Original subtitles

.

- NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS - SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING

TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL

AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

- DYLAN: HI, I'M DYLAN - DREYER, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO

EMBARK ON ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

ON TODAY'S SHOW, WE

UNCOVER THE SECRETS LIVING

WITHIN THE ISLAND CHAIN OF

ZANZIBAR.

TODAY, WE'LL STEP INTO THE

HOME OF THE HERMIT CRAB

AND MEET THE HUNGRY HERON

WHO KEEPS THEM HIDING.

THEN, WE'LL SCURRY OVER TO

THE ROCKY RESIDENCE OF THE

LARGEST CRAB IN THE WORLD,

WHO ONLY COMES OUT AT

NIGHT.

AND THEN WE'LL HEAD TO THE

SEA TO SEE WHO HAS BEEF IN

THE REEF.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: IT'S HARD TO FIND - MORE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN

THE WORLD THAN THOSE ON

THE ISLANDS OF ZANZIBAR.

THIS AFRICAN CHAIN LIES

JUST OFF THE COAST OF

TANZANIA, AND IT'S KNOWN

AS ONE OF THE MOST EXOTIC

PLACES IN THE WORLD, WHERE

LIFE IS MOVING ALL AROUND

YOU.

- HERE, YOU'LL SEE THE - PLANET'S LARGEST FISH AND

CRAB SPECIES, BUT BEFORE

WE WALK WITH THE GIANTS,

LET'S CRAWL WITH THE

SMALLEST CRUSTACEANS, A

SPECIES WHO'S NOT AFRAID

TO COME OUT OF HIS SHELL.

LYING 25 MILES OFF THE

EAST COAST OF TANZANIA IN

AFRICA, THE ZANZIBAR

ARCHIPELAGO, OR ISLAND

CHAIN, IS DOMINATED BY TWO

ISLANDS, UNGUJA AND PEMBA.

UNGUJA IS THE LARGER OF

THE TWO, MEASURING JUST 62

MILES LOG BY 18 MILES

WIDE.

AROUND 130,000 YEARS AGO,

THE INDIAN OCEAN'S SEA

LEVELS BEGAN TO DROP.

ENORMOUS FOSSILIZED CORAL

REEFS WERE REVEALED,

GIVING BIRTH TO ZANZIBAR

AND THE MANY SMALLER

ISLANDS SURROUNDING ITS

COAST.

- SOME CREATURES BEGAN - COLONIZING THE ISLAND FROM

DAY ONE, BUT ALONG WITH

OTHER PRIMATES, PEOPLE SET

UP HOME HERE MORE RECENTLY.

TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO,

SETTLERS ARRIVED ALONG

ZANZIBAR'S SHORES, LIVING

SIMPLE LIVES GOVERNED BY

THE TIDES.

- EVER SINCE, THE ISLANDS - HAVE BEEN A TRADE HUB

BETWEEN MAINLAND AFRICA

AND ASIA, AND THE

POPULATION HAS RISEN TO

AROUND ONE MILLION.

BUT ZANZIBAR STILL HAS A

WILD SIDE, AND AS THE

TIDES COME AND GO, THE

ISLAND'S GIANT CREATURES

REVEAL THEMSELVES.

- NOTHING LOOKS MORE - TRANQUIL THAN WARM

TROPICAL WAVES LAPPING

OVER A WHITE SANDY SHORE;

HOWEVER, ON ZANZIBAR'S

BEACHES, THERE'S FAR MORE

THAN MEETS THE EYE.

SOME OF THE ISLAND'S

EARLIEST COLONIZERS CAME

ASHORE IN SEARCH OF FOOD

LONG BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF

MAN, AND THEY NEVER LEFT.

AT LOW TIDE,

SHORE-DWELLING CRABS HAVE

IMPORTANT JOBS TO DO.

EXCAVATING AND MAINTAINING

BURROWS BURNS LOTS OF

ENERGY.

ALGAE AND FUNGUS SCRAPED

OFF FILTERED SAND

PARTICLES FORMS THE BULK

OF THIS CRAB'S DIET.

- FEEDING IS A - PRODUCTION-LIKE PROCESS

- LEAVING SAND PELLETS - DOTTED ALONG THE SHORE.

AT LOW TIDE, BLACK HERONS

ARE ALSO ON THE LOOKOUT

FOR A MEAL.

ALTHOUGH THE CRABS TAKE

COVER, THIS BIRD HAS

BIGGER FISH TO FRY.

- COMING UP, WE FIND OUT WHY - THESE FIDDLER CRABS'

DOMINANT CLAW GIVES THEM

THE UPPER HAND, AND LATER,

WE MEET ONE WHALE OF A

SHARK.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE WHEN

"EARTH ODYSSEY" RETURNS.

