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 EVERYBODY, I'M DYLAN - DREYER.

WELCOME TO "EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE'LL EXPLORE THE

FASCINATING LANDSCAPE OF ARABIA

AND WHAT MAKES THIS LAND OF SAND

SO UNIQUE.

- WE FIRST TAKE FLIGHT WITH THE - BIRDS OF ARABIA, WHO THRIVE OFF

THE DESERT'S RESOURCES.

PLUS, WE'LL SEE WHAT'S HATCHING

AND CRAWLING UNDER THE SURFACE

OF ARABIA'S BEACHES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: PICTURE AN ARABIAN

DESERT AND YOU PROBABLY CONJURE

IMAGES OF EPIC SANDY MOUNTAINS,

WAVY HEAT THAT REACHES MORE THAN

120 DEGREES, AND SEEMINGLY NO

LIFE FOR MILES AND MILES.

BUT THAT'S WHERE ARABIAN DESERTS

DIFFER FROM MANY OTHER SANDY

WASTELANDS AROUND THE WORLD.

LIFE IS EVERYWHERE IN THESE

DESERTS.

TO FIND IT, SOMETIMES YOU JUST

HAVE TO LOOK UP.

- ARABIA IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST - PENINSULA.

THIS HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE

CASE.

SOME 30 MILLION YEARS AGO, IT

WAS CONNECTED TO AFRICA.

DRIVEN BY FORCES IN THE EARTH'S

CORE, THE TWO PLATES SEPARATED,

CREATING THE RED SEA.

TODAY, ARABIA IS COVERED BY

ALMOST 800,000 SQUARE MILES OF

BRUTAL DESERT.

- AT ITS CENTER IS ONE OF THE - LARGEST BODIES OF SAND IN THE

WORLD, RUB' AL KHALI, "THE EMPTY

QUARTER".

THIS SEA OF SAND IS THE SIZE OF

FRANCE AND IS SO HOT IN THE

SUMMER THAT FEW DARE ENTER.

YET, ARABIA'S HOSTILE APPEARANCE

HIDES A LAND OF DIVERSE

ECOSYSTEMS AND MORE THAN 500

DIFFERENT VERTEBRATES.

TO FIND THEM, YOU'LL HAVE TO

LOOK BEYOND THE SEARING HEAT,

BUT JUST UNDER THE HORIZON.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: SANDGROUSE ARE PREPARED

FOR TRAVEL.

THEY COVER UP TO 50 MILES

LOOKING FOR A LIFE-GIVING

SOURCE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS IS NO DESERT MIRAGE

AND RAIN OCCASIONALLY FALLS.

ISOLATED POOLS WON'T LAST FOR

LONG, BUT SANDGROUSE ARE NERVOUS

BIRDS.

- THEY ARE CAMOUFLAGED FOR - CONCEALMENT AS THEY NEST ON THE

- GROUND AND ARE CONSTANTLY ON - WATCH.

ONCE ONE BRAVELY GOES IN FOR A

DIP, OTHERS FOLLOW SUIT.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THEY SOAK UP WATER IN

THEIR BREAST FEATHERS.

- THIS PRECIOUS LIQUID WILL BE - TAKEN BACK TO THE NEST FOR THEIR

CHICKS.

BUT A RARE SOURCE OF WATER

ATTRACTS OTHERS, TOO.

- FAN-TAILED RAVENS AREN'T ALWAYS - WANTED COMPANY.

- THEY USE BULLYING TACTICS THAT - KEEP THE SKITTISH PADDLERS ON

HIGH ALERT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: IT'S TIME FOR THESE - NERVOUS BATHERS TO FIND

SOMEWHERE A LITTLE QUIETER.

COMING UP, WHAT IS BURROWED

UNDER THE DESERT SAND AND WILL

IT BECOME A SNAKE'S DESSERT?

AND LATER, WE TEE IT UP WITH A

MAMMAL BIGGER THAN MAN.

