Original subtitles

Narrator: THEY'RE WATCHING YOU.

MORE THAN 4,000 SATELLITES CIRCLE THE EARTH.

EVERY DAY, THEY UNCOVER NEW, MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA

THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

[ BEEPING, DISTORTED MUSIC ]

ROSWELL'S MYSTERY CRAFT...

[ Laughing ] OH, MY GOSH.

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.

Narrator: ...DECODING ATOMIC ISLAND...

AND THIS IS JUST GETTING WEIRDER AND WEIRDER.

IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Narrator: ...AND INSIDE AMERICA'S $2 BILLION SPY DOME.

THERE'S A SAYING --

"IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR."

Narrator: BAFFLING PHENOMENA.

MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

[ BEEPING ] [ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ]

[ WHIRRING ]

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

[ FREQUENCY WARBLES ] [ WHIRRING ]

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2016 --

A SATELLITE PASSING OVER NEW MEXICO CAPTURES

AN IMAGE OF A RED PLANE ON A LANDING STRIP --

NOTHING UNUSUAL, BUT HISTORICAL IMAGES REVEAL

IT'S BEEN THERE FOR OVER THREE DECADES.

I UNDERSTAND LEAVING A CAR SITTING AND NOT BEING USED,

BUT A PLANE BY AN AIRSTRIP FOR 30 YEARS?

PLANES THAT AREN'T IN USE ARE TAKEN AWAY AND SCRAPPED.

WHY IS THIS PLANE STILL SITTING HERE?

WHAT WAS IT USED FOR?

Narrator: YET, WHAT FASCINATES MILITARY HISTORIAN MARTIN MORGAN

IS THE MYSTERY CRAFT'S LOCATION.

IT SITS IN ROSWELL, SITE OF THE INFAMOUS 1947 UFO INCIDENT

AND OF NUMEROUS COLD WAR AVIATION EXPERIMENTS.

THAT'S WHY HE'S TRAVELING TO NEW MEXICO TO INVESTIGATE.

THE FACT THAT THIS AIRPLANE IS LOCATED IN THIS LANDSCAPE

CERTAINLY MAKES IT ALL THE MORE INTRIGUING.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE IMAGE SUGGESTS THE PLANE DATES BACK

TO THE SAME TIME AS THE ROSWELL INCIDENT.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FROM THE COLD WAR.

IT'S AN OLDER DESIGN.

IT INVITES THE POSSIBILITIES OF A CONNECTION

BETWEEN IT AND SECRET COLD WAR TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: THE PLANE BEARS SOME RESEMBLANCE TO AIRCRAFT

DESIGNED AT THAT TIME

BY AEROSPACE ENGINEER ADOLF BUSEMANN.

AFTER WORLD WAR II,

BUSEMANN IS AMONG 1,600 NAZI SCIENTISTS BROUGHT TO AMERICA

AS PART OF THE "OPERATION PAPERCLIP" PROGRAM.

**

MANY BASE THEMSELVES IN NEW MEXICO,

WHERE THEY HELP THE U.S. MILITARY

DEVELOP ITS FIRST SPACE ROCKETS.

BUSEMANN HIMSELF IS A PIONEER OF THE SWEPT WING,

WHICH REDUCES DRAG, HELPING JETS HANDLE THE AERODYNAMIC STRESSES

OF FLYING AT HIGH SPEEDS.

Morgan: IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THIS AIRCRAFT,

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS SWEPT WINGS,

AND THE FIRST COUNTRY TO INTRODUCE SWEPT WINGS

FOR HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT WAS NAZI GERMANY.

WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

WAS CONDUCTING TESTS WITH CAPTURED NAZI TECHNOLOGY

IN NEW MEXICO IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORLD WAR II.

SO MAYBE THIS AIRCRAFT SOMEHOW IS CONNECTED.

**

Narrator: YET ACCESS TO ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE,

AS IT ONCE WAS, IS RESTRICTED.

THIS MEANS CALLING IN SOME FAVORS.

EVENTUALLY, MORGAN OBTAINS THE NAME OF SOMEONE

WHO CAN AUTHORIZE ACCESS.

**

[ BEEP ]

**

Morgan: IN WE GO.

**

SOMEWHERE IS THIS STRANGE RED JET

THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.

Narrator: HOWEVER, UP CLOSE, THE MYSTERY PLANE

IS NOT WHAT MORGAN WAS EXPECTING.

**

Morgan: THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A MILITARY AIRCRAFT.

THE TIME PERIOD'S RIGHT.

IT'S COLD WAR.

IT'S JUST NOT COLD WAR MILITARY.

Narrator: THIS IS A LOCKHEED JetStar,

WHICH HAS BEEN FLOWN BY THE MILITARY,

BUT ITS PRIMARY USE IS AS OF A PRIVATE CIVILIAN JET.

WHO WERE THE PASSENGERS, AND WHY IS IT IN ROSWELL?

I THINK I NEED TO GET INSIDE.

**

[ Laughing ] OH, MY GOSH.

**

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.

IT'S LIKE I'VE JUST OPENED A TIME CAPSULE.

MY GOD. WHOEVER OWNED THIS AIRPLANE

TRAVELED IN STYLE.

Narrator: MORGAN SEARCHES FOR THE PLANE'S SERIAL NUMBER,

THE FINGERPRINT THAT HELPS IDENTIFY REGISTERED AIRCRAFT.

Morgan: THAT MIGHT BE IT.

Narrator: TO LEARN MORE, MORGAN NEEDS TO OBTAIN PERMISSION

TO SEARCH ROSWELL AIR BASE'S RECORDS.

I AM LOOKING FOR SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TAIL NUMBER.

