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[narrator] An uninhabited, muddy
little island in England
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has a horrifying history.
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00:00:06,807 --> 00:00:09,142
Authorities believe that
there are hundreds of bodies
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00:00:09,142 --> 00:00:09,810
on the island.
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00:00:11,545 --> 00:00:14,848
The place is covered
in human bones,
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00:00:14,848 --> 00:00:16,516
skulls, and teeth.
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[narrator] A shocking spider
discovery on an island off
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Sri Lanka reignites an
age-old mystery.
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- Previously, they've not
found the spider anywhere else
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in the world.
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Could it have traveled by air?
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00:00:30,197 --> 00:00:32,366
[narrator] Animal corpses
discovered on the shore
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00:00:32,366 --> 00:00:35,702
of a small Canadian island
baffle researchers.
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At first glance, the wounds
appear intentional and precise.
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What could be ravaging
these poor creatures?
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[narrator] Isolated, scarce on
resources, islands are worlds
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unto themselves.
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Bizarre creatures, ancient
gods, and haunting ruins.
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Baffling murders
and deadly spirits.
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What will be discovered on
Earth's mysterious islands?
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♪ ♪
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[narrator] The British Isles,
over 6,000 islands
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that have been
intermittently inhabited
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since as far back
as 800,000 BCE,
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the largest of which are
Great Britain and Ireland.
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You probably don't know the
names of the smaller ones,
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the ones that aren't much more
than uninhabited stretches
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of marsh, mud, and rock.
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But if you do find
yourself on one
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that's barely above sea level,
you'll also probably find
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lots of stuff in the mud,
like old bottles, plastic
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containers, rubber boots.
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00:02:02,889 --> 00:02:05,592
And every once in a while,
people have even found
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shrapnel from bombs
that struck the region
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during the Blitz.
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[narrator] But on one small
island, just about 40 miles
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from London, you're
likely to see something
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far more mysterious
than shrapnel.
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In 2016, people sneaking
onto an off-limits avian
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wildlife preserve found
themselves surrounded
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not by birds, but by bones.
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And these were not the
bones of wild animals.
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The place is covered in human
bones, skulls, and teeth.
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If you're actually
walking on the island,
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there's an excellent
chance of you literally
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tripping over them.
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What happened here?
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Authorities believe that
there are hundreds of bodies
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on the island, which
isn't really a surprise
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when you realize that
the name of the island
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is a bit of a spoiler,
Deadman's Island.
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Why are there so
many human bones here?
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Could this be one of
those plague islands
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you hear about, like Poveglia?
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[narrator] When the
bubonic plague arrived in
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Europe in 1347, the small
Italian island of Poveglia
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became a quarantine
site for many
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dying from the Black Death.
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Even hundreds of years
after the plague,
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the island remains
off-limits to visitors.
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While both Poveglia
and Deadman's Island
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are closed to the public,
that is sort of where
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the similarities end.
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Poveglia has a lot of
buildings, housing, a bell
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tower, a hospital, and
it even had a fortress.
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Deadman's Island is
less than a mile long
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and just 650 feet wide.
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It has almost no structures.
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It's really just
mud and marshland.
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Where would people
live or even die here?
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If you walk across the
island when the tide is out,
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you can see even more bones
jutting out of the mud,
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some much smaller than others.
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They're clearly from
children or young adults.
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Why would anyone be buried
here, let alone children?
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Despite the menace of the name,
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this uninhabited mud
bank is currently a
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protected wetland site
and a bird breeding
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and nesting preserve.
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But long before it was
an avian love island,
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it had a much darker purpose.
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[narrator] In the 1700s, the
British prison system was
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nearing collapse and
part thanks to the
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Waltham Black Act of 1723,
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which we now know
as the Bloody Code.
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It was an emergency
measure to punish crime.
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It included serious crimes
like arson and murder,
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but it also covered a
wide range of thefts
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we might think of as
being pretty minor.
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But in that era, there
wasn't much of a distinction
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between the petty crimes
and the serious stuff.
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♪ ♪
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Basically, if a 10-year-old
stole a chicken
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or a loaf of bread to
survive, they could find
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themselves in jail.
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[Anthony Cantor] As a result of
all these draconian laws,
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prison populations swelled
until the prisons couldn't
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accommodate any more people.
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00:05:16,950 --> 00:05:19,119
So the authorities came
up with the novel idea
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of floating prisons
called prison hulks.
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[narrator] A hulk, in the
language of the British Navy,
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was a ship that was no longer
capable of full service.
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Such ships were gutted of
all their military gear
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00:05:31,965 --> 00:05:35,435
and turned into prison
quarters for anywhere from
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100 to 600 people.
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On the prison hulks,
some of the prisoners were
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to be there indefinitely.
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Others were just held until
there was a merchant ship
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big enough to bring them
to colonies like Australia
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for forced labor.
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Of course, we know
prisons don't offer
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the most pleasant of
accommodations at
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the best of times.
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If you now imagine
all of that crammed
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onto a dark, stuffy ship,
it's even worse again.
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Apparently, the
hulks were far worse
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than even the
Dickensian prisons.
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The quarters were
crammed and filthy,
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and the food and water
were often contaminated
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with bacteria.
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[narrator] Cholera hit
Britain in the 1830s,
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devastating the country in
1832, and the prison hulks
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were no exception.
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Cholera is transmitted
by fecal matter.
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Imagine how quickly that
disease would spread
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in an enclosed space with no
proper sanitation system.
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So when prisoners
were infected,
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they were moved to the island
and left there to die,
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which explains the bones,
but it doesn't explain
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everything on the island.
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[narrator] One of the many
mysterious things about
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Deadman's Island is that
there are coffins on it.
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In fact, the place where
most visitors land
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is called Coffin Bay.
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You can see the
rotting coffins
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and pieces of wood
all over the place.
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[narrator] Now with erosion and
rising water levels,
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00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,797
these bodies are also rising
up, but it's not the first time
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their stories are being heard.
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Locals have been telling
tales of Deadman's Island
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for generations.
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Legend has it that there
is a devil dog out here
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with glowing eyes who
eats people's brains.
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And some locals swear
they can hear wailing
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coming from the island at
night, a wailing that they say
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cannot be dismissed as wind.
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00:07:41,394 --> 00:07:44,531
Of course, if you find an
island covered in bones,
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there are gonna be lots of
creepy stories about it.
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But when you consider
that many of these people
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had been thrown in jail for
things as inconsequential
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as stealing a loaf of
bread, and that many of the
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prisoners were children,
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it really does make
Deadman's Island
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00:08:00,046 --> 00:08:02,749
seem much more tragic
than terrifying.
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[narrator] No one knows what the
future holds for this island,
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but as the climate changes
and water levels rise,
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Deadman's Island may
soon be washed away,
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taking the last of
its secrets with it.
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♪ ♪
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[narrator] Nestled in the Palk
Strait in the Bay of Bengal
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between India and Sri
Lanka sits Mannar Island,
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known for its pristine
sandy beaches.
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- In addition to
being beautiful,
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Mannar is a haven for
the natural world.
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There are 3,600 species of
plants and animals here,
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flamingos, mangroves, and five
species of endangered turtles.
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It's actually one
of the planet's
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most biologically
diverse coastal regions.
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[narrator] With this in mind, a
team of Sri Lankan researchers
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head to the island in 2012,
intending to survey one of
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the facets of its diversity,
the spider population.
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As they catalog the wide
range of arachnids,
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they encounter
something surprising
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in the hollow of a tree.
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Inside, they find a Rameswaram
ornamental tarantula.
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Now, finding a spider in a tree
when you're studying arachnids
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might not seem like a big deal,
but think about that name.
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Rameswaram is a town in
India on Pamban Island.
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That is 30 miles away
as the crow flies.
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And that spider?
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Until 2012, it was
thought to be endemic,
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meaning exclusive to Rameswaram.
