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 "EARTH ODYSSEY" WE'LL

TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD TO FIND

THE MOST FASCINATING REEFS IN

THE OCEAN.

LIKE OFF THE COAST OF ZANZIBAR

WHERE GIANTS OF ALL DIFFERENT

SPECIES MAKE THEIR HOMES AMONG

THE REEFS.

PLUS, WHO SAID REEFS HAD TO BE

TROPICAL?

WE'LL VISIT ONE OF THE PLANET'S

COLDEST CORALS.

ALL THIS AND MORE COMING UP.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: EARTH'S BIGGEST NATURAL

STRUCTURE ISN'T A MOUNTAIN

TOWERING ABOVE THE CLOUDS, IT'S

ACTUALLY BELOW SEA LEVEL.

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IS NOT

ONLY HUGE, BUT ALSO HUGELY

IMPORTANT.

- SIMILAR CORAL REEFS AROUND THE - WORLD PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN

SUPPORTING MARINE LIFE OF ALL

DIFFERENT TYPES.

SO, THE MORAL OF THE STORY, GIVE

THE CORAL SOME GLORY.

WELCOME TO ZANZIBAR WHERE UNDER

THE WATER LIVES SOME OF THE

COUNTRY'S BIGGEST GIANTS.

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

SUPERSIZED 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.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: OF THE 400 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

4,000 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

3 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.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: 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 5 AFRICAN

ELEPHANTS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: 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

2-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

3 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.

COMING UP, WHY IT MIGHT BE

BETTER TO STAY HIDDEN IF YOU

DON'T WANT TO BE BITTEN BY A

MONSTER LIVING IN THE REEFS.

PLUS, THIS WHALE SHARK HAS A BIG

APPETITE FOR THE CORALS'

SMALLEST RESIDENTS.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: FED BY TWO OCEANS, THE

PACIFIC AND INDIAN, THAILAND'S

WATERS SUPPORT A TENTH OF THE

WORLD'S MARINE FISH.

THE ANDAMAN SEA AND THE GULF OF

THAILAND BUFFER THE COUNTRY.

AND CORAL REEFS FORM THE BASIS

OF COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMS.

COVERING AN AREA 24 TIMES THE

SIZE OF MANHATTAN, THEY ARE

REFUGES IN THE OCEAN'S DESERT

AND ABLE TO SUPPORT UP TO 4,000

INDIVIDUAL SPECIES.

- THESE WATERS ARE ALSO PERFECT - FOR MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS CALLED

PLANKTON, WHICH FORM A STAPLE

FOOD FOR MANY FISH OF ALL SHAPES

AND SIZES.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: AND THAT INCLUDES THE - WORLD'S BIGGEST FISH AND MONSTER

OF THE DEEP, THE WHALE SHARK.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: MIGRATING THROUGH THE - OCEANS, WHERE THEY GO AND COME

FROM IS STILL UNCLEAR.

BUT HERE, THEY MAKE THE MOST OF

PLANKTON BLOOMS.

ESCORTED BY REMORA FISH THAT

CLEAN THEM, HOOVERING UP ANY

PARASITES.

- WITH MOUTHS OVER A METER WIDE, - THESE SHARKS COULD DEVOUR MOST

FISH.

BUT IT'S THE SMALLEST CREATURES

THAT THEY FEED ON.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PLANKTON

ARE INGESTED IN ONE GULP.

- BAIT FISH ARE SCHOOLING FOR - PROTECTION AS YELLOWFIN TUNA

ATTACK.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS IS USUALLY A

GOOD DEFENSE OUT HERE.

- BUT EMERGING FROM BELOW, THE - WHALE SHARK HEADS STRAIGHT FOR

THEM.

IT'S NOT JUST PLANKTON THAT HE

FEEDS ON.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: LIKE THOSE ON LAND, THE - CREATURES HERE MUST MAKE THE

- MOST OF ANY OPPORTUNITY TO - SURVIVE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AND AS THE TIDE SHIFTS,

SO MUST HE TO SEARCH FOR MORE

FOOD.

COMING UP, SOME OF THE BIGGEST

BABIES LOVE THE OCEAN'S REEFS.

PLUS, THE DEVASTATION A STORM

CAN HAVE ON THESE PRECIOUS

ECOSYSTEMS.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE WONDERS OF CORAL - REEFS DON'T END WITH THE ANIMALS

WHO LIVE THERE.