**

ONE ROOM CONTAINS ALL THE AIRCRAFT'S BILLS OF SALE

DATING BACK DECADES.

WHAT MORGAN DISCOVERS IS WEIRDER

THAN HE COULD EVER HAVE IMAGINED.

WELL, FOUND OUT WHO THE OWNER IS...

...ELVIS AARON PRESLEY

OF 3764 ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD,

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

THE KING HIMSELF EVEN SIGNED THE DOCUMENT.

Narrator: BUT WHY IS ELVIS' PLANE ROTTING IN THE SUN

IN ROSWELL?

A FURTHER SEARCH REVEALS HE BUYS IT JUST A FEW MONTHS

BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1977.

THE 1970s IS KIND OF A GREAT ERA IN PRIVATE JETS.

YOU HAD A LOT OF CELEBRITIES ADOPTING THEM AS STATUS SYMBOLS

AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE THEM INTO PARTY PLANES.

Narrator: FRANK SINATRA KICK-STARTS

THE CELEBRITY PRIVATE-JET OBSESSION

A DECADE EARLIER IN 1965.

"COME FLY WITH ME," HE SANG, AND THEY DID.

WHEN ELVIS PRESLEY WANTED TO ELOPE WITH PRISCILLA,

SINATRA ACTUALLY LOANED HIM HIS PRIVATE JET,

AND ELVIS LIKED IT SO MUCH HE NOT ONLY BOUGHT ONE

BUT THREE OF HIS OWN.

Narrator: DESPITE BEING THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SOLO ARTIST

IN HISTORY AND SELLING A BILLION RECORDS,

ELVIS IS HEAVILY IN DEBT IN HIS FINAL YEARS,

YET STILL CHOOSES TO SPLURGE VAST AMOUNTS OF CASH

ON A FLEET OF JETS, INCLUDING THIS ONE.

Pappalardo: AS BEFITTING THE BIGGEST CELEBRITY ON THE PLANET,

EACH OF THEM WERE TRICKED OUT

AND PIMPED OUT IN VERY SPECIFIC WAYS.

YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE, IF THIS PLANE COULD TELL SOME STORIES,

THE KINDS OF TALES IT WOULD TELL.

[ PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOUTING ]

Narrator: AVIATION RECORDS REVEAL THAT AFTER HIS DEATH,

A SERIES OF BUYERS ATTEMPT

TO GET ELVIS' PARTY PLANE AIRBORNE AGAIN,

YET NONE SUCCEED.

AND ALMOST 40 YEARS LATER, IT SITS IN A CORNER

OF PERHAPS THE MOST INFAMOUS AIRFIELD IN THE WORLD,

SLOWLY FADING INTO HISTORY.

ELVIS WAS KNOWN FOR HAVING A BIT OF A LIFELONG OBSESSION

WITH UFOs AND ALIENS.

IT SEEMS SO STRANGE THAT THESE TWO STORIES

WEAVE TOGETHER RIGHT HERE,

BUT THEY DO.

**

Narrator: COMING UP --

INTO THE LABYRINTHINE ABYSS...

THERE'S NO GETTING OUT OF THERE.

...AND A FUN DAY OUT ON ARMAGEDDON ISLAND.

THEY WOULD TAKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,

TIE IT TO A BALLOON, AND THEN EXPLODE IT.

[ EXPLOSION ]

**

Narrator: JULY 5th, 2017 --

A SATELLITE CROSSING HIGH OVER THE VAST, EMPTY DESERT

OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA CAPTURES THIS BELOW.

Marchetti: WHEN I PULLED THIS IMAGE UP,

I THOUGHT THIS LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF AN ALIEN WORLD.

Faylor: THE LANDSCAPE IS DOTTED WITH HOLES.

IT'S LIKE THERE'S SOME KIND OF BUG OR GIANT WORM

THAT'S BEEN BURROWING IN AND BURROWING OUT.

Narrator: FURTHER IMAGES SHOW THE MYSTERY HOLES COVER A VAST AREA --

77,000 SQUARE MILES.

IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE DESERT'S GOT A BAD CASE OF THE MEASLES.

Narrator: ANALYSTS LOOK FOR A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION.

THESE HOLES IN THE GROUND

TOTALLY REMIND ME OF MINE SHAFTS,

AND AUSTRALIA HAS A VIBRANT MINING INDUSTRY.

THROUGHOUT THE OUTBACK, THERE'S GOLD, COPPER,

EVEN ALUMINUM, BUT THE MOST PRECIOUS IS OPAL.

Narrator: OPALS FORM WHEN WATER FLOWING THROUGH ROCK

DEPOSITS MICROPARTICLES OF SILICA INTO GAPS.

IT TAKES AROUND 5 MILLION YEARS

TO MAKE JUST 1/2 OF AN INCH OF THE GEMSTONE.

OPAL IS JUST A PRECIPITATE THAT COMES FROM RAINWATER,

BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, IT FORMS

THIS BEAUTIFUL IRIDESCENT BLUE, YELLOWS, AND GREENS,

AND THAT'S WHEN YOU'VE HIT PAY DIRT.

Narrator: THE SITE IN THE IMAGE

IS IN A REGION KNOWN TO CONTAIN OPALS.

Faylor: THIS PLACE IS SO DESOLATE AND BARREN.

THEY ACTUALLY FILMED ONE OF THE "MAD MAX" MOVIES HERE.

BUT THIS IS GROUND ZERO FOR OPAL MINING.

Narrator: TEMPERATURES HERE CAN HIT 116 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE INCESSANT HEAT HAS FORCED PROSPECTORS

TO LIVE UNDERGROUND...

...3,500 PEOPLE DIGGING OUT A WORLD FOR THEMSELVES

BENEATH THE SCORCHED, LIFELESS DESERT.