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Previously, they've
not found the spider
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anywhere else in the world.
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It couldn't crawl over
water to the island,
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so how did it end up here?
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Could it have traveled by air?
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Look at a spider.
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It has no wings
and it can't fly,
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so that should be the end of
that story, but it's not.
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[narrator] In 1832, Charles
Darwin, while at sea,
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encountered a surprising sight.
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The deck of his ship was
covered in tiny spiders.
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"I caught some of the
aeronauts' spiders,
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which must have come
at least 60 miles.
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How inexplicable is this
cause which induces
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00:10:23,089 --> 00:10:25,859
these small insects
to undertake their
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00:10:25,859 --> 00:10:27,160
aerial excursions?"
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00:10:29,062 --> 00:10:31,965
We should forgive Darwin
for calling spiders insects.
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00:10:31,965 --> 00:10:33,733
In his day, the spiders
were considered
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00:10:33,733 --> 00:10:35,401
a subgroup of the insects.
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00:10:35,401 --> 00:10:36,736
We now know that's
totally wrong,
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00:10:36,736 --> 00:10:40,140
but the point is, Darwin
did witness spiders
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00:10:40,140 --> 00:10:42,876
traveling long
distances in the air,
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00:10:42,876 --> 00:10:44,978
and since then, they've
been documented
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00:10:44,978 --> 00:10:46,479
two and a half miles
above the earth
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00:10:46,713 --> 00:10:49,849
and going out as far as
1,000 miles out to sea.
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[Amma Wakefield] This
achievement is both beautiful
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00:10:53,686 --> 00:10:56,055
and frankly, a little
bit terrifying.
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Imagine being caught
up in a breeze
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00:11:01,261 --> 00:11:04,731
filled with hundreds or
even thousands of spiders.
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♪ ♪
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00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,370
But then we're back to
the whole no wings thing.
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00:11:10,770 --> 00:11:13,506
So how do they become airborne?
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00:11:16,709 --> 00:11:19,946
- Spiders shoot out silky
strands to make their webs,
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00:11:19,946 --> 00:11:22,182
but the same filaments
can catch the wind,
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00:11:22,182 --> 00:11:24,217
allowing the spiders
to take flight.
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00:11:24,551 --> 00:11:26,452
It's called kiting
or ballooning.
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00:11:27,754 --> 00:11:30,156
- Ballooning isn't just
the result of a spider's
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00:11:30,156 --> 00:11:31,691
ingenuity or tenacity.
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00:11:32,091 --> 00:11:33,526
It's a result of electricity.
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00:11:34,260 --> 00:11:36,362
[thunder rumbling]
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00:11:36,362 --> 00:11:38,865
[narrator] Every single
day, the earth is host to
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00:11:38,865 --> 00:11:42,735
electrical storms, which get the
air crackling with electricity.
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00:11:44,204 --> 00:11:47,574
It's thought that these
forces can create an electrical
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00:11:47,574 --> 00:11:50,176
charge imbalance between
the silk threads
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00:11:50,176 --> 00:11:51,544
and the surrounding air.
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00:11:53,346 --> 00:11:56,583
The idea is that the
electrostatic interaction
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00:11:56,583 --> 00:12:00,954
helps lift the silk strands,
taking the spider with it,
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00:12:01,254 --> 00:12:03,423
hence the term kiting.
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00:12:03,423 --> 00:12:05,992
♪ ♪
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00:12:07,293 --> 00:12:08,995
[Alison Leonard] It's
a decent theory until
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00:12:08,995 --> 00:12:10,396
you start thinking about scale.
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00:12:10,797 --> 00:12:13,633
Most of the spiders you'll see
ballooning are pretty slight,
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00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:16,402
but have you ever
seen a tarantula?
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00:12:16,669 --> 00:12:19,238
These are not small creatures,
so it might be pretty
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00:12:19,238 --> 00:12:20,573
hard to get them airborne.
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00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,077
Plus tarantulas don't even
spin those orb-like webs.
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00:12:24,077 --> 00:12:26,846
They mostly use their silk
to line their burrows.
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00:12:27,447 --> 00:12:30,416
[narrator] So it seems rather
unlikely that these large
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00:12:30,416 --> 00:12:32,552
spiders balloon
to Mannar Island.
242
00:12:32,819 --> 00:12:35,955
However, there is another theory
about their presence here,
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00:12:36,189 --> 00:12:39,359
one that's both
historical and mythical.
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00:12:39,726 --> 00:12:41,494
For ships traveling
in the region,
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00:12:41,494 --> 00:12:45,398
the Palk Strait is a bit of a
thorn in their collective side.
246
00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:48,434
If you wanna go from
the east coast of India
247
00:12:48,434 --> 00:12:51,204
to Southeast Asia,
it would make sense
248
00:12:51,204 --> 00:12:53,172
to round the bottom
of the continent
249
00:12:53,172 --> 00:12:55,041
and scoot through
the Palk Strait
250
00:12:55,308 --> 00:12:58,544
between Pamban and
Mannar Islands.
251
00:12:59,212 --> 00:13:01,714
[Anna Klassen] Otherwise, you
have to take a circuitous route
252
00:13:01,714 --> 00:13:05,451
and sail to the end of Sri
Lanka, only to come up again.
253
00:13:05,852 --> 00:13:08,988
So going through the strait
seems like the obvious choice.
254
00:13:10,723 --> 00:13:12,525
The problem is that
going through the strait
255
00:13:12,525 --> 00:13:14,294
isn't possible for most ships.
256
00:13:14,527 --> 00:13:17,697
The first challenge is that
it's just too shallow in spots,
257
00:13:17,930 --> 00:13:19,165
but that's not the
biggest hurdle.
258
00:13:20,700 --> 00:13:22,535
[narrator] There's a rugged
underwater barrier
259
00:13:22,535 --> 00:13:24,437
that limits passage
through the strait
260
00:13:24,437 --> 00:13:26,706
between Pamban and
Mannar Island.
261
00:13:26,706 --> 00:13:30,310
It's a 30-mile-long chain
that emerges during low tide.
262
00:13:30,610 --> 00:13:31,878
It looks like a spine.
263
00:13:32,178 --> 00:13:33,880
Since the beginning
of this century,
264
00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,949
this formation has been
the focus of heated debate
265
00:13:36,949 --> 00:13:40,653
between historians, politicians,
and religious Hindus,
266
00:13:40,853 --> 00:13:44,457
all arguing about its history,
meaning, and utility.
267
00:13:45,958 --> 00:13:48,828
The formation is
known as Ram Setu.
268
00:13:49,095 --> 00:13:51,597
According to documents
from the nearby
269
00:13:51,597 --> 00:13:54,267
Ramanathaswamy Temple, there
was a causeway-like
270
00:13:54,267 --> 00:13:57,837
bridge between these two islands
until 1480, when a hurricane
271
00:13:57,837 --> 00:13:59,205
ravaged the region.
272
00:13:59,472 --> 00:14:01,274
[Alison Leonard] A causeway
could explain how the tarantula
273
00:14:01,274 --> 00:14:03,943
came to be hiding out in
the trees on Mannar Island,
274
00:14:04,410 --> 00:14:06,779
but that theory prompts
another question.
275
00:14:07,180 --> 00:14:10,083
Who or what made this causeway?
276
00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:13,886
[narrator] One theory about how
this causeway was made
277
00:14:13,886 --> 00:14:17,256
is found in the name
itself, Ram Setu.
278
00:14:17,490 --> 00:14:20,893
Ram, or Rama, is a
major Hindu deity
279
00:14:20,893 --> 00:14:23,262
and the hero in the
Hindu sacred text.
280
00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:26,132
In the Ramayana, Rama's
wife has been kidnapped
281
00:14:26,132 --> 00:14:28,835
by the evil 10-headed
monster, Ravana,
282
00:14:28,835 --> 00:14:30,236
and taken to Lanka.