.

- NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE - MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO THE - WILD ISLAND CHAIN OF

- ZANZIBAR, WHERE THE SUN IS - SHINING AND THERE'S PLENTY

OF FOOD FOR THE ISLAND'S

LOCALS, BUT FOR ONE

SPECIES, MEALTIMES PROVE A

LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING

THAN FOR OTHERS.

ADULT MALE FIDDLER CRABS

HAVE AN OVERSIZED CLAW.

IT'S THE VIOLIN-PLAYING

MOTION THEY MAKE WHILE

EATING THAT HAS GIVEN RISE

TO THEIR NAME.

FEMALE FIDDLER CRABS ARE

BETTER BALANCED THAN MALES

AND CAUSE QUITE A STIR

WHENEVER THEY VENTURE

AMONG THE BOYS.

THIS FRANTIC WAVING IS ALL

ABOUT CATCHING THE EYE OF

A PASSING LADY.

- THE FASTER THE RHYTHM, THE - BETTER THE CHANCE OF BEING

- NOTICED AND OUTDOING THE - COMPETITION.

FEMALES PREFER FAST

WAVERS, AND THIS MALE HAS

STRUCK THE RIGHT CHORD AS

HIS CONQUEST ENTERS HIS

BURROW.

- NOT ALL MATING IS A - PRIVATE AFFAIR.

SOME FEMALES PREFER USING

THE SAFETY OF THEIR OWN

BURROWS TO INCUBATE THEIR

EGGS.

FOR MALE FIDDLER CRABS,

SIZE ALSO MATTERS WHEN IT

- COMES TO PROTECTING THEIR - TERRITORY.

- SHOWS OF STRENGTH LIKE - THESE DETER NEIGHBORS FROM

CRAMPING THEIR STYLE AND

KEEP POTENTIAL SQUATTERS

AT BAY.

- AS THE NEW TIDE - APPROACHES, IT'S A

- SCRAMBLE TO RETREAT TO - SAFETY UNDERGROUND.

- THOSE WHO HAVE WANDERED - TOO FAR FROM THEIR BURROWS

- MUSCLE IN ON SOMEONE - ELSE'S HARD-EARNED HOME.

- THE TURNING OF ZANZIBAR'S - TIDES GOVERNS THE LIVES OF

MANY CREATURES, BUT

CERTAIN LIFE FORMS HAVE

- SET UP PERMANENT HOME ON - DRY LAND.

- AT JUST OVER A HALF-MILE - LONG AND THREE HUNDRED

YARDS WIDE, ZANZIBAR'S

CHUMBE ISLAND REVEALS THE

FOSSILIZED CORAL THAT

FORMS THE REGION'S

BEDROCK.

DEVOID OF SOIL, CHUMBE'S

FOREST IS HOME TO A HIGHLY

SPECIALIZED PLANT

COMMUNITY THAT SURVIVES

WITHOUT ANY GROUNDWATER.

GIANT ROOTS SPREAD OUT IN

ALL DIRECTIONS, AND

- SMALLER SPECIES CLING TO - ANY SURFACE THEY CAN.

- MANY PLANTS AND TREES GET - THEIR WATER FROM THE HUMID

AIR.

OTHERS, LIKE THE BAOBAB,

STOCKPILE RESERVES DURING

THE RAINY SEASON.

- THESE ARE THE GREEN GIANTS - WITHIN THIS FOREST.

- LINING THE ISLAND'S SHORE - IS ANOTHER TALL TREE.

ALTHOUGH THESE COCONUT

PALMS FALL SHORT ON GIRTH,

AT ROUGHLY ONE HUNDRED

FEET TALL, THEY MATCH THE

BAOBAB FOR HEIGHT.

THIS SLENDER GIANT IS KEY

TO THE EXISTENCE OF A

COLOSSAL CREATURE THAT

THRIVES ON THE FLESH OF

ITS SEEDS.

WHEN WE RETURN, WHY WOULD

THE LARGEST CRAB IN THE

WORLD FEEL THE NEED TO

WEAR TWO SHELLS?

- WE TURN OUR NIGHT VISION - ON TO FIND OUT THE ANSWER.

PLUS, WE'LL HEAD TO THE

REEFS TO SEE WHICH SHARK

COUSIN THINKS THAT FISH

ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD.

.

- NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE - MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

AS WE'VE SEEN, ZANZIBAR IS

HOME TO A WIDE VARIETY OF

CRUSTACEANS, MOST OF WHICH

RANGE IN SIZE FROM SMALL

TO SMALLER, BUT THE

WORLD'S LARGEST CRAB ALSO

MAKES HIS HOME HERE.

- HE ONLY COMES OUT AT - NIGHT, SO GRAB A

FLASHLIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE

LOOKING FOR THE KING OF

KINGS, THE COCONUT CRAB.