Kourounis: THIS ISN'T LIKE SOME UNDEVELOPED SERIES OF CAVES.

PEOPLE BUILD THEIR HOUSES UNDERGROUND.

THERE ARE SHOPS AND BUSINESSES, A CHURCH,

EVEN AN UNDERGROUND SWIMMING POOL.

Narrator: THE PLACE IS CALLED COOBER PEDY,

WHICH IN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGE MEANS "WHITE MAN IN A HOLE."

DRIVING THROUGH THE TOWN, IT'S PRETTY STRANGE

BECAUSE YOU DON'T JUST SEE HOUSES.

YOU SEE LITTLE HOLES OF WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BURROWED IN

TO GET UNDER THE COOL GROUND.

Narrator: OPALS CAN SELL FOR OVER $1 MILLION.

THE TROUBLE IS FINDING THEM.

Kourounis: THERE'S NO HIGH-TECH WAY

OF KNOWING WHERE THESE OPALS ARE.

WHAT THESE MINERS DO IS THEY'LL DRILL A HOLE

AND THEN DRILL ANOTHER HOLE AND ANOTHER HOLE AND ANOTHER.

THIS COULD EASILY BE WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS IMAGE.

Narrator: AMANDA MARCHETTI ANALYZES A HOLE

WITH DigitalGlobe SecureWatch TECHNOLOGY.

IT CAN'T BE THE RESULT OF OPAL MINING.

IT LOOKS TO BE ABOUT 1/4 OF A MILE IN DIAMETER,

WHICH WAS ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF THE PENTAGON.

WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL A SPECTRAL SIGNATURE

OF THE CENTER OF THIS CRATER, WHAT THAT TELLS ME

IS THAT IT'S ACTUALLY RELATED TO A GEOLOGIC ACTIVITY.

Narrator: GEOLOGICAL RECORDS REVEAL THIS VAST PLAIN

IS FORMED OF LIMESTONE --

THE LARGEST CONTINUOUS EXPOSED BLOCK OF THE MINERAL ON EARTH.

DEVIN DENNIE THINKS THIS EXPLAINS THE MYSTERY CHASMS.

LIMESTONE IS CREATED FROM MARINE CREATURES.

SO, THEIR BODIES CREATE CALCITE,

WHICH IS HIGHLY REACTIVE TO ACIDS.

SO, AS RAIN, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY ACIDIC, FALLS INTO IT,

IT DISSOLVES A LITTLE BIT OF THAT LIMESTONE.

AND OVER TIME, CAVES FORM.

Narrator: IT TAKES TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS FOR THIS PROCESS

TO FORM A HUMAN-SIZED HOLE,

MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS TO CREATE CAVERNS THIS BIG.

GEOLOGISTS CALL THIS A KARST LANDSCAPE,

YET WHAT LIES BENEATH IS EVEN MORE BREATHTAKING.

ON THE SURFACE, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE HOLES,

LIKE IT'S A COLANDER,

BUT UNDERNEATH IT IS AN ENTIRE MAZE OF TUNNELS

CONNECTING TO ONE ANOTHER.

IT'S A LABYRINTH.

Narrator: DEEP BELOW THE WATER TABLE,

FLOODED CAVES FORM A VAST LABYRINTHINE WATER WORLD.

SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THESE TUNNELS

STRETCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES

BUT HAVE VENTURED INTO ONLY A TINY FRACTION OF THEM.

THERE'S NO SOIL TO ABSORB WATER, SO WATER JUST POOLS IN POCKETS.

Narrator: THE FEW THAT DARE ENTER THIS CAVERNOUS MAZE

DO SO AT THEIR PERIL.

CAVE DIVERS CALL THIS PLACE THEIR EVEREST.

IT HAS SENT MANY TO THE SURFACE

WITH PERMANENT DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS.

Kourounis: THEY CALL IT A LABYRINTH FOR A REASON.

THE INTRICATE CONNECTION OF ROCK PASSAGES

IS CONFUSING AND DISORIENTING.

Narrator: IT'S ALL TOO EASY TO BECOME LOST IN THIS LABYRINTH.

AND THAT MEANS ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH.

IT'S REALLY TIGHT QUARTERS.

THERE'S VERY LITTLE LIGHT.

YOU HAVE JAGGED, POINTY PINNACLES

AND LITTLE PEAKS AND NARROW PASSAGEWAYS.

IT'S REALLY A SCARY PLACE TO BE.

Narrator: IT'S A SEEMINGLY DARK, UTTERLY LIFELESS WORLD.

YET IN ONE CAVERN,

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING INCREDIBLE --

A KIND OF LIVING SLIME.

IT'S HARD TO TELL HOW IT COULD SURVIVE UNDERGROUND

WITHOUT ANY NUTRIENTS, WITHOUT ANY SUNLIGHT.

IT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

Narrator: THE MYSTERY SLIME COULD BE

A KIND OF EVOLUTIONARY MISSING LINK,

SURVIVING IN TOTAL DARKNESS BY FEEDING OFF AMMONIA.

Dennie: WHO KNOWS WHAT WE COULD LEARN

ABOUT THE WORLD THROUGH THIS SLIME?

WE COULD FIND A NEW MEDICINE.

WE COULD FIGURE OUT THE SECRET OF LIFE.

WHO KNOWS?

Narrator: THE HOLES SEEN FROM SPACE ARE PORTALS

TO ONE OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS PLACES ON THE PLANET.

IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT OTHER LIFE FORMS

ARE LURKING INSIDE THIS DEADLY MAZE.

COMING UP --

WHAT'S THE POINT OF THIS GIANT ARROW?

SOMEONE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO THIS.

WHY?

