04x09 - Whitetip Reef Sharks, The Kelp Forest, and River of Wrecks

[bunniefuu]

[bright music]

- [Announcer] Coming up next

on Jonathan Bird's "Blue World,"

the kelp forests of Southern California.

Then exploring lost wrecks
in the St. Lawrence River.

But first, Jonathan films an amazing

nighttime shark hunting behavior.

All of this today on
Jonathan Bird's "Blue World."

Meet Jonathan Bird.

[bright music]

One of the world's top underwater
nature cinematographers.

Traveling the world on assignment

for all the major networks,

he is an Emmy Award-winning authority

on the underwater world.

In freshwater or salt,
reefs, wrecks, or caves,

Jonathan documents the
world beneath the waves.

Welcome to "The Blue World."

- The whitetip reef shark.

It's one of the most common
small sharks on reefs

all around the Indo-Pacific.

Considered largely harmless,

this shark is usually seen by divers

lounging on the bottom.

But how does this shark
eat when it seems to spend

all of its time sitting around?

To answer that question,

I'm getting aboard a special
dive boat in Costa Rica

for a 300 mile journey to Cocos Island.

Cocos Island is a tiny dot on the map

out in the Pacific Ocean.

The only way to get there
is a 30 hour boat ride.

We leave the dock in
Puntarenas, Costa Rica,

and travel through the
bay to the open sea.

[gentle music]

The swell of the Pacific
soon envelops the boat,

and I settle in for a day
and a half of waiting.

Finally, we reach Cocos Island,

a place that gets more than

A sunny day like this is rare indeed.

But all that rain has
created a tropical paradise.

Cocos Island and the water around it

is a national park of Costa Rica.

It's uninhabited and
protected from development.

My home away from home for the week

is the 130 foot long
live-aboard dive boat, Argo.

[bright music]

Our team will be diving
from a smaller boat,

which the crew launches with a crane.

I head out for a dive at Cocos,

famous for its prolific marine life

that will impress even the
most experienced divers.

Our dive boat Captain Pepe

takes us to an exciting
spot known for sharks.

As soon as I hit the
water, my camera's rolling,

recording astonishing
sights in all directions.

The most famous residents of Cocos

are schools of scalloped
hammerhead sharks.

They're quite shy, rarely
coming too close to divers

because the bubbles frighten them.

I hide behind a rock

and make an attempt to
film the hammerheads

as they slow down to be
cleaned by barberfish.

[gentle music]

In the water above the sharks,

huge schools of jacks
swirl by in the current.

And sitting on the bottom, not doing much,

whitetip reef sharks, lots of them.

Some tolerate my camera at close range

while I film how they gulp water

to ventilate their gills while they rest.

During the day, they spend
a lot of time resting.

But don't let this
apparent lethargy fool you.

These little sharks are hunters.

As the sun sets, a transformation
occurs on the reef.

That transformation takes
place when daytime fish

go to sleep for the night,

hiding in the reef, and
the sharks go on the prowl.

After sunset, I gather my gear
and head out to make a dive.

I'm about to jump into the ocean

in the middle of the night

when I know for sure that there are dozens

of sharks beneath the boat.

As soon as I reach the reef,

I see whitetip reef
sharks swimming around.

None of them are resting anymore.

While whitetip reef sharks
do normally feed at night,

here at Cocos Island, they've
learned an additional skill.

They use divers' lights to help them feed.

So the sharks are drawn
to my video lights.

[dramatic music]

Within a few minutes,

dozens of sharks are
swarming the reef around me

looking for food.

During the day, this reef has
vast schools of fish on it.

At night, all those fish are still here.

Most are holed up inside
the reef sleeping,

but this creole wrasse is
sleeping right out in plain view

of the sharks.

Is it in trouble?

A bright blue parrotfish
sticks out like a sore thumb,

yet the sharks swim right by

without noticing, what's going on?

Since the sharks normally
hunt in the dark,

they're much more attuned
to their other senses

and principally hunt by feeling vibrations

through the water from the prey.

In other words, if the prey doesn't move,

the sharks may not ever see it.

A filefish hovers as still as it can.

It knows it's in a dangerous position.

When a shark bumps it