AS NIGHT DRAWS IN ON THE

ISLANDS OF ZANZIBAR, THE

WORLD'S BIGGEST CREEPY

CRAWLY REVEALS ITSELF.

- WEIGHING OVER - EIGHT-AND-A-HALF POUNDS

WITH A LEG SPAN UP TO

THREE FEET, THE COCONUT

CRAB IS THE PLANET'S

LARGEST LAND-LIVING

INVERTEBRATE.

IT'S ACTUALLY A GIANT

HERMIT CRAB.

WHILE IT'S YOUNG, IT

CARRIES ANOTHER CREATURE'S

ABANDONED SHELL ON ITS

BACK FOR PROTECTION, BUT

ONCE FULLY GROWN, IT

DEVELOPS A TOUGH OUTER

SKIN.

- THIS CRAB STAYS HIDDEN - DURING THE DAY TO REDUCE

WATER LOSS FROM HEAT, BUT

AT NIGHT, THIS SOLITARY

STALKER HEADS OFF IN

SEARCH OF ITS FAVORITE

FOOD.

- UNLIKE MOST OF ITS - RELATIVES, THE COCONUT

CRAB CAN'T SURVIVE IN

WATER.

IT WOULD DROWN IF

SUBMERGED.

ITS GILLS HAVE EVOLVED TO

WORK LIKE LUNGS, ALTHOUGH

THEY NEED TO BE KEPT MOIST

IN ORDER TO FUNCTION.

ITS ANTENNAE HAVE ALSO

EVOLVED, ENABLING IT TO

PICK UP AIRBORNE SCENTS

THE SAME WAY INSECTS DO.

THIS FOREST FORAGER, ALONG

WITH OTHERS, IS ON TO

SOMETHING.

ALSO KNOWN AS THE ROBBER

CRAB, OR PALM THIEF,

- COCONUT CRABS ARE GREAT - CLIMBERS.

THEY CAN CUT DOWN COCONUTS

BY THEMSELVES; HOWEVER,

- FALLEN FRUITS ARE QUICKLY - SEIZED UPON.

- ALTHOUGH THE SURROUNDING - SEA IS A NO-GO ZONE FOR

THESE LAND-BASED GIANTS,

IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY.

- THEY STARTED LIFE IN THE - WATER.

- A FEMALE COCONUT CRAB - MAKES HER WAY TO THE

SHORE.

- SHE'S BEEN CARRYING A - BATCH OF EGGS GLUED TO HER

ABDOMEN FOR TWO MONTHS.

- AT HIGH TIDE, THEY'RE - READY TO BE RELEASED.

- ON CONTACT WITH WATER, THE - EGGS HATCH IMMEDIATELY.

- THE JUVENILE GIANTS - EVENTUALLY MAKE THEIR WAY

ASHORE, WHERE THEY LIVE A

HERMIT'S LIFE BEFORE

BECOMING PERMANENT DRY

LAND RESIDENTS.

UP NEXT, FROM THE LARGEST

CREATURES ON THE BEACH TO

- THE LARGEST CREATURES IN - THE SEA.

WE PLUNGE INTO THE WATER

TO WITNESS A FISHY FAMILY

REUNION.

.

- NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE - MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

DYLAN: GIANTS DON'T JUST

LIVE ABOVE ZANZIBAR'S

ISLAND SHORES.

BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE

SURROUNDING SEAS, YOU'LL

- FIND SOME OF THE BIGGEST - OF ALL.

THIS CORAL REEF IS A

LIVING SEASCAPE MADE UP OF

MILLIONS OF TINY

PLANT-LIKE ANIMALS KNOWN

AS CORAL POLYPS.

- TOGETHER, THEY ACT AS A - SINGLE SUPER-SIZED

ORGANISM.

SECRETING CALCIUM CARBONATE FROM

THEIR BASE, THE POLYPS

- FORM COMPLEX AND STRIKING - SCULPTURES.

COLONIES GROW OVER

THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

EVENTUALLY JOINING OTHER

COMMUNITIES TO BECOME A

REEF.

SOME STRETCH 55 MILES

ACROSS THE OCEAN FLOOR AND

- HAVE BEEN GROWING FOR MORE - THAN 50 MILLION YEARS.

ZANZIBAR HOSTS SOME OF THE

MOST SPECTACULAR CORAL

GARDENS IN THE WORLD, AND

MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF

- EAST AFRICA'S HARD CORAL - SPECIES ARE FOUND HERE.

THESE RAINFORESTS OF THE

SEA ARE AT THE HEART OF

THE ENTIRE UNDERWATER

ECOSYSTEM.