THIS AND MUCH MORE, NEXT ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO ARABIA'S

DEMANDING DESERTS.

- WHERE THE SMALLEST CREATURES - MUST HAVE THE BIGGEST SENSE OF

DANGER.

TENTATIVELY TESTING THE AIR FOR

DANGER, A JIRD EMERGES FROM HIS

BURROW.

HAVING JUST WOKEN UP FROM HIS

DAYTIME SLUMBER, IT'S TIME TO

FEED.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: RELATED TO THE GERBIL, - HE'S ONE OF THE SMALLEST MAMMALS

FOUND IN THE DESERT.

- HOWEVER, APPEARANCES CAN BE - DECEIVING.

HE'S ABLE TO JUMP DISTANCES

THREE TIMES HIS OWN LENGTH AND

WILL VIGOROUSLY DEFEND HIS FOOD

FROM COMPETITORS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: HE WINS, BUT HIS

TROUBLES AREN'T OVER YET.

A HORNED VIPER IS ALSO SEARCHING

FOR A QUICK BITE, BUT SHE HAS A

DIFFERENT TRICK.

- SHE WILL SEEMINGLY VANISH INTO - THIN AIR.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: CAMOUFLAGE HELPS HER

AMBUSH.

BUT IN ARABIA'S DESERTS, THE

JIRD IS A MASTER ESCAPE ARTIST.

- SUNRISE REVEALS ANOTHER ILLUSION - OF THIS LAND.

THE MOUNTAINOUS DUNES OF OMAN'S

WAHIBA SANDS ARE CONSTANTLY

MOVING.

DRIVEN BY THE ELEMENTS, THEY

TRAVEL AROUND 30 FEET EACH YEAR.

HOWEVER, SINCE THEY ARE UNABLE

TO MOVE, MANY TREES DROWNED IN

THESE SHIFTING SANDS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: MORNING WINDS ARE

BEGINNING TO PICK UP.

- ANIMAL TRACKS TELL THE STORY OF - THE NIGHT BEFORE.

YET, THESE WILL SOON DISAPPEAR.

COOL, LIQUID-LIKE DUNES ALLOW

THE ARABIAN SAND BOA TO ESCAPE

THE HEAT OF THE DAY.

SPOOKY SOUNDS REVERBERATE ACROSS

THE SHIFTING SEA.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS SCORPION MUST ALSO

KEEP MOVING.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WITH POOR EYESIGHT, IT

USES THE COMB-LIKE STRUCTURES,

CALLED PECTENS, UNDER ITS BODY,

TO BUILD UP A PICTURE OF THIS

ENVIRONMENT.

HOWEVER, AS DARKNESS FALLS ONCE

AGAIN, NOT ALL OF ARABIA'S SANDS

ARE STIRRED BY THE CLIMATE.

WHEN WE RETURN, WE'LL HEAD TO

THE BEACHES OF ARABIA, WHERE IN

THE DUNES, SOMETHING IS

HATCHING.

BUT HOPEFULLY, FOR THESE BABY

TURTLES, NOTHING IS SNATCHING.

PLUS, WE HIT THE WATER, BUT TRY

TO STAY DRY, AS A STORM IS ON

THE HORIZON.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ALTHOUGH THE ARABIAN - PENINSULA IS HOME TO SOME OF THE

MOST EXTREME DESERTS IN THE

WORLD, IT'S ALSO HOME TO

THOUSANDS OF MILES OF BEACHES.

IN FACT, THE PENINSULA'S

COASTLINE IS ABOUT THREE TIMES

- THE LENGTH OF THE COASTLINE OF - CALIFORNIA.

AND THOSE BEACHES ARE WHERE SOME

OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE ANIMALS

ON THE PLANET FOLLOW THEIR

ANCIENT INSTINCTS TO CONTINUE

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE.

TAKE A LOOK.