283
00:14:30,536 --> 00:14:32,672
In order to save her,
Rama instructs Hanuman,
284
00:14:32,672 --> 00:14:35,241
the monkey god, and
his monkey warriors
285
00:14:35,241 --> 00:14:39,011
to build a bridge so Rama can
reach Lanka and save his wife.
286
00:14:39,011 --> 00:14:42,949
The Ramayana was written
by the Indian poet Valmiki,
287
00:14:42,949 --> 00:14:48,087
who lived somewhere in the
ballpark of 500 to 100 BCE,
288
00:14:48,087 --> 00:14:51,257
and devout Hindus believe
it represents real events
289
00:14:51,257 --> 00:14:54,660
that happened somewhere
between 1.7 million
290
00:14:54,660 --> 00:14:56,996
and 3,500 years ago.
291
00:14:57,396 --> 00:15:00,800
[Sarah Klassan] For the
faithful, the answer is
also found in the Ramayana.
292
00:15:01,067 --> 00:15:03,970
In that text, the stones
used to build the bridge
293
00:15:03,970 --> 00:15:06,072
are inscribed with
Lord Rama's name,
294
00:15:06,272 --> 00:15:09,408
which essentially enchants them,
thus allowing them to float
295
00:15:09,408 --> 00:15:10,843
and be moved into place.
296
00:15:13,112 --> 00:15:17,183
[Amma Wakefield] The reality is
there actually is one rock that
297
00:15:17,450 --> 00:15:21,420
floats, and it might be in your
bathroom right now, pumice.
298
00:15:23,156 --> 00:15:25,291
[narrator] Pumice is created
when volcanic magma
299
00:15:25,291 --> 00:15:29,061
with high gas content rapidly
cools and solidifies,
300
00:15:29,295 --> 00:15:31,130
trapping gas bubbles inside.
301
00:15:31,130 --> 00:15:34,333
That results in its porous
and lightweight structure
302
00:15:34,534 --> 00:15:36,669
that has a lighter
density than water.
303
00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:40,606
Translation - pumice
stones can float,
304
00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:43,075
but after a while they take
on water and they sink.
305
00:15:43,075 --> 00:15:47,180
So could the magic floating
stones of the Ramayana
306
00:15:47,180 --> 00:15:49,782
just be large pumice stones?
307
00:15:51,517 --> 00:15:53,719
[Alison Leonard] The problem
with this theory is that there
308
00:15:53,719 --> 00:15:56,122
are no volcanoes in this
region, so there's no source
309
00:15:56,122 --> 00:15:57,256
for pumice stone.
310
00:15:57,757 --> 00:15:59,959
What else could have
created this causeway?
311
00:16:00,393 --> 00:16:02,662
[narrator] The researchers
who found the spiders on
312
00:16:02,662 --> 00:16:05,965
Mannar Island also suspect
that there was once a bridge
313
00:16:05,965 --> 00:16:08,100
that connected Sri
Lanka and India,
314
00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:11,070
only they believe it
was a natural one.
315
00:16:11,537 --> 00:16:14,607
India and Sri Lanka
were once connected
316
00:16:14,607 --> 00:16:17,810
and part of the
supercontinent of Gondwana.
317
00:16:18,444 --> 00:16:21,848
[narrator] Around 180 million
years ago, Gondwana came apart
318
00:16:21,848 --> 00:16:26,185
as a result of shifting tectonic
plates, creating continents and
319
00:16:26,185 --> 00:16:29,322
leaving behind land
fragments like Ram Setu.
320
00:16:31,257 --> 00:16:33,926
Much of the bridge is determined
to be built out of limestone,
321
00:16:33,926 --> 00:16:36,162
which is also called
calcium carbonate.
322
00:16:36,429 --> 00:16:38,264
That's the stuff that
the exoskeletons
323
00:16:38,264 --> 00:16:40,399
of coral reefs are made out of.
324
00:16:40,633 --> 00:16:43,669
So that's some solid
evidence that Ram Setu was
325
00:16:43,669 --> 00:16:45,204
naturally formed.
326
00:16:46,405 --> 00:16:48,608
The debate over how
the bridge was made
327
00:16:48,608 --> 00:16:50,343
might seem like an
esoteric argument
328
00:16:50,343 --> 00:16:52,612
that only academics and
the devout care about,
329
00:16:52,845 --> 00:16:55,514
but it's actually a hot
button issue in the country.
330
00:16:57,950 --> 00:17:00,319
[narrator] There have been many
proposals to create a shipping
331
00:17:00,319 --> 00:17:02,755
lane canal through the
strait, so they would no
332
00:17:02,755 --> 00:17:05,858
longer need to navigate around
the bottom of Sri Lanka,
333
00:17:06,225 --> 00:17:09,729
dramatically reducing shipping
distances and transit times.
334
00:17:09,729 --> 00:17:13,866
- For Hindus, this is
a catastrophic idea.
335
00:17:13,866 --> 00:17:17,203
They believe that this
bridge is a tangible part
336
00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:19,639
of their history and
their connection
337
00:17:19,639 --> 00:17:20,273
to the gods.
338
00:17:21,574 --> 00:17:24,243
- And it's not just the faithful
who are against this plan.
339
00:17:24,243 --> 00:17:27,947
Ram Setu is part of the fragile
ecosystem in this region.
340
00:17:27,947 --> 00:17:30,783
It's home to a diverse
array of marine life,
341
00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:35,554
and it protects the coastline
from strong currents and storms.
342
00:17:35,788 --> 00:17:38,424
- Some scientists fear that
the removal of the bridge
343
00:17:38,424 --> 00:17:41,327
could have serious environmental
effects on the region,
344
00:17:41,594 --> 00:17:43,930
something especially
dangerous in this era
345
00:17:43,930 --> 00:17:46,465
of ever-increasing
climate change events,
346
00:17:46,465 --> 00:17:48,634
like hurricanes or cyclones.
347
00:17:49,135 --> 00:17:51,771
[narrator] It's clear that the
debate over Ram Setu
348
00:17:51,771 --> 00:17:54,307
isn't likely to be
resolved anytime soon.
349
00:17:54,574 --> 00:17:57,443
Thankfully, however the
Rameswaram tarantulas
350
00:17:57,443 --> 00:18:00,513
arrived on Mannar Island,
they've already made
351
00:18:00,513 --> 00:18:01,881
themselves at home.
352
00:18:15,027 --> 00:18:17,330
The Outer Banks form
a thin land barrier
353
00:18:17,330 --> 00:18:20,733
between the Atlantic Ocean and
America's eastern seaboard,
354
00:18:20,733 --> 00:18:23,469
formed as the last ice
age came to an end.
355
00:18:23,469 --> 00:18:25,671
They have since
protected the mainland
356
00:18:25,671 --> 00:18:27,873
from the worst the
ocean has to offer.
357
00:18:29,375 --> 00:18:32,111
- The Outer Banks are composed
of a number of islands.
358
00:18:32,111 --> 00:18:34,246
One of them is actually
among the longest
359
00:18:34,246 --> 00:18:35,815
in the continental US.
360
00:18:35,815 --> 00:18:38,484
This is Hatteras Island,
located just off the
361
00:18:38,484 --> 00:18:39,719
coast of North Carolina.
362
00:18:41,721 --> 00:18:44,190
- This relatively flat,
sandy spit of land
363
00:18:44,190 --> 00:18:46,459
used to go by another
name, Croatoan,
364
00:18:46,692 --> 00:18:48,461
named after the indigenous
people that lived here
365
00:18:48,461 --> 00:18:51,163
when the English first arrived
back in the 16th century.
366
00:18:54,533 --> 00:18:56,669
[narrator] Archaeologists
are looking into the
367
00:18:56,669 --> 00:19:00,039
country's origins, searching
for clues as to what became
368
00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:02,942
of the first English
colony in America.