Narrator: AND THE BLOODY GUARDIANS PROTECTING HELL.

THERE ARE STORIES OF THEM

CASTRATING AND MURDERING OUTSIDERS.

**

Narrator: JANUARY 18, 2018.

THE GeoEye-1 SATELLITE OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN

CAPTURES THIS ON AN ISOLATED ISLAND.

WHAT WE SEE IN THIS IMAGE IS A VERY CLEAR OUTLINE

OF AN ARROW WITH A CROSS THROUGH IT.

Merritt: I MEAN, THIS ARROW IS JUST MASSIVE.

OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO THIS.

WHY?

Narrator: AS THE SATELLITE BEAMS MORE IMAGES BACK TO EARTH,

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

AND THIS IS JUST GETTING WEIRDER AND WEIRDER.

YOU'VE GOT THIS ARROW POINTING TO THIS PERFECT CIRCLE OF TREES.

IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Narrator: THE IMAGE IS TAKEN OVER A 150-SQUARE-MILE ISLAND

CALLED KIRITIMATI,

THE LARGEST CORAL ATOLL ON EARTH.

Kourounis: THIS IS A REALLY REMOTE PLACE.

IT'S DUE SOUTH OF HAWAII IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING THERE.

Narrator: THE ARROW IS CLEARLY MAN-MADE,

AND CLOSER ANALYSIS SUGGESTS IT'S AT LEAST DECADES OLD.

WORLD WAR II RECORDS YIELD A CLUE.

Pappalardo: THE PACIFIC THEATER OF WORLD WAR II IS ALL ABOUT ISLANDS.

EACH ISLAND WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT UP AN AIR BASE,

TO EXTEND THE REACH OF AIR POWER.

THEY WERE CRUCIAL TO WINNING THE WAR.

Narrator: SCALE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE ARROW IS 1,000 FEET LONG --

TOO SHORT FOR A RUNWAY.

BUT RESEARCH INTO EVENTS IN WORLD WAR II

AND THE BELIEFS OF THE NATIVE INHABITANTS

OFFER A BIZARRE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION.

Kourounis: AS THE AMERICAN PRESENCE SPREAD ACROSS THE PACIFIC --

BRINGING WITH IT TROOPS, EQUIPMENT, CARGO --

THE NATIVES THAT LIVED ON THESE ISLANDS

WOULD SEE THESE THINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Narrator: WHEN WORLD WAR II ENDS, AMERICAN TROOPS WITHDRAW,

AND THE FLOW OF SUPPLIES FROM THE SKY STOPS.

SOME ISLANDERS BEGIN IDOLIZING THE ABSENT SOLDIERS.

THEY BECOME KNOWN AS CARGO CULTS.

Paul: IMAGINE HAVING EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD NEED

DROPPED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE SKY.

OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE WORSHIPPING THE INDIVIDUALS

DROPPING THOSE GOODS AS GODS.

Kourounis: THEY HAVE CEREMONIES AND CELEBRATIONS.

THEY WOULD BUILD FAKE AIR STRIPS

TO TRY AND ENTICE THE AMERICANS TO LAND AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST AMERICANS WHO WERE DEIFIED.

AFTER A BRITISH ROYAL VISIT IN 1974,

THE PEOPLE OF VANUATU ISLANDS DECLARE PRINCE PHILIP

TO BE THEIR MESSIAH.

EXPLORER GEORGE KOUROUNIS REVEALS

THAT CARGO CULTS EXIST TO THIS DAY.

I HAVE ACTUALLY SPENT TIME WITH THE JOHN FRUM CULT.

JOHN FRUM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS GOD-LIKE AMERICAN SOLDIER

WHO BROUGHT CARGO TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND PROSPERITY.

AND, OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO REAL JOHN FRUM.

IT'S JUST "JOHN FROM AMERICA."

COULD THIS IMAGE BE A REMNANT OF ONE OF THOSE CARGO CULTS?

Narrator: YET HISTORICAL AERIAL IMAGES REVEAL THE MYSTERY STRUCTURES

APPEARED DURING BRITISH OCCUPATION OF THE ISLAND

A DECADE AFTER WORLD WAR II,

A CONTROVERSIAL PERIOD DURING ITS COLONIAL RULE.

THIS ISLAND AND OTHERS LIKE IT IN THE PACIFIC

PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE

IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: IN 1950, A SCIENTIST LEADING BRITAIN'S DELEGATION

AT THE MANHATTAN PROJECT IS FOUND TO BE A SOVIET SPY.

AMERICAN TRUST IN BRITAIN PLUMMETS,

AND THE SCANDAL FORCES LONDON

TO MANUFACTURE ITS OWN NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

THE BRITISH MILITARY CHOOSES TO TEST THEM ON THIS ISLAND.

[ EXPLOSION ]

IF YOU WANT TO TEST A NUKE,

YOU WANT TO TEST IT WHERE THERE ARE NO PEOPLE AROUND.

YOU WANT TO TEST IT IN THE DEEP PACIFIC.

Narrator: THE TESTS ARE CODE NAMED OPERATION GRAPPLE.

DECLASSIFIED BRITISH RECORDS REVEAL THE MYSTERY ARROW

IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE IS CONNECTED TO THEM.

Pavelec: SO WHAT THE MARKERS ON THE GROUND WERE FOR

WERE FOR THE PILOTS TO FOLLOW

SO THAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE ON COURSE

AND WHEN TO DROP THE WEAPON.

**

Narrator: AT THE TIME, AVIATION NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

ARE RUDIMENTARY.

THE GIANT ARROW MIGHT HAVE OFFERED VITAL HELP.

THINK ABOUT THE CONDITIONS IN THE PACIFIC.