CORAL IS ACTUALLY AN ANIMAL

ITSELF.

- AND JUST LIKE ANY ANIMAL, THEY - ARE DIVERSE.

SOME ARE YOUNG, SOME ARE OLD,

SOME ARE HOT AND SOME ARE COLD.

- ESPECIALLY THE VIBRANT REEF THAT - LIVES RIGHT OFF THE COAST OF

VANCOUVER ISLAND.

- VANCOUVER ISLAND HAS SOME OF THE - MOST FOOD-RICH SHORES ON THE

PLANET, WHICH ARE HOME TO AN

ABUNDANCE OF MARINE CREATURES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS INTERTIDAL ZONE IS

A COLORFUL COLD-WATER PARADISE

THAT PUTS MANY TROPICAL REEFS TO

SHAME.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: IN SUMMER, SUPER-RICH - PLANKTON BLOOMS GIVE AQUATIC

CREATURES A HUGE STEROID BOOST.

- DURING WINTER, THE WATER - TEMPERATURE DROPS TO JUST 41

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

- THIS ALLOWS DEEPER OCEAN OXYGEN - AND NUTRIENTS TO RISE TO THE

SURFACE AND BE WASHED CLOSER TO

SHORE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BARNACLES SWEEP FOR - PLANKTON WITH THEIR FAN-LIKE

FEET.

- FEATHER DUSTER WORMS WAVE THEIR - STICKY TENTACLES, TRAPPING

EDIBLE DEBRIS MUCH LIKE A

SPIDER'S WEB.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: MANY TIDAL CREATURES

PREFER TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE.

CAMOUFLAGE IS OFTEN KEY TO

SURVIVAL.

FOR A CRAB, BREAKING COVER IS A

DANGEROUS DECISION.

- THE INTERTIDAL ZONE IS PATROLLED - BY A MONSTER.

AND CRUSTACEANS ARE ALWAYS ON

THE MENU.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE GIANT PACIFIC - OCTOPUS IS THE LARGEST IN THE

WORLD.

- IT CAN HAVE AN ARM SPAN OF MORE - THAN 30 FEET AND WEIGH MORE THAN

500 POUNDS.

FISH, SHARKS, EVEN BIRDS ARE

SOMETIMES EATEN.

PREDATORS ASIDE, THE INTERTIDAL

ZONE CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST

DANGEROUS HABITATS.

- HIGH TIDES BRING CRASHING - WATERS, CAPABLE OF CRUSHING

ANYTHING UNTETHERED OR NOT GLUED

TO THE ROCKS.

LOW TIDES CAN EXPOSE PLANTS AND

ANIMALS TO HOT SUN, FRESH WATER

AND DEHYDRATING AIR.

BUT WITH THE NUTRIENTS THAT

VANCOUVER ISLAND RECEIVES FROM

THE LIFE CYCLE FROM ALL LIVING

THINGS, ANIMALS CONTINUE TO

- THRIVE IN THIS UNBELIEVABLE - HABITAT.

COMING UP, HOW DOES THIS

HURRICANE AFFECT THE LIVES OF

THOUSANDS UNDER THE SEA?

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY."

- IN THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE - CARIBBEAN SEA, THERE IS AN

UNDERWATER SHELF MADE ENTIRELY

OF LIMESTONE ROCK.

400 YEARS AGO, A SPANISH GALLEON

FILLED WITH SILVER TREASURE SANK

TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA HERE.

LEGEND HAS IT, THAT'S WHY IT'S

CALLED SILVER BANK.

THESE PROTECTED WARM WATERS ARE

NOW A NURSERY FOR ANOTHER OCEAN

TREASURE - BABY HUMPBACK

WHALES.

THEY'RE CALLED CALVES.

FROM DECEMBER TO APRIL, THERE

ARE NEARLY 3,000 HUMPBACKS THAT

VISIT THE SILVER BANK NURSERY.

THE MOTHER HUMPBACK AND HER CALF

STAY CLOSE TOGETHER, CONSTANTLY

TOUCHING EACH OTHER AS THEY SWIM

IN THE CLEAR BLUE WATERS.

PHYSICAL CONTACT IS IMPORTANT

FOR THE BABY AND ITS MOTHER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: FOR THE FIRST YEAR, THE

TWO WILL STAY TOGETHER.