369
00:19:03,342 --> 00:19:05,778
This is interesting
because as we know,
370
00:19:05,778 --> 00:19:09,315
the first permanent English
settlement in North America
371
00:19:09,315 --> 00:19:12,084
was Jamestown, settled in 1607.
372
00:19:12,418 --> 00:19:14,186
But there was another
settlement that
373
00:19:14,186 --> 00:19:16,856
predated Jamestown, and
that was the vanished
374
00:19:16,856 --> 00:19:18,024
colony of Roanoke.
375
00:19:19,959 --> 00:19:23,963
[narrator] In July, 1587, 118
settlers under the command of
376
00:19:23,963 --> 00:19:28,100
John White landed on the shores
of Roanoke, roughly 50 miles
377
00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:29,468
north of Hatteras.
378
00:19:29,468 --> 00:19:31,237
They were making
a second attempt
379
00:19:31,237 --> 00:19:33,305
to establish a
colony on the island
380
00:19:33,305 --> 00:19:35,808
after a previous colony
of the same site
381
00:19:35,808 --> 00:19:37,510
was unable to last a year.
382
00:19:39,311 --> 00:19:41,614
Relations with the
local indigenous people
383
00:19:41,614 --> 00:19:43,049
broke down as well.
384
00:19:43,449 --> 00:19:45,918
They had actually killed
one of their leaders,
385
00:19:45,918 --> 00:19:47,486
a man named Wingina.
386
00:19:47,486 --> 00:19:50,089
So needless to say, it would
have imperiled their colony
387
00:19:50,089 --> 00:19:52,491
as the English were
few, vulnerable,
388
00:19:52,491 --> 00:19:54,460
and surrounded by
freshly made enemies.
389
00:19:56,696 --> 00:19:58,664
This didn't deter the
second group though.
390
00:19:58,898 --> 00:20:01,500
For some time, things must
have gone somewhat smoothly
391
00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,469
because John White's
granddaughter was
392
00:20:03,469 --> 00:20:04,704
born in Roanoke.
393
00:20:04,704 --> 00:20:07,339
She was the first English
child born in North America,
394
00:20:07,339 --> 00:20:09,375
and her name was Virginia Dare.
395
00:20:10,009 --> 00:20:12,678
But not too long after they
had set up shop in Roanoke,
396
00:20:12,678 --> 00:20:15,848
they realized it was too late
in the season to grow crops,
397
00:20:15,848 --> 00:20:17,817
leaving them desperate
for supplies.
398
00:20:19,885 --> 00:20:22,922
So John White decided to head
back to England to get them.
399
00:20:23,155 --> 00:20:26,559
Problem was, when he got
there, the country was in a
400
00:20:26,559 --> 00:20:30,062
full-fledged war with
Spain, causing a three-year
401
00:20:30,062 --> 00:20:31,363
delay in his return.
402
00:20:33,299 --> 00:20:36,569
When he finally did come
back, all that was left of the
403
00:20:36,569 --> 00:20:39,939
colony were two cryptic
clues inscribed into a tree
404
00:20:39,939 --> 00:20:41,307
and a fence post.
405
00:20:41,307 --> 00:20:44,009
The letter CRO and
the word Croatoan.
406
00:20:44,577 --> 00:20:47,413
[narrator] Prior to
leaving for England, John
White had decided that
407
00:20:47,413 --> 00:20:50,916
if Roanoke had to be abandoned
for reasons of hardship or war,
408
00:20:50,916 --> 00:20:54,286
the Maltese cross would
be carved into a tree.
409
00:20:54,653 --> 00:20:57,156
Thinking that the settlers
had simply relocated
410
00:20:57,156 --> 00:21:00,626
to Croatoan, he remarked,
"I greatly joy that I
411
00:21:00,626 --> 00:21:04,063
have found a certain token
of their being at Croatoan."
412
00:21:04,497 --> 00:21:07,733
Croatoan is the Algonquin name
for the island of Hatteras.
413
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,969
So John White figured he
would find the remainder
414
00:21:09,969 --> 00:21:11,070
of the colony there.
415
00:21:11,470 --> 00:21:14,507
But terrible weather and a
near-mutinous crew intervened,
416
00:21:14,507 --> 00:21:16,175
and he was forced
back to England,
417
00:21:16,375 --> 00:21:17,843
never to return
to the New World.
418
00:21:19,078 --> 00:21:22,248
The lost colony of Roanoke
has become part of the lore
419
00:21:22,248 --> 00:21:23,749
of America's origins.
420
00:21:24,049 --> 00:21:25,885
But what actually
happened to it?
421
00:21:26,118 --> 00:21:28,854
[narrator] Under the surface,
archaeologists discover
422
00:21:28,854 --> 00:21:32,491
a number of artifacts that speak
to Hatteras' rich history.
423
00:21:33,526 --> 00:21:36,462
Artifacts likely
made by the Croatoans
424
00:21:36,796 --> 00:21:40,466
are found alongside the
firing mechanism of a musket.
425
00:21:40,466 --> 00:21:43,669
They all date to the time
of the Roanoke colony.
426
00:21:43,669 --> 00:21:46,539
[Anthea Nardi] There's also a
signet ring, a very personal
427
00:21:46,539 --> 00:21:49,208
possession that without a
doubt must have belonged
428
00:21:49,208 --> 00:21:50,543
to an English gentleman.
429
00:21:50,943 --> 00:21:52,545
Could these artifacts
have belonged
430
00:21:52,545 --> 00:21:53,979
to settlers of Roanoke?
431
00:21:55,614 --> 00:21:57,449
[Alison Leonard] While the ring
has been dated to the
432
00:21:57,449 --> 00:21:59,985
17th century, it's very
difficult to specifically date
433
00:21:59,985 --> 00:22:01,587
many of the other artifacts.
434
00:22:01,587 --> 00:22:03,656
They may represent a
large span of time
435
00:22:03,656 --> 00:22:05,257
or entire different periods.
436
00:22:05,457 --> 00:22:07,259
So we can't say for sure
that these artifacts
437
00:22:07,259 --> 00:22:08,727
belong to the Roanoke settlers.
438
00:22:10,196 --> 00:22:13,132
Considering how close
Hatteras is to Roanoke,
439
00:22:13,332 --> 00:22:15,334
perhaps the settlers
ended up here.
440
00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:18,304
Though given its small size,
it's unlikely that the
441
00:22:18,304 --> 00:22:21,040
island could have supported
another 100 plus people.
442
00:22:22,107 --> 00:22:23,809
There simply isn't
enough evidence
443
00:22:23,809 --> 00:22:25,511
to say for sure either way.
444
00:22:25,778 --> 00:22:27,780
Although a while ago,
some rather strange
445
00:22:27,780 --> 00:22:28,714
evidence showed up.
446
00:22:31,717 --> 00:22:34,587
[narrator] In 1937, a man
brought a stone to
447
00:22:34,587 --> 00:22:37,923
the history department at
George's Emory University.
448
00:22:38,190 --> 00:22:40,092
He said that he found
it in the woods
449
00:22:40,092 --> 00:22:41,927
and that inscribed
on its surface
450
00:22:42,161 --> 00:22:45,798
was a message from the
lost colony of Roanoke.
451
00:22:46,599 --> 00:22:48,734
This is known as the Dare Stone,
452
00:22:48,734 --> 00:22:51,237
so called because the
message on the rock
453
00:22:51,237 --> 00:22:55,474
is from Eleanor White Dare,
the daughter of John White.
454
00:22:55,908 --> 00:22:58,010
The stone is engraved
on both sides
455
00:22:58,010 --> 00:23:01,247
and basically states that
both her husband and daughter
456
00:23:01,247 --> 00:23:02,948
were killed in 1591.