IT'S MOSTLY WATER, VERY FEW LAND MASSES, NO LANDMARKS.

IN THE ERA BEFORE GPS, IT'S EXTREMELY EASY TO GET LOST.

IT WAS A WAY POINT THAT TOLD THE PILOT,

"MAKE THAT TURN, AND GO TOWARDS YOUR TARGET."

Narrator: THE ARROW DIRECTS THE BOMBERS TO THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE ISLAND,

WHERE THEY DETONATE THEIR WEAPONS

AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET.

[ EXPLOSION ]

OFFICERS THEN INSTRUCT THE PILOTS

TO FLY DIRECTLY THROUGH THE SWELLING MUSHROOM CLOUD,

EXPOSING THEM TO RADIATION LEVELS

20 TIMES THE DANGER LIMIT.

THE POINT OF TESTING NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS TWO-FOLD.

FIRST OFF, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE WEAPON WORKS.

THE SECOND REASON IS TO PROVE, "WE HAVE THIS POWER.

DON'T MESS WITH US BECAUSE WE CAN DO BAD THINGS TO YOU

IF YOU DO BAD THINGS TO US."

Narrator: THE BRITISH COLD WAR FILES ALSO REVEAL THE PURPOSE

OF THE STRANGE CIRCULAR PATTERN SEEN IN THE IMAGE.

IT ACTS AS A DOCKING BAY

FOR A DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR TEST.

WELL, ACCORDING TO TEST RECORDS,

WHAT THE BRITISH WOULD DO IS TAKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,

TIE IT TO A BALLOON, HAVE IT RISE UP TO A CERTAIN ALTITUDE,

AND THEN EXPLODE IT.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: THE FLASH FROM THE BLAST --

1,000 TIMES BIGGER THAN THE ONE THAT DESTROYED NAGASAKI --

IS SO INTENSE, WITNESSES STANDING 20 MILES AWAY

CAN SEE THE BONES IN THEIR HANDS THROUGH THEIR SKIN.

THE NIGHTMARE OF NUCLEAR TESTING OVER THIS ISLAND

ENDED IN THE 1960s,

BUT THE GHOSTLY LEGACY OF THIS TIME

IS STILL VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

**

COMING UP, A FLOATING DEATH STAR STRAIGHT FROM "STAR WARS"...

WE NEED TO KNOW, WHAT IS IT, AND WHY IS IT THERE?

Narrator: ...AND GUARDIANS OF THE WHITE GOLD.

THE AFAR PEOPLE HAVE A REPUTATION

FOR BEING VIOLENT AND RUTHLESS.

Narrator: JUNE 3, 2011.

ORBITING SPACE HARDWARE

PASSING OVER AMERICA'S NORTHWEST COAST

CAPTURES SOMETHING OUT OF PLACE IN A PORT

HUNDREDS OF MILES BELOW.

Nelson: THIS IS BIZARRE. IT LOOKS LIKE A GOLF BALL

IS SITTING ON A SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SEATTLE HARBOR.

Narrator: TO MILITARY ANALYSTS,

THE DOMED PART OF THE STRUCTURE LOOKS FAMILIAR.

WHAT WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT HERE IS A RADOME.

IT'S BASICALLY A RADAR SYSTEM

ENCLOSED IN A GOLF BALL-LIKE STRUCTURE

TO PROTECT IT FROM ALL THE ELEMENTS.

Narrator: WHAT'S STRANGE ABOUT THIS RADOME IS ITS SIZE.

THE STRUCTURE ON WHICH IT SITS

IS 389 FEET LONG BY 238 FEET WIDE.

WHAT'S EVEN WEIRDER IS ITS LOCATION.

YOU NORMALLY FIND RADOMES AT LAND BASES.

NOW, THIS THING IS BASED IN THE OCEAN.

Narrator: ON AUGUST 1st, THE GIANT GOLF BALL PERFORMS A MAGIC ACT.

ONE DAY, THE PLATFORM IS FLOATING THERE.

THE NEXT DAY, IT'S GONE.

Narrator: SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL THE BALL IS MOVING

ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

ITS DESTINATION -- PEARL HARBOR.

WHEN EX-CIA ANALYST LINDSAY MORAN

STUDIES THE BASE'S DECLASSIFIED RECORDS,

SHE DISCOVERS IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL SEA-GOING RADAR SYSTEM

EVER BUILT.

IT IS KNOWN AS SBX-1.

SBX'S PRIMARY USE IS IDENTIFYING ENEMY WARHEADS

AND DISCRIMINATING THEM FROM DECOYS.

THE SBX RADAR IS MOUNTED ON A SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE OIL PLATFORM,

AND IT'S DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN HIGH SEAS,

ALL KINDS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.

Albertson: SBX-1, WHEN YOU GET UP CLOSE,

IS LIKE NOTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.

THIS IS TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST.

Narrator: SBX-1'S 377-SQUARE-FOOT WHITE DOME

CONCEALS 45,000 TRANSMITTERS AND RECEIVERS.

BUT IT'S THE STRUCTURE'S MOBILITY THAT GIVES IT THE EDGE

IN IDENTIFYING AND TRACKING GLOBAL THREATS.

SIX ELECTRIC 3.6 MEGAWATT GENERATORS

PROPEL THE 50,000-TON VESSEL

AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 9 KNOTS.

THREATS ARE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO COME RIGHT TO YOU.

SO WITH THIS KIND OF SYSTEM, IF YOU HAVE SUSPICIONS

OF SOME KIND OF ENEMY ACTIVITY, YOU CAN GO TO IT.

Narrator: IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A BOND MOVIE.

AND, AS IT HAPPENS, THIS IS THE PRODUCT

OF A DEFENSE PROGRAM INSPIRED BY HOLLYWOOD.