WHEN SUMMER GETS CLOSER, THE

WHALES WILL SWIM THOUSANDS OF

MILES AWAY.

- THEY HEAD NORTH TO THE COLD - ATLANTIC OCEAN WATERS WHERE

THERE ARE PLENTY OF FISH.

- IT WILL BE 10 YEARS BEFORE THE - CALF WILL FULLY GROW TO ITS

ENORMOUS SIZE.

SOME GET AS LARGE AS 52 FEET,

WEIGHING AN UNBELIEVABLE 100,000

POUNDS.

THESE CREATURES ARE LONG GONE BY

THE TIME ANOTHER FORCE OF NATURE

ROLLS THROUGH.

THE CLOUDS GATHER AS THE

PRESSURE DROPS.

THE WINDS DANGEROUSLY WHIP THE

ISLANDS.

- THE CARIBBEAN IS IN THE DIRECT - PATH OF ONE OF THE MOST

DESTRUCTIVE WEATHER EVENTS IN

THE WORLD.

THIS IS HURRICANE ALLIE.

HURRICANES USUALLY START FAR

AWAY, OFF THE COAST OF WEST

AFRICA.

- AS THEY MARCH ACROSS THE - ATLANTIC OCEAN, THE STORMS GAIN

STRENGTH FROM THE WARM SUMMER

WATER.

IF THE WINDS REACH 74 MILES PER

HOUR, A STORM WILL OFFICIALLY

BECOME A HURRICANE.

- THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS ARE LIKE - SITTING DUCKS FOR THESE POWERFUL

EVENTS.

WINDS CAN TOP 160 MILES PER

HOUR.

AT THAT POINT, NOTHING IS SAFE.

WAVES ROLL IN 60 FEET HIGH,

CRUSHING EVERYTHING BELOW.

SINCE CORAL IS ACTUALLY JUST A

PLANT MADE UP OF TINY POLYPS, IN

A HURRICANE THEY CAN BE TORN UP

BY THE ANGRY WATER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: LOOSE DEBRIS IS

DANGEROUS FOR MARINE LIFE.

THESE LOBSTERS SENSE THE

APPROACHING DANGER.

IT'S TIME TO EVACUATE BEFORE

THEY GET TRAPPED OR EVEN CRUSHED

BY THE ROCKS.

SINGLE FILE, THE LOBSTERS FLEE

THE APPROACHING STORM.

THE LOBSTERS MIGRATE TO THE

SAFETY OF DEEPER WATERS.

AFTER THE HURRICANE PASSES,

THESE CORAL REEFS GET A SECOND

CHANCE.

THESE REEFS GROW QUICKLY;

RECOVERY IS UNDERWAY.

NEW LIFE TAKES SHAPE FROM THE

REMAINING CORAL.

- BUT THE REEFS ARE TREACHEROUS AS - WELL.

- SHIPS CAN RUN AGROUND IF THEY - HIT A REEF.

THAT HAPPENED TO THE ROAN

STEAMER SHIP 150 YEARS AGO.

IT SANK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE

OCEAN IN SECONDS.

BUT THEN, SOMETHING INCREDIBLE

HAPPENED.

THE CORAL LATCHED ON TO ITS

RUSTING HULL, SLOWLY TAKING OVER

THE SHIP AND COLONIZING IT.

MORE THAN A CENTURY LATER, THE

ROAN IS A MANMADE REEF ON THE

OCEAN FLOOR, HOME TO THOUSANDS

OF MARINE ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

FISH PARTICULARLY LIKE TO TAKE

UP RESIDENCE.

THESE PURPLE SPOTS ARE ACTUALLY

FISH EGGS.

THEY BELONG TO THE SERGEANT

MAJOR FISH.

THE FEMALE WILL LAY AS MANY AS

200,000 EGGS WHILE THE MALE

PATROLS THE AREA.

HE'LL WATCH FOR ANY INTRUDERS

UNTIL THE EGGS HATCH JUST 6 DAYS

LATER.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR - ADVENTURE TO SOME OF THE MOST

BEAUTIFUL CORAL REEFS IN THE

WORLD.

- REEFS ARE AS DIVERSE AS THE - SPECIES WHO MAKE THEM THEIR

HOME, AND THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM

FOR MORE.

JOIN US NEXT TIME ON ANOTHER

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]