WELCOME BACK TO ARABIA WHERE WE

ARE NOW HITTING A DIFFERENT

SANDY LANDSCAPE.

GREEN TURTLES USE THE COVER OF

ARABIA'S NIGHT TO DIG THEIR

NESTS.

THE DEPTH AND POSITION IS

CRITICAL.

IT NEEDS TO BE DEEP ENOUGH TO

PROTECT THE HELPLESS EGGS, BUT

- IT ALSO DETERMINES THE GENDER OF - THE BABIES INSIDE.

CLOSER TO THE SEA AND INCUBATION

WILL BE COOLER, PRODUCING MORE

MALE HATCHLINGS.

FARTHER UP THE BEACH, THE EGGS

WILL BE WARMER AND THEY WILL

HOLD MORE FEMALES.

- HAVING INCUBATED FOR AROUND TWO - MONTHS, A CLUTCH LAID EARLIER IN

THE SEASON BEGIN THEIR EPIC

JOURNEY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: DARKNESS PROVIDES A

CLOAK OF SAFETY AS THEY FOLLOW

- THE NATURAL LIGHT OF THE HORIZON - TO THE SEA.

ARABIA'S DAWN FIRST BREAKS ON

THE EASTERN SHORES OF RAS AL

HADD.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AS THE LAST EXPECTED

MOTHERS RETURN TO THE SEA,

PREDATORS TAKE TO THE SKIES.

- THEY COMB THE BEACH FOR ANY - HATCHLINGS THAT DIDN'T ESCAPE

UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS.

WITH SUNRISE, HUNTERS HAVE A

GREATER CHANCE OF FINDING FOOD.

- WITHIN MINUTES OF SURFACING, THE - LATE YOUNGSTER RACES FOR HIS

LIFE, BUT IS TOTALLY EXPOSED.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE LURE OF SCAVENGED - EGGS DISTRACTS THE PREDATORS

FROM THEIR QUARRY AND GIVES THE

YOUNGSTER A CHANCE TO MAKE A

BREAK FOR IT.

THE EQUIVALENT OF A HUMAN

KILOMETER TO THE WATER'S EDGE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: YET WITH ESTIMATES OF - ONLY ONE IN A THOUSAND MAKING IT

TO ADULTHOOD, FACING THE

UNCERTAINTY OF THE ARABIAN SEA,

HIS GREATEST TRICK MAY STILL BE

IN FRONT OF THIS LITTLE TURTLE

TOT.

- UP NEXT, WE HEAD TO THE SEA - WHERE ONE OF THE OCEAN'S MOST

BELOVED MAMMALS IS AS BIG AS IT

IS GENTLE.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ARABIA'S COASTLINE NOT

ONLY SEES OCEAN LEGENDS RETURN

BUT IS SAID TO HARBOR

MYTHOLOGICAL BEASTS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE DUGONG IS A SPECIES - OF MANATEE AND IS THOUGHT TO BE

- THE BIG BODY BEHIND THE LEGEND - OF MERMAIDS.

- SAILORS ONCE LIKENED THEM TO THE - SIRENS, WHICH IS HOW THEY GOT

THEIR FAMILY NAME, SIRENIA.

- THOUGH NOT RENOWNED FOR THEIR - LOOKS, THEY MOVE GRACEFULLY

THROUGH ARABIA'S SHALLOW WATERS.

- LIKE THE SEAGRASS MEADOWS THEY - FEED ON, THESE GENTLE MERMAIDS

ARE RARE.

YET, ARABIA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE

THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION.

FEEDING EXCLUSIVELY ON

VEGETATION, THIS MASSIVE MAMMAL

USES ITS FLEXIBLE UPPER LIP TO

RIP OUT WHOLE PLANTS, LEAVING

FURROWS KNOWN AS FEEDING TRAILS

IN ITS WAKE.

- HARVESTING THE GRASSES LIKE - THIS, THEY ACTUALLY HELP

CULTIVATE THE BEDS.