INTO THE 1980s, THE COLD WAR WAS STILL GOING STRONG.

WITH THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT REAGAN,

THERE EVENTUALLY CAME AN INITIATIVE

KNOWN AS THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE, OR SDI.

IT WAS COMMONLY KNOWN AS STAR WARS.

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A VISION OF THE FUTURE WHICH OFFERS HOPE.

IT IS THAT WE EMBARK ON A PROGRAM

TO COUNTER THE AWESOME SOVIET MISSILE THREAT

WITH MEASURES THAT ARE DEFENSIVE.

Narrator: ON MARCH 23, 1983,

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN ANNOUNCES A PLAN

TO CREATE A SERIES OF SPACE- AND EARTH-BASED LASERS

TO DETECT AND ELIMINATE MISSILES THREATENING THE U.S.

Baker: THINK ABOUT A DOME SPREADING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM INCOMING MISSILES.

FROM THE SOVIET UNION'S PERSPECTIVE,

THEY SAW IT AS THE U.S.

DESIGNING AN OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY.

AND SO, THIS CAUSED THEM A GREAT DEAL OF HEARTBURN.

Narrator: DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS REVEAL

THAT KEY TO THE STAR WARS INITIATIVE

ARE HIGH-POWERED MOBILE RADAR STATIONS.

THOUGH MUCH OF THE PROGRAM IS CANNED

FOR BEING IMPRACTICAL AND EXPENSIVE,

THIS ELEMENT REMAINS IN DEVELOPMENT.

A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

THAT WERE STARTED UNDER SDI NEVER CAME TO FRUITION.

THIS ONE DID, AND IT'S STILL OUT THERE.

Narrator: THE SPY BALL SOON MOVES AGAIN,

THIS TIME NORTHWEST, ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT ZONES THERE.

THE U.S. HAS NORTH KOREA,

THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN,

RUSSIA OPERATES IN THE PACIFIC.

Narrator: WHEN NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES

WHAT IT CLAIMS TO BE A HARMLESS SATELLITE,

SBX-1 SEES RIGHT THROUGH THESE LIES.

IT CARRIES EQUIPMENT SO SENSITIVE,

IT CAN TRACK AN OBJECT THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL

FROM 2,500 MILES AWAY.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CAPABILITIES

THAT YOU GET FROM THIS

IS TO BE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MISSILE LAUNCHES

AND JUST REGULAR DEBRIS IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

Narrator: THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGES

INDICATE SBX-1 CONTINUES TO BE DEPLOYED IN THE PACIFIC.

THOUGH WHO OR WHAT IT'S MONITORING REMAINS CLASSIFIED.

THERE'S A SAYING, "IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR."

AND THE SBX-1 IS KIND OF A QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE

OF HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.

**

Narrator: COMING UP, COMMUNIST TERROR HITS AFRICA...

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED,

THE VIOLENCE WASHED OVER THE COUNTRY.

Narrator: ...AND THE REAL-LIFE WIZARDS OF OZ.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE IS INGENIOUS.

**

Narrator: MARCH 10, 2013.

A SATELLITE FLIES OVER

ETHIOPIA'S 53,000-SQUARE-MILE DANAKIL DESERT.

**

WITH DAYTIME TEMPERATURES OF 122 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

THIS REGION IS KNOWN AS THE DOOR TO HELL.

YET IN THIS DEATHLY LANDSCAPE ARE SIGNS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY.

Chamberlain: THERE ARE WHAT LOOK TO BE MOUNDS.

SOME OF THEM HAVE A CIRCULAR RING AROUND THEM,

ALMOST LOOKING LIKE A TARGET.

SEEING CLEAR EVIDENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL HUMAN ACTIVITY

IN SUCH A HARSH ENVIRONMENT

RAISES A WHOLE LOAD OF QUESTIONS.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CONSIDER WHAT THE CIRCLES COULD POSSIBLY BE.

WHEN I LOOK AT THIS IMAGE,

IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE FORTIFICATIONS,

SOME SURROUNDED BY WHAT COULD BE WALLS.

Narrator: MILITARY RECORDS CONFIRM

THESE SANDS HAVE WITNESSED BLOODSHED IN RECENT TIMES.

DURING THE 1970s,

IT IS THE SITE OF A BRUTAL UPRISING

AGAINST ETHIOPIAN EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE.

IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WARFARE PLAGUED

THIS PART OF ETHIOPIA IN THE LAST CENTURY

WITH WHOLE AREAS HAVING TO BE FORTIFIED,

COULD THIS BE SOME SORT OF MILITARY CAMP?

Narrator: BETWEEN 1976 AND 1978,

COMMUNIST REBEL LEADER MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM

TORTURES AND KILLS OVER 30,000 NON-COMMUNIST ETHIOPIANS.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

THE CAMPAIGN OF OPPRESSION AND MASS KILLINGS

BECOMES KNOWN AS THE RED TERROR.

ETHIOPIA HAD BEEN A STABLE MONARCHY

FOR NOT ONLY CENTURIES, BUT MILLENNIA,

AND SUDDENLY, ALL THIS WENT DOWN BADLY.

CIVIL WAR TORE APART FAMILIES, TORE APART CITIES.

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED,

THE VIOLENCE WASHED OVER THE COUNTRY.

Narrator: OTHERS DOUBT THE DESERT-FORT THEORY.

Paul: THERE DOESN'T REALLY APPEAR TO BE ANY PARTICULAR PATTERN,

AND WE KNOW THAT USUALLY MILITARY FORTS

ARE FORMULATED IN A MORE ORGANIZED PATTERN.