457
00:23:03,349 --> 00:23:05,150
And that most of
the colony had died
458
00:23:05,150 --> 00:23:06,852
as a result of sickness and war.
459
00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:09,755
- There are several
reasons to question
460
00:23:09,755 --> 00:23:12,258
whether or not it truly was
written by Eleanor Dare
461
00:23:12,258 --> 00:23:13,826
in the late 16th century.
462
00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:17,029
The message is signed
with her initials, EWD.
463
00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:19,999
And for us, this is
completely normal.
464
00:23:20,232 --> 00:23:23,335
But for the English in the
16th century, it wouldn't be.
465
00:23:23,669 --> 00:23:25,304
As this wasn't a typical
way of signing your
466
00:23:25,304 --> 00:23:26,272
name at the time.
467
00:23:26,639 --> 00:23:30,576
Also, the year 1591 is
written using modern numbers.
468
00:23:30,776 --> 00:23:32,711
The practice of
using these numerals
469
00:23:32,711 --> 00:23:35,514
didn't really become common
until a little later.
470
00:23:36,081 --> 00:23:38,083
[narrator] Geologists have
also taken a look
471
00:23:38,083 --> 00:23:41,120
at the stone's properties
to see what they can learn.
472
00:23:41,387 --> 00:23:43,822
By cutting off one end,
they saw that it was a
473
00:23:43,822 --> 00:23:47,293
bright white on the inside,
while the actual words
474
00:23:47,293 --> 00:23:48,494
were much darker.
475
00:23:50,162 --> 00:23:52,665
It would take a long
time for that brilliant
476
00:23:52,665 --> 00:23:54,833
white color to fade once
the letters had been
477
00:23:54,833 --> 00:23:56,568
etched into the rock's surface.
478
00:23:56,568 --> 00:24:00,472
So this means that when the
stone was found in 1937,
479
00:24:00,472 --> 00:24:03,208
it had been lying in the woods
for a good while already.
480
00:24:03,475 --> 00:24:06,879
Though a skilled forger could
have used chemical stain
481
00:24:06,879 --> 00:24:08,681
to make it a convincing fake.
482
00:24:10,082 --> 00:24:12,251
Regardless of whether
or not this message from
483
00:24:12,251 --> 00:24:14,620
the past is a hoax, the
explanation offered
484
00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:17,189
by the Dare Stone really
isn't that far-fetched.
485
00:24:17,523 --> 00:24:20,926
War, death, and disease would
have been a daily reality
486
00:24:20,926 --> 00:24:22,227
for these early colonizers.
487
00:24:25,097 --> 00:24:26,532
There are many
different theories
488
00:24:26,532 --> 00:24:28,133
as to what became of the colony.
489
00:24:28,367 --> 00:24:30,970
Some think that it was
attacked by the Spaniards,
490
00:24:31,236 --> 00:24:33,505
or that the settlers
were either killed
491
00:24:33,505 --> 00:24:35,974
or absorbed into
indigenous communities.
492
00:24:37,276 --> 00:24:39,178
If they did abandon
the English settlement
493
00:24:39,178 --> 00:24:41,613
and integrate into
indigenous communities,
494
00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:43,882
it wouldn't be the
first or last time
495
00:24:43,882 --> 00:24:45,551
that European settlers did so.
496
00:24:47,019 --> 00:24:48,988
[narrator] Following the
settlement's disappearance,
497
00:24:48,988 --> 00:24:51,924
John White delivered a
letter to Richard Hakluyt,
498
00:24:51,924 --> 00:24:54,159
saying that the settlers
intended to de-camp
499
00:24:54,159 --> 00:24:58,530
to another location, roughly
50 miles inland from Roanoke.
500
00:24:59,798 --> 00:25:02,768
Exactly where this
supposed destination was
501
00:25:02,768 --> 00:25:04,136
has been lost to history.
502
00:25:04,403 --> 00:25:06,572
For unknown reasons,
White didn't really
503
00:25:06,572 --> 00:25:08,040
expand on the location.
504
00:25:08,374 --> 00:25:10,609
Maybe he didn't
even know himself.
505
00:25:11,076 --> 00:25:13,145
[Alison Leonard] He did draw
a map of Roanoke and the
506
00:25:13,145 --> 00:25:15,714
surrounding areas of Chesapeake
Bay and Croatoan Island.
507
00:25:16,915 --> 00:25:19,885
But again, on this map,
there isn't any reference to
508
00:25:19,885 --> 00:25:21,353
this mysterious destination.
509
00:25:23,589 --> 00:25:25,357
But if you look
closely at the map,
510
00:25:25,357 --> 00:25:27,659
you can see that there
are faint outlines
511
00:25:27,659 --> 00:25:29,595
that are drawn on
top of the original.
512
00:25:30,829 --> 00:25:32,731
These are what
we call patches.
513
00:25:33,198 --> 00:25:35,567
They were a common way for
map makers at the time
514
00:25:35,567 --> 00:25:36,702
to correct mistakes.
515
00:25:36,702 --> 00:25:39,738
They would simply layer
a piece of new paper
516
00:25:39,738 --> 00:25:41,373
on top of the old.
517
00:25:42,007 --> 00:25:45,010
[narrator] Curious about what
mistakes White had corrected,
518
00:25:45,010 --> 00:25:48,180
the First Colony Foundation
asked the British Museum
519
00:25:48,180 --> 00:25:51,517
to further analyze the
map using spectroscopy
520
00:25:51,517 --> 00:25:53,218
and other imaging techniques.
521
00:25:53,452 --> 00:25:56,188
Multi-spectrum spectroscopy
essentially allows us
522
00:25:56,188 --> 00:25:58,791
to understand the properties
of any given object.
523
00:25:59,058 --> 00:26:01,760
By applying this new
technology to this old map,
524
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,328
you can see more than
what meets the eye.
525
00:26:05,164 --> 00:26:07,666
[Anthea Nardi] You can actually
see beneath the patches.
526
00:26:07,666 --> 00:26:10,803
The bigger of the two
revealed a correction
527
00:26:10,803 --> 00:26:14,273
to the coast's topography,
but the smaller was
528
00:26:14,273 --> 00:26:15,841
hiding an incredible clue.
529
00:26:18,076 --> 00:26:20,112
[Anthony Cantor] Beneath the
little patch at the end of the
530
00:26:20,112 --> 00:26:23,415
peninsula is a four-pointed
star, outlined in blue and
531
00:26:23,415 --> 00:26:24,650
filled in with red.
532
00:26:26,285 --> 00:26:29,021
It's located where the Chowan
River and Salmon Creek
533
00:26:29,021 --> 00:26:31,023
flow into Albemarle Sound.
534
00:26:31,290 --> 00:26:34,993
It's not much more than 50
nautical miles west of Roanoke.
535
00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,196
[narrator] Thinking that there
may have been a settlement
536
00:26:37,196 --> 00:26:39,565
on the shores of
Albemarle Sound,
537
00:26:39,565 --> 00:26:43,936
between 2012 and 2019,
archeological digs were
538
00:26:43,936 --> 00:26:46,939
conducted in the area,
indicated by the star
539
00:26:46,939 --> 00:26:48,273
on John White's map.
540
00:26:48,273 --> 00:26:51,710
The area received
the name Site X.
541
00:26:52,010 --> 00:26:55,481
What's needed is evidence that
could be definitively dated
542
00:26:55,481 --> 00:26:57,349
to the late 16th century.
543
00:26:57,649 --> 00:26:59,585
But this is complicated
by the fact
544
00:26:59,585 --> 00:27:01,453
that the first
English settlement
545
00:27:01,453 --> 00:27:05,190
in this part of North
Carolina was in 1655,
546
00:27:05,190 --> 00:27:09,128
almost 70 years after John
White sailed to Roanoke.