ANEMONES, SEA CUCUMBERS,

EELS, AND AN ARRAY OF

TROPICAL FISH MAKE THIS

UNDERWATER EDEN THEIR

PERMANENT HOME.

- FARTHER ALONG THE REEF - LOOMS ANOTHER GIANT.

OF THE FOUR HUNDRED OR SO

SPECIES OF RAY, THE MANTA

IS THE LARGEST.

THESE ALIEN-LOOKING

CREATURES CAN GROW UP TO

AN INCREDIBLE 22 FEET

ACROSS AND WEIGH AS MUCH

AS FOUR THOUSAND POUNDS.

- THEY LEAD SOLITARY LIVES - AND ONLY COME TOGETHER IN

LARGE NUMBERS UNDER

CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

THESE MANTA RAYS HAVE

TRAVELED FAR TO THIS

SECTION OF REEF FOR A

SPECIAL SERVICE.

THIS CLEANING STATION

PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY

- FOR A GOOD ONCE-OVER FROM - ATTENTIVE CLEANER FISH.

- FLASHES OF BLUE AND YELLOW - ADVERTISE THEIR PRESENCE.

THE CLIENTS HAPPILY FLOOD

IN, BUT BEFORE THE MANTA

- RAYS TAKE UP THIS SERVICE, - THEY NEED TO FORM A LINE.

INDIVIDUALS SIZE ONE

ANOTHER UP BY SWIMMING

PARALLEL TO THE REEF.

- ONCE A HIERARCHY IS - ESTABLISHED, THEY TAKE

TURNS SWOOPING INTO THE

STATION.

- EACH SPECIES OF CLEANER - FISH NIBBLES A DIFFERENT

SECTION TO REDUCE

COMPETITION.

- THIS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL - RELATIONSHIP PROVIDES THE

FISH WITH A STEADY SUPPLY

OF FOOD AND ENSURES THE

- MANTA'S SKIN IS FREE OF - DEAD CELLS AND PARASITES.

CLEANING SESSIONS CAN LAST

UP TO THREE HOURS, AND

ONCE THOROUGHLY SCRUBBED,

THE MANTA RAYS HEAD BACK

INTO THE DEEP.

- UNLIKE MANY OF THEIR SHARK - COUSINS, THESE GRACEFUL

- GIANTS POSE NO THREAT TO - OTHER FISH.

- MANTA RAYS ARE FILTER - FEEDERS, AND WHEN PLANKTON

BLOOMS, EVERYONE JOINS THE

FEEDING FRENZY.

- FILTERING LARGE VOLUMES OF - WATER, THEY FUNNEL THESE

- MINIATURE PREY INTO THEIR - GAPING MOUTHS.

A SINGLE MANTA CAN CONSUME

UP TO 37 POUNDS OF

PLANKTON A DAY.

- AS MORE MANTA JOIN THE - FEEDING FRENZY, THEY ARE

SUDDENLY ECLIPSED BY ONE

OF ZANZIBAR'S GREATEST

OCEANIC GIANTS.

WHALE SHARKS CAN GROW TO

OVER 65 FEET AND WEIGH UP

TO 68,000 POUNDS.

THAT'S MORE THAN FIVE

AFRICAN ELEPHANTS.

- THEY ARE BY FAR THE - LARGEST FISH IN THE WORLD.

DWARFING EVERYTHING IN

THEIR WAKE, THEY SURVIVE

- ON SOME OF THE SMALLEST - ORGANISMS IN THE OCEAN.

THEY CAN SIFT MORE THAN

1,500 GALLONS OF WATER AN

HOUR.

FINE FILTERS, ALSO KNOWN

AS GILL RAKERS, TRAP ANY

ORGANISM OVER TWO

MILLIMETERS WIDE.

MOST SPECIES OF SHARK WAVE

THEIR TAILS TO PROPEL

THEMSELVES; HOWEVER, WHALE

SHARKS ARE UNIQUE IN

MOVING THEIR ENTIRE BODIES

FROM SIDE TO SIDE.

- THEY REMAIN CLOSE TO THE - SURFACE, AND THEIR TOP

SPEED IS A MODEST THREE

MILES PER HOUR.

- THESE GIANTS THAT SWIM IN - THE OCEAN, ALONG WITH

- THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR HOME - ON THE BEACHES, GIVE

ZANZIBAR THE WILD

CHARACTER THAT MAKES IT

- ONE OF THE MOST - INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL

PLACES ON EARTH.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US - ON OUR EXCITING JOURNEY TO

THE ISLANDS OF ZANZIBAR.

- DAY OR NIGHT, THESE - BEACHES AND REEFS CAN'T

ESCAPE THE VIVACIOUS

WILDLIFE THAT CALL

ZANZIBAR HOME.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN

FOR OUR NEXT ADVENTURE ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]