SO, ALL AROUND, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THIS IS A MILITARY SET UP.

**

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS LEARN OF A RECENT DISCOVERY

THAT SUGGESTS THE DESERT TARGETS HAVE A MORE SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.

**

Dr. Bellinger: LOOKING AT THIS SATELLITE IMAGE,

IT BRINGS TO MIND BURIAL MOUNDS

THAT WERE FOUND AT A SITE CALLED JEBEL QURMA IN JORDAN.

Narrator: IN 2017,

ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER HUNDREDS OF STACKED BRONZE-AGE TOMBS

IN AN AREA OF THE JORDANIAN DESERT

KNOWN AS THE LAND OF "DEAD FIRE."

WE SEE SOME THAT ARE JUST HOLLOW CIRCLES OF STONES,

MORE SIMPLE BURIALS, AND WE SEE OTHERS

THAT ARE SLIGHTLY MORE ELABORATE WITH LAYERS OF STONES

MEANT TO BUILD TOWERS OR MOUNDS.

Narrator: IT IS IN ETHIOPIA 3 MILLION YEARS AGO

MANY BELIEVE THAT THE HUMAN SPECIES WAS BORN.

ARCHAEOLOGIST KAREN BELLINGER THINKS THESE STRUCTURES

MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT BY A WARRIOR TRIBE

THAT HAS RULED THIS LAND FOR CENTURIES,

A TRIBE SHE HERSELF HAS SPENT TIME WITH.

IT'S KNOWN AS THE AFAR TRIANGLE,

AND IT'S POPULATED BY A LOCAL INDIGENOUS GROUP

KNOWN AS THE AFAR,

AND THEY ESSENTIALLY MAKE THEIR LIVING

BY CUTTING SALT,

WHICH SITS ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH'S CRUST,

AND TRANSPORTING IT THROUGH THIS HARSH AREA.

Narrator: THIS DESERT WAS ONCE A SEA,

AND THE SALT FROM THAT SEA STILL COVERS THE LAND.

**

ONCE USED TO PRESERVE EGYPTIAN MUMMIES UNTIL THE 20th CENTURY,

ONE-POUND BARS OF SALT MINED HERE

WERE THE COUNTRY'S PRIMARY CURRENCY.

THE AFAR HAVE ZEALOUSLY GUARDED THIS SO-CALLED WHITE GOLD

FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS

AND ONCE ABIDED BY THE MOTTO,

"IT IS BETTER TO DIE THAN TO LIVE WITHOUT KILLING."

**

THE AFAR PEOPLE ARE FIERCELY PROUD

AND VERY PROTECTIVE OF THEIR TERRITORY.

Kourounis: THE AFAR PEOPLE HAVE A REPUTATION

FOR BEING VIOLENT AND RUTHLESS.

THERE ARE STORIES OF THEM

CASTRATING AND MURDERING OUTSIDERS

WHO DARE TO VENTURE INTO THEIR TERRITORY.

Narrator: MINING SALT IN THIS DESERT HELL IS BRUTALLY HARD.

**

THE AFAR MAKE JUST $6

FOR CUTTING AND TRANSPORTING 120 LARGE BRICKS OF SALT.

THEY ARE TRUE NOMADS.

THE ONLY PERMANENT STRUCTURES

THEY BUILD ARE THE TOMBS OF THEIR DEAD.

IT'S A WAY THAT THEY NOT ONLY HONOR THEIR DEAD

BUT ALSO MARK SEASONAL CAMPING GROUNDS.

A TOMB MARKS THE SPOT WHERE A MEMBER OF THE TRIBE

TAKES THEIR LAST BREATH.

OTHER STONE CIRCLES DENOTE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE A WARRIOR

HAS TAKEN WITH HIM TO THE AFTERLIFE.

THE AFAR TRIBE IS COMMONLY KNOWN FOR THESE TYPES OF BURIALS,

OUTLINING BURIALS WITH STONES FOR WARRIORS WHO HAVE DIED

IN CONFLICTS WITH NEIGHBORING TRIBES.

Narrator: IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THESE STONE CIRCLES

ARE INDEED DOORS TO HELL.

THIS IMAGE DEPICTS A SITE THAT IS REALLY MONUMENTAL.

THESE ARE VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

WOULD BE A SOURCE OF MEMORY

AND CELEBRATION OF THEIR ANCESTORS

AND THEIR CULTURE AND ALSO POSSIBLY SOME KIND OF WARNING

TO OTHER GROUPS COMING THROUGH.

**

Narrator: COMING UP, SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY DOWN UNDER.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE PAINT PALETTE

THAT MY PARENTS GAVE ME AS A CHILD.

**

**

Narrator: JULY 15, 2017.

CAMERAS IN ORBIT OVER WESTERN AUSTRALIA

REVEAL SOMETHING CURIOUS.

Dr. Schuttler: THIS IMAGE IS EXTREMELY COLORFUL.

THAT'S THE MOST STRIKING THING ABOUT IT.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE SQUARES

IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOR.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE PAINT PALETTE

THAT MY PARENTS GAVE ME AS A CHILD.

Narrator: BIOLOGIST HALEY CHAMBERLAIN

STUDIES THE WIDER IMAGE FOR CLUES.

ON THE EDGE OF THIS IMAGE, YOU SEE SOME KIND OF STRUCTURE

THAT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE A FARMHOUSE.

AND IF THAT'S A FARMHOUSE, WHAT ARE THEY GROWING THERE?

REGIONAL RECORDS CONFIRM THE AREA IN THE IMAGE

FALLS WITHIN WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S MOST PROLIFIC FARMING REGION,

PRODUCING $7 BILLION OF CROPS PER YEAR.