547
00:27:09,361 --> 00:27:12,064
So there could be
deposits left by someone
548
00:27:12,064 --> 00:27:16,068
other than the Roanoke settlers,
if they'd even been here at all.
549
00:27:16,702 --> 00:27:18,971
[narrator] Excavations
revealed many artifacts
550
00:27:18,971 --> 00:27:21,707
were made by indigenous
people, as well as those
551
00:27:21,707 --> 00:27:22,975
of English origin.
552
00:27:23,375 --> 00:27:26,044
Most importantly, however,
a relatively high
553
00:27:26,044 --> 00:27:28,914
concentration of pottery
was also discovered,
554
00:27:29,214 --> 00:27:32,351
items that were used by
families and regular people,
555
00:27:32,584 --> 00:27:34,019
not the military.
556
00:27:34,486 --> 00:27:37,689
European pottery in itself
is not that exciting a find,
557
00:27:37,956 --> 00:27:41,160
but these ceramics do provide
something special in this case.
558
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,796
Their production dates can
help to establish a timeline.
559
00:27:46,098 --> 00:27:48,634
[Anthea Nardi] The ceramics
found at Site X correspond to
560
00:27:48,634 --> 00:27:52,070
the possessions of less than 10
people and were used for food
561
00:27:52,070 --> 00:27:53,472
storage and preparation.
562
00:27:53,805 --> 00:27:56,575
They have the very distinct
color that is associated
563
00:27:56,575 --> 00:27:58,977
with what we know to be
Surrey Hampshire borderware.
564
00:28:00,178 --> 00:28:01,947
We know that this
type of ceramic
565
00:28:01,947 --> 00:28:05,450
was not imported into the
New World after 1624,
566
00:28:05,717 --> 00:28:08,086
which means that they were
probably brought to America
567
00:28:08,086 --> 00:28:09,555
by Roanoke settlers.
568
00:28:09,888 --> 00:28:13,125
[narrator] The excavations at
Site X also revealed another
569
00:28:13,125 --> 00:28:14,526
essential artifact.
570
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,496
Archeologists found
a small copper tube
571
00:28:17,496 --> 00:28:20,265
that would have been used
to secure wool fibers.
572
00:28:21,733 --> 00:28:25,037
These all amount to small,
but very significant finds.
573
00:28:25,270 --> 00:28:27,606
This piece of metal is
what's called an aglet.
574
00:28:27,606 --> 00:28:28,707
It's kind of like
what you would have
575
00:28:28,707 --> 00:28:30,108
at the end of your shoelace.
576
00:28:30,576 --> 00:28:33,679
This little thing is important
because it went out of fashion
577
00:28:33,679 --> 00:28:35,781
in the first half of
the 17th century,
578
00:28:36,014 --> 00:28:37,683
meaning that it could
definitely have belonged
579
00:28:37,683 --> 00:28:38,817
to a Roanoke colonist.
580
00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:45,924
- What appears to have
happened is that something
581
00:28:45,924 --> 00:28:49,127
caused the settlers at Roanoke
to disperse across the region.
582
00:28:49,494 --> 00:28:51,930
It's impossible to say
what the trigger was,
583
00:28:51,930 --> 00:28:55,033
but life definitely wouldn't
have been easy on that island.
584
00:28:55,634 --> 00:28:58,236
- Life would have been easier
if and when they integrated
585
00:28:58,236 --> 00:29:00,606
with those indigenous
communities that accepted them.
586
00:29:01,073 --> 00:29:03,075
But because no single
one would have been able
587
00:29:03,075 --> 00:29:05,177
to absorb dozens
of people at once,
588
00:29:05,410 --> 00:29:06,745
the English of Roanoke
would have had
589
00:29:06,745 --> 00:29:09,581
to join various communities,
those at Site X and
590
00:29:09,581 --> 00:29:12,084
on Hatteras Island,
likely being two of them.
591
00:29:13,518 --> 00:29:15,721
And as for that patch
on John White's map
592
00:29:15,721 --> 00:29:17,856
that revealed the
possible location
593
00:29:17,856 --> 00:29:20,726
of the Roanoke settlers,
why was that made secret
594
00:29:20,726 --> 00:29:21,593
in the first place?
595
00:29:23,528 --> 00:29:25,864
While the map was
drawn by White,
596
00:29:25,864 --> 00:29:29,501
it was done at the behest of his
employer, Sir Walter Raleigh.
597
00:29:29,501 --> 00:29:32,871
And remember, White
also had his daughter
598
00:29:32,871 --> 00:29:35,974
and grandchild there,
so he may have had some
599
00:29:35,974 --> 00:29:37,743
personal stakes as well.
600
00:29:38,010 --> 00:29:41,580
[narrator] Today, the
National Park Service Fort
Raleigh Historic Site
601
00:29:41,813 --> 00:29:44,683
has an exhibition dedicated
to the vanished colony,
602
00:29:45,017 --> 00:29:47,686
with the exception of
the known few at Site X
603
00:29:47,686 --> 00:29:51,056
and perhaps Hatteras, what's
become of all the others?
604
00:29:51,356 --> 00:29:53,625
A conclusive answer is unsure.
605
00:29:53,625 --> 00:29:57,996
The settlers of Roanoke seem
to have vanished into history.
606
00:29:58,897 --> 00:30:01,633
♪ ♪
607
00:30:11,176 --> 00:30:14,312
In the heart of the wild and
unforgiving North Atlantic,
608
00:30:14,579 --> 00:30:17,249
just a few miles off the
eastern coast of Canada,
609
00:30:17,749 --> 00:30:21,019
lies Sable Island, a
26-mile-long strip
610
00:30:21,019 --> 00:30:22,688
of sand and grass.
611
00:30:23,322 --> 00:30:26,024
It's called the Graveyard
of the North Atlantic,
612
00:30:26,658 --> 00:30:30,495
as 350 ships have been
dashed against the island's
613
00:30:30,495 --> 00:30:31,863
ragged coasts.
614
00:30:32,464 --> 00:30:35,300
With that kind of history,
it's no surprise that
615
00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:37,002
there are boatloads
of ghost stories
616
00:30:37,002 --> 00:30:37,536
about this place,
617
00:30:39,271 --> 00:30:41,440
including one about
a shipwrecked woman
618
00:30:41,740 --> 00:30:42,641
who wanders the beaches.
619
00:30:45,043 --> 00:30:47,446
Legend has it that thieves
cut off her finger
620
00:30:47,813 --> 00:30:50,849
to steal a valuable ring, and
that she's spending eternity
621
00:30:51,216 --> 00:30:53,452
searching for both the
ring and the thieves.
622
00:30:57,422 --> 00:31:00,092
- Despite how grim and
eerie that all sounds,
623
00:31:00,425 --> 00:31:02,327
the island is also
quite beautiful.
624
00:31:02,661 --> 00:31:04,696
Even the name is pretty, Sable.
625
00:31:05,063 --> 00:31:07,265
Derived from the French
'sable', it means sand.
626
00:31:10,802 --> 00:31:12,504
- There's certainly
a lot of sand here,
627
00:31:12,838 --> 00:31:13,839
and not much else.
628
00:31:14,139 --> 00:31:16,608
There's actually only a
single tree on the island.
629
00:31:17,242 --> 00:31:19,111
You can't even visit
it without a permit.
630
00:31:22,013 --> 00:31:23,281
Most of the people
on the mainland
631
00:31:23,615 --> 00:31:25,717
have not set foot here,
and likely never will.
632
00:31:25,717 --> 00:31:28,086
A 90-minute charter
flight to the island
633
00:31:28,553 --> 00:31:31,757
costs $1,500 US, and
visitors aren't even
634
00:31:31,757 --> 00:31:32,824
allowed to stay overnight.
635
00:31:34,159 --> 00:31:37,295
[narrator] Sable Island's
remoteness makes a bizarre
636
00:31:37,295 --> 00:31:39,998
discovery here in
1993 even stranger.
