♪♪♪)

As a species,

sharks date back
450 million years.

(♪♪♪)

Black-tipped reef sharks
are not giants

and are certainly not
the prehistoric monster sharks

that are believed
to have come before them.

They are, however,
evolutionary works of art.

Unparalleled hunters,
ultimate survivors,

they are at once beautiful
and imposing.

(♪♪♪)

For divers, being eye to eye
with these ancient hunters

is an adrenaline rush
like no other.

My favorite dive spot
will definitely have to be

the Blue Hole.

There's a dive there
called the Playground.

Lots of sharks,
silver reef sharks,

black-tipped reef sharks
so it's amazing to go down there

and to hang on a depth
of about 60 feet

and then having the sharks
swim around you all the time

until the end of the dive.

(♪♪♪)

Here, sharks prowl every part
of the reef

for fish, stingrays,
crustaceans

anything on which they can feed.

Razor-sharp senses
help them find food.

Sounds and vibrations give them

their first hint
of a possible meal.

Superb sight and smell
draw them closer

to their target.

Then their secret weapon

a sense organ called
"ampullae of lorenzini,"

is what sets them apart.

All living things give off
a faint electric charge

and all sharks
have the incredible ability

to detect this.

So even if they can't see it,
smell it, hear it, taste it

or touch it
they know where their prey is

and can expose
its precise location.

Multiple rows of teeth
help them devour their prey.

Sometimes,
the hunt is less about sense

and more about speed.

Black-tipped reef sharks
are known to position themselves

deep below large schools
of fish near the surface...

before shooting
through the school

and into the air
like a rocket.

In the hopes of ending up
with a mouthful of fish.

(♪♪♪)

Fish,
like these horse-eye jacks:

Named for their large, dark,
horse-like eyes.

Reaching weights of as much
as 55 pounds

these rugged bony fish
can be a substantial meal

for top predators.

In a school,
they are a sight to behold.

Like other schooling fish,

horse-eye jacks find strength
in numbers.

If one sees food,
they all do.

If one sees a predator,
they all do.

Their colorings
are also an advantage:

Dark on the top,
they blend with the ocean floor.

Lighter on the bottom,

they blend
with the sunlit surface.

Horse-eye jacks
hide in plain sight

from predators above,
and below.

But jacks aren't the only
schooling fish

on the Belize Barrier Reef.

The blue tang.

Their fins and scales
reflect light

in boundless shades of blue.

Their flat, broad teeth
are perfect for nipping algae

from the reef.

And if a predator happens
upon them while they eat

it's in for a nasty surprise.

Two sharp spines,
one on each side of its tail

stick straight out

when the blue tang
feels threatened.

These spines are sharp enough
to slash an adversary.

It's no wonder this species
is nicknamed "The Blue Barber."

Some fish on the reef
don't actually look like fish.

The sand diver or lizardfish
takes no chances

around an inquisitive diver.

(♪♪♪)

The lizardfish
would also be wise

to steer clear
of the puffer fish.

It may look like an easy meal

but puffer fish
carry deadly toxins

and have the ability
to inflate

several times their normal size:

Larger than the mouths
of most predators.

(♪♪♪)

The tetrodotoxin
in puffer fish

is 1,200 times more poisonous
than cyanide.

Some puffers have enough toxins
in their bodies

to kill 30 adult humans.

But divers are more likely
to be killed

by one of these fish
in a restaurant than on a dive.

Puffer fish
are a delicacy in Japan:

Specially prepared
by licensed chefs

to have the toxins removed.

From graceful gliders
and the sensationally surreal

to masters of masquerade
and awe-inspiring ancients,

the Belize Barrier Reef
is a universe unto itself

and one of the many wonders
of the Great Blue Wild.

Sharks and turtles
can be found there,

you see the corals
and the sea fans and the sponges

blowing in the current

and it's just
an incredible place to be.

You feel very free underwater

and just seeing
the movement of everything,

feeling weightless underwater
while you're diving

and looking
at the incredible life

that is seen in the waters here
in Belize

and it's just thrilling
to be out there

and be a part of it.

Being able to get
within inches of nature,

it's a wonderful feeling.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)