**

CHAMBERLAIN LEARNS OF A RECENT AGRICULTURAL INVENTION

THAT COULD EXPLAIN THE WEIRD COLORS IN THE IMAGE.

RAINBOW CORN HAS BEEN BRED SO THAT THERE ARE BRILLIANT COLORS.

Nelson: MOST PEOPLE THINK OF CORN AS YELLOW,

BUT RAINBOW CORN IS -- LIKE, EVERY SINGLE CORN KERNEL

IS A DIFFERENT COLOR.

Narrator: THE HALLUCINOGENIC EARS ARE THE PRODUCT

OF INTERBREEDING ANCIENT VARIETIES

OF NATIVE AMERICAN CORN.

THIS IS SELECTIVE BREEDING.

ESSENTIALLY, YOU HAVE A FARMER

WHO'S TAKING DIFFERENT STALKS OF CORN WITH DIFFERENT COLORS,

MIXING OLD VARIETIES WITH NEW VARIETIES,

AND EVENTUALLY COMES UP WITH THIS MULTICOLORED STALK.

**

CORN IS FIRST DOMESTICATED AROUND 9,000 YEARS AGO.

TODAY, FARMERS PRODUCE 800 MILLION TONS

OF THE VEGETABLE EACH YEAR.

I WOULD'VE EATEN WAY MORE VEGETABLES AS A KID

HAD IT BEEN PINK AND PURPLE.

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THIS IMAGE

IS ROWS AND ROWS OF RAINBOW CORN.

Narrator: YET FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE RECTANGLES

REVEALS THE IMAGE ISN'T A CORNUCOPIA OF CORN.

Dr. Kays: WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSE AT THIS IMAGE,

IT LOOKS LIKE PONDS OF WATER.

I WONDER IF THIS IS A FARM FOR ANIMALS

THAT ARE LIVING IN THE WATER.

Narrator: IF THESE ARE PONDS,

THEIR SIZE AND SHAPE OFFER CLUES TO WHAT'S SWIMMING IN THEM.

WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FARMING CRUSTACEANS

LIKE CRAWFISH, YOU DON'T WANT A HUGE SPACE.

YOU NEED THESE SMALL, CONTAINED AREAS.

ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IN PARTICULAR IS MARRON,

A TYPE OF CRUSTACEAN THAT'S REALLY POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA.

**

Narrator: MARRON CAN BE SMOOTH OR HAIRY

AND GROW TO 15 INCHES IN LENGTH.

THE HAIRY ONES LIVE IN ONLY ONE RIVER IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

BUT IN THE EARLY 1980s,

THE SMOOTHIES INVADE THEIR PATCH,

AND BY MATING WITH THE HAIRY ONES,

THEY'RE INTERBREEDING THEM INTO EXTINCTION.

LESS THAN 1,000 HAIRIES NOW REMAIN IN THE WILD.

MARRON IS ANOTHER WORD FOR CRAWFISH.

I'M FROM LOUISIANA.

WE HAVE CRAWFISH ALL OVER THE PLACE,

BUT THESE ARE DIFFERENT.

MARRON ARE THE THIRD LARGEST CRAWFISH IN THE WORLD.

**

Narrator: BUT THE SMOOTHIES FACE A BATTLE OF THEIR OWN.

AUSSIES THINK THEY'RE DELICIOUS.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TEENY, TINY, LITTLE THINGS

THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK SUPER HARD TO EAT ALL THE MEAT OF.

THIS IS THE THANKSGIVING DINNER OF CRAWFISH.

IN AUSTRALIA, THEY'RE CONSIDERED A LUXURY FOOD,

AND THIS HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL MARRON FARMING.

Narrator: YET MARRON FARMERS FACE A BIG CHALLENGE

IN GETTING THEIR ANIMALS TABLE-READY.

IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT LOVE MARRON.

OTHER ANIMALS LOVE MARRON, ESPECIALLY BIRDS.

ANYTIME YOU HAVE AQUACULTURE CONCENTRATING

THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS IN SMALL PONDS,

YOU KNOW THE PREDATORS ARE EVENTUALLY GONNA SHOW UP.

FOR A BIRD OF PREY, MARRON, IN PONDS LIKE THIS,

IS LIKE SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL.

Narrator: AGRICULTURE REPORTS REVEAL THE FEATHERED BANDITS

HAVE FORCED AQUAFARMERS TO GET CREATIVE.

Dotson: FARMERS ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT THINGS

IN ORDER TO CAMOUFLAGE THEIR PONDS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY CHANGING THE COLOR OF THE WATER

TO TRY TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR BIRDS TO PREY UPON THEM.

**

UNLIKE HUMANS, BIRDS CAN SEE A SPECTRUM OF LIGHT WAVELENGTHS,

INCLUDING ULTRAVIOLET.

BY ADDING COLORED COMPOUNDS TO THE PONDS,

FARMERS MAKE THEIR CONTENTS INVISIBLE TO ANYTHING AVIAN.

[ HAWK CRIES ]

Dr. Rice: WHEN A BIRD LOOKS AT THE WATER,

IT DOESN'T SEE THE SUN GLINTING OFF THE WATER.

THEY CAN SEE STRAIGHT IN TO GET A FISH.

SO IT'S JUST LIKE PUTTING A UV BLOCKER ON.

EXPERTS SPECULATE THAT PERHAPS THIS EXPLAINS

THE GIANT PAINT PALETTE VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE IS INGENIOUS.

ESSENTIALLY, THE DYE DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS.

IT MAKES THE WATER MORE OPAQUE.

IT'S HARD TO SEE THROUGH IT.

BUT ALSO IT CHANGES THE UV REFLECTIVITY,

AND THAT MESSES WITH THE BIRDS' BRAINS.

**