637
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,069
A local researcher who spends
a good part of the year
638
00:31:44,069 --> 00:31:46,638
on the island is out on the
beach doing her usual patrol
639
00:31:46,938 --> 00:31:49,007
when she crosses
paths with a seal.
640
00:31:49,408 --> 00:31:50,175
Actually, a few of them.
641
00:31:51,610 --> 00:31:54,913
[narrator] Between December and
February, up to 400,000 gray
642
00:31:54,913 --> 00:31:58,850
seals come to the island
to mate and give birth.
643
00:31:59,184 --> 00:32:02,420
It's the largest gray seal
breeding colony in the world.
644
00:32:03,722 --> 00:32:06,224
Okay, finding a seal,
or even several seals,
645
00:32:06,491 --> 00:32:07,993
on the coast of a
Nova Scotian island
646
00:32:08,293 --> 00:32:09,728
is like finding hay in a barn.
647
00:32:09,995 --> 00:32:12,397
This is the North Atlantic.
This is their playground.
648
00:32:12,798 --> 00:32:14,266
But these seals aren't playing.
649
00:32:14,966 --> 00:32:15,400
They're dead.
650
00:32:18,837 --> 00:32:21,706
Now, around here, one dead
seal, even 10 dead seals,
651
00:32:21,706 --> 00:32:23,675
is not exactly a
case for the CSI.
652
00:32:23,975 --> 00:32:25,410
The ocean's a brutal place.
653
00:32:25,677 --> 00:32:29,147
But what's startling here
is how these seals died.
654
00:32:29,481 --> 00:32:32,150
They have been sliced open.
655
00:32:35,454 --> 00:32:37,856
The bodies have
peculiar corkscrew cuts
656
00:32:37,856 --> 00:32:41,059
that start at the head and
spiral around the body.
657
00:32:41,059 --> 00:32:43,528
The wound goes right through
their skin and blubber.
658
00:32:43,862 --> 00:32:46,298
In some cases, a chunk of the
skin and blubber is gone,
659
00:32:46,598 --> 00:32:48,600
but the tissue and
muscle remain intact.
660
00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,737
[narrator] By 1996, 400 such
carcasses had washed up
661
00:32:53,104 --> 00:32:55,774
on the windswept beaches
of Sable Island.
662
00:32:56,041 --> 00:33:00,412
And by 2001, the
number is over 4,000.
663
00:33:01,379 --> 00:33:02,914
And it's not just
one kind of seal.
664
00:33:03,281 --> 00:33:04,549
It's five.
665
00:33:04,549 --> 00:33:09,488
They find gray, harp, harbor,
hooded, and ringed seals.
666
00:33:09,688 --> 00:33:11,890
What could be ravaging
these poor creatures?
667
00:33:13,258 --> 00:33:16,194
[Anthea Nardi] At first glance,
this looks like the handiwork
668
00:33:16,194 --> 00:33:19,397
of humans, as the wounds appear
intentional and precise.
669
00:33:21,967 --> 00:33:23,602
[Anthony Cantor] But if
you follow that logic,
670
00:33:23,602 --> 00:33:24,636
there are a few problems.
671
00:33:24,903 --> 00:33:26,404
First, how?
672
00:33:26,638 --> 00:33:28,640
This is an extremely
remote place
673
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,675
with seriously
restricted access.
674
00:33:30,942 --> 00:33:33,144
For someone to regularly
come to the island,
675
00:33:33,144 --> 00:33:35,614
unnoticed, and kill
thousands of seals,
676
00:33:35,614 --> 00:33:37,516
that seems very unlikely.
677
00:33:38,450 --> 00:33:40,852
The second thing to ask is, why?
678
00:33:40,852 --> 00:33:43,321
What would be the point
of killing these seals
679
00:33:43,321 --> 00:33:45,190
and not taking their
meat or their skin?
680
00:33:45,590 --> 00:33:48,660
No, they were probably
not killed by humans.
681
00:33:49,027 --> 00:33:51,363
[narrator] Some believe these
seals were attacked
682
00:33:51,363 --> 00:33:53,031
by natural predators.
683
00:33:53,265 --> 00:33:56,101
That would be a reasonable
theory in some locations,
684
00:33:56,101 --> 00:33:58,236
but what's on this
island to hurt them?
685
00:33:58,536 --> 00:34:01,806
There's nothing except for
some birds and horses,
686
00:34:01,806 --> 00:34:03,208
lots and lots of them.
687
00:34:04,676 --> 00:34:08,280
If you fly over the island,
you'll see something truly wild.
688
00:34:08,513 --> 00:34:12,017
More than 500 horses
running free.
689
00:34:12,017 --> 00:34:13,985
It's just breathtaking.
690
00:34:14,552 --> 00:34:16,254
[narrator] It was once thought
the horses were from
691
00:34:16,254 --> 00:34:18,089
the many shipwrecks
around the island.
692
00:34:19,724 --> 00:34:21,826
But they were likely
placed here for breeding
693
00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,062
after being taken from
the French settlers
694
00:34:24,062 --> 00:34:26,097
in the mid-1700s.
695
00:34:26,765 --> 00:34:29,100
Regardless of how the
horses ended up here,
696
00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:30,902
could a horse be a predator?
697
00:34:30,902 --> 00:34:31,803
They're herbivores.
698
00:34:31,803 --> 00:34:33,138
There's no way they did it.
699
00:34:33,705 --> 00:34:34,439
So what did?
700
00:34:37,909 --> 00:34:40,245
- So if it's not a
natural phenomenon
701
00:34:40,245 --> 00:34:43,181
or the handiwork of humankind,
could it be something
702
00:34:43,181 --> 00:34:44,649
in the middle,
like a boat or
703
00:34:44,649 --> 00:34:46,484
specifically a propeller?
704
00:34:48,219 --> 00:34:50,689
Generally, a ship's
propeller spins
705
00:34:50,689 --> 00:34:53,658
and has a smooth edge that
would likely leave the seal
706
00:34:53,658 --> 00:34:56,428
with a simple cut
before pushing it away.
707
00:34:56,428 --> 00:34:59,364
It would need to be held
in place for a spiral cut.
708
00:34:59,864 --> 00:35:02,067
Beyond those mechanics,
if you look at the
709
00:35:02,067 --> 00:35:04,703
wounds from propellers on
animals like manatees,
710
00:35:04,703 --> 00:35:06,438
they look nothing like that.
711
00:35:06,438 --> 00:35:09,474
So this is likely not
due to propellers.
712
00:35:09,975 --> 00:35:11,743
[narrator] Another
clue surfaces.
713
00:35:11,977 --> 00:35:15,380
As the amount of bodies
rises, a small number of
714
00:35:15,380 --> 00:35:19,017
seals are found with
crescent-shaped bite marks.
715
00:35:19,250 --> 00:35:22,354
The North Atlantic is
home to great white sharks.
716
00:35:22,587 --> 00:35:24,656
So maybe they are making
a meal of the seals.
717
00:35:27,592 --> 00:35:29,461
Although there are lots
of great white sharks
718
00:35:29,461 --> 00:35:31,196
in this region in
the warmer months,
719
00:35:31,196 --> 00:35:33,131
the dead seals were
generally appearing
720
00:35:33,131 --> 00:35:35,533
in January and February,
when the great whites
721
00:35:35,533 --> 00:35:37,836
had already sailed
off to warmer waters.
722
00:35:38,036 --> 00:35:40,238
So it's unlikely that
great white sharks
723
00:35:40,238 --> 00:35:41,940
are the mass murderers here.
724
00:35:41,940 --> 00:35:44,909
So what other shark species
might be responsible?
725
00:35:44,909 --> 00:35:45,977
Black dogfish?
726
00:35:46,244 --> 00:35:48,980
Too small, and the seals would
have made short work of them.