- ENCOURAGING NEW GROWTH THAT - OXYGENATES THE WATER AND

PROVIDES A SANCTUARY FOR YOUNG

FISH.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AS STORM CLOUDS FORM

OVERHEAD, HE CAN CARRY ON

GRAZING, SAFE IN THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT HIS SHALLOW WATER HOME WILL

PROTECT HIM FROM THE ROUGH SEAS.

EACH YEAR, BETWEEN APRIL AND

SEPTEMBER, THE INDIAN OCEAN

- MONSOON WINDS BRING SPORADIC - RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO

- NORTHERN OMAN'S AL HAJAR - MOUNTAINS.

THE HIGHEST IN EASTERN ARABIA,

THEY FORM A SPECTACULAR WALL

THAT RISES FROM THE SURROUNDING

DESERTS.

ARID MOUNTAINS HIDE A

2,000-YEAR-OLD SECRET.

BURIED DEEP UNDERGROUND, MAN HAS

DISCOVERED A POWER AT THEIR

HEART.

WATER.

- IT IS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE - VALLEY BY AN ANCIENT SYSTEM,

KNOWN AS THE FALAJ.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WATCHTOWERS WERE BUILT

TO DEFEND THE WATER SYSTEM AND A

TIMETABLE OF IRRIGATION WAS

INTRODUCED.

THE OLD TIMINGS WERE DICTATED BY

THE SUN AND STARS AND THE BOUNTY

- OF THIS IS STILL BEING GROWN - TODAY.

- FOR OMAN'S DATE FARMERS, IT'S - HARVEST TIME.

- THE PERILS OF CLIMBING SHOULDN'T - BE UNDERESTIMATED AND THEY LEARN

THIS FROM A YOUNG AGE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THESE TREES NOT ONLY - PROVIDE THE FARMER'S BOUNTY BUT

- ARE USED TO MAKE THE BASKETS AND - ROPES HE SCALES IT WITH.

DATE PALMS ARE CONSIDERED THE

MOST IMPORTANT FRUIT CROP IN

OMAN.

- A GOOD HARVEST WOULD NOT ONLY - REPRESENT THE FRUIT OF HIS LABOR

BUT THAT OF HIS FATHER AND

POSSIBLY HIS GRANDFATHER BEFORE

HIM.

AND THE ANNUAL YIELD OF A SINGLE

TREE MAY REACH ALMOST 600

POUNDS.

IT'S ESTIMATED OMAN PRODUCES

50,000 TONS OF DATES EACH YEAR.

ENOUGH TO FILL 18 OLYMPIC SIZE

SWIMMING POOLS.

SUN DRYING PRESERVES THESE HIGH

YIELDS OF SUGARY FRUITS.

HUMANS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES TO

REAP THESE REWARDS.

HONEYBEES HAVE SET UP HOME AND

HELP POLLENATE THE OASIS.

AN OPPORTUNITY, THE BLUE-CHEEKED

BEE-EATER ISN'T GOING TO MISS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THEY NEST IN COLONIES

AND BEES PROVIDE AN OFFERING TO

FEMALES.

FOR BOTH THE WILDLIFE AND

PEOPLE, WATER CASTS A

LIFE-GIVING SPELL.

THE ARID MOUNTAINS REVEAL A

HIDDEN ECOSYSTEM IN THIS MANMADE

OASIS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BETWEEN THE DESERTS AND

BEACHES, ARABIA'S LANDSCAPE

SEEMS VERY SIMILAR, BUT IT'S

WHAT'S LIVING UNDER THE SURFACE

THAT GIVES THIS AMAZING

COUNTRY'S WILDLIFE A SENSE OF

WONDER.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS - EPIC ADVENTURE WHERE ALL WALKS

AND CRAWLS OF LIFE HAVE EVOLVED

TO MAKE ARABIA THEIR SANDY SAFE

HAVEN.

- WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON ON OUR - NEXT "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]