727
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,017
Orca? The tooth pattern
just doesn't fit.
728
00:35:54,152 --> 00:35:55,687
The Bluntnose Sixgill shark,
729
00:35:55,687 --> 00:35:57,989
the Blue Shark, and
the Tiger Shark
730
00:35:57,989 --> 00:36:00,959
have only been found in
this area as juveniles,
731
00:36:00,959 --> 00:36:02,727
and juveniles would be
too small to inflict
732
00:36:02,727 --> 00:36:04,629
that kind of damage
on an adult seal.
733
00:36:06,865 --> 00:36:08,800
[Anthony Cantor] Even though
some have dismissed the idea
734
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,236
that these wounds are the
work of marine predators,
735
00:36:11,236 --> 00:36:14,973
there is one more candidate,
the Greenland shark.
736
00:36:17,375 --> 00:36:19,244
[narrator] The Greenland
shark can reach up
737
00:36:19,244 --> 00:36:23,815
to a staggering 23 feet long
and weigh over 2,000 pounds.
738
00:36:25,350 --> 00:36:28,653
They're not just huge. They
have incredible longevity.
739
00:36:28,653 --> 00:36:30,588
Some are 500 years old.
740
00:36:30,588 --> 00:36:33,625
Think about it, that's twice
as old as the United States.
741
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,328
[James Ellis] While their
sluggish nature doesn't make
742
00:36:37,328 --> 00:36:40,598
them the most likely candidates,
there's still some damning
743
00:36:40,598 --> 00:36:44,335
evidence against them,
specifically their teeth.
744
00:36:44,669 --> 00:36:47,238
The upper and lower teeth
of the Greenland shark
745
00:36:47,238 --> 00:36:48,339
are very different.
746
00:36:48,339 --> 00:36:51,242
The upper teeth are pointed
and sharp for clamping.
747
00:36:51,242 --> 00:36:53,411
The lower are more blade-like.
748
00:36:53,678 --> 00:36:56,014
[Anthony Cantor] And the
corkscrew tearing might be the
749
00:36:56,014 --> 00:36:59,751
result of the seal's natural
impulse to escape by twisting,
750
00:37:00,085 --> 00:37:03,655
a reflex which tragically
compounds the damage.
751
00:37:03,988 --> 00:37:06,057
[narrator] But as experts
settle on their verdict,
752
00:37:06,057 --> 00:37:09,794
similar corpses begin appearing
on the other side of the ocean,
753
00:37:10,295 --> 00:37:13,331
on the coasts of England,
Scotland, and Ireland,
754
00:37:13,598 --> 00:37:16,868
and what they find calls
the Greenland shark theory
755
00:37:17,068 --> 00:37:17,969
into question.
756
00:37:19,370 --> 00:37:21,406
And a bunch of the
seal carcasses in the UK
757
00:37:21,406 --> 00:37:24,642
are found in July, when the
temperatures are way warmer
758
00:37:24,642 --> 00:37:26,511
than the Greenland
sharks prefer.
759
00:37:27,078 --> 00:37:29,314
The propeller theory had
been initially discarded
760
00:37:29,547 --> 00:37:32,083
because it seemed propellers
would just totally gash
761
00:37:32,083 --> 00:37:35,186
the seal rather than produce
the corkscrew pattern.
762
00:37:35,487 --> 00:37:39,524
But what if the culprit was a
specific kind of propeller?
763
00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:42,227
[narrator] Ducted
propellers are propellers
764
00:37:42,227 --> 00:37:44,863
encased in short tubes
that could possibly
765
00:37:44,863 --> 00:37:47,532
keep the seal in place,
allowing for the
766
00:37:47,532 --> 00:37:49,200
corkscrew tearing pattern.
767
00:37:49,467 --> 00:37:52,270
It's the kind of propeller
often seen in tugboats
768
00:37:52,270 --> 00:37:55,406
that service oil rigs
or offshore wind farms.
769
00:37:56,541 --> 00:37:58,643
When UK researchers
cross-referenced
770
00:37:58,643 --> 00:38:01,312
the discovery dates of the
corkscrew-injured seals
771
00:38:01,312 --> 00:38:03,815
with local shipping
records, they discover that
772
00:38:03,815 --> 00:38:07,051
there were vessels with
ducted propellers nearby.
773
00:38:07,852 --> 00:38:11,256
[narrator] To further test their
theory, researchers make small
774
00:38:11,256 --> 00:38:13,725
wax models of seals
and put them into
775
00:38:13,725 --> 00:38:15,393
model duct propellers.
776
00:38:15,393 --> 00:38:18,396
The result, the same
corkscrew injuries
777
00:38:18,396 --> 00:38:22,467
that were found on the seals
in the UK and on Sable Island.
778
00:38:22,767 --> 00:38:25,904
Pretty convincing stuff,
but many of the seals
779
00:38:25,904 --> 00:38:28,773
found dead on Sable
Island were still warm.
780
00:38:29,073 --> 00:38:32,043
So it was most likely they
were killed close to shore,
781
00:38:32,043 --> 00:38:35,246
not by an invisible
or distant boat.
782
00:38:35,613 --> 00:38:38,149
So with the propeller dismissed,
783
00:38:38,149 --> 00:38:40,618
the Greenland sharks kind
of are leading suspect.
784
00:38:40,952 --> 00:38:42,654
But before we throw
the book at them,
785
00:38:42,654 --> 00:38:45,757
let's just explore
one more possibility.
786
00:38:45,757 --> 00:38:50,895
What if, plot twist, the killers
are the seals themselves?
787
00:39:00,271 --> 00:39:02,640
Some people call
seals 'sea doggos'
788
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:05,009
due to their whiskers
and general cuteness,
789
00:39:05,276 --> 00:39:07,712
but I wouldn't be quick to
cuddle one anytime soon.
790
00:39:08,446 --> 00:39:09,647
Look at their mouths.
791
00:39:09,647 --> 00:39:12,250
They have the fangs and teeth
of a dangerous predator.
792
00:39:13,685 --> 00:39:16,821
[narrator] The seal's predatory
power is very clear
793
00:39:16,821 --> 00:39:20,758
when a shocking photo bomb
blows the case wide open.
794
00:39:21,226 --> 00:39:23,161
A marine biologist
is documenting a
795
00:39:23,161 --> 00:39:26,397
seal breeding colony on
the Isle of May in the UK
796
00:39:26,664 --> 00:39:29,634
when an adult male seal
appears in the background.
797
00:39:30,001 --> 00:39:33,037
He attacks a seal pup,
his claws causing that
798
00:39:33,037 --> 00:39:35,073
distinctive corkscrew cut.
799
00:39:35,373 --> 00:39:38,509
He then basically pushes
his jaw into the wound
800
00:39:38,509 --> 00:39:42,213
and manages to swallow some of
the pup's blubber and skin.
801
00:39:43,081 --> 00:39:45,116
This is not a one-time thing.
802
00:39:45,617 --> 00:39:48,086
Once the video is seen,
the seal is tracked
803
00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:50,588
and he's seen doing
it again and again.
804
00:39:50,922 --> 00:39:52,090
He's not the only one.
805
00:39:55,493 --> 00:39:57,562
This is not normal
behavior for seals
806
00:39:57,562 --> 00:39:58,896
and it's unclear
why it's happening,
807
00:39:58,896 --> 00:40:01,666
but whatever the
reason, British experts
808
00:40:01,666 --> 00:40:05,670
are now confident that
these bizarre seal deaths
809
00:40:05,904 --> 00:40:08,006
are the result of cannibalism.
810
00:40:12,910 --> 00:40:15,146
[narrator] While the case
of these killings is
811
00:40:15,146 --> 00:40:17,849
closed for most,
others are unconvinced.
812
00:40:18,116 --> 00:40:28,126
For them, the murder mystery of
Sable Island remains unsolved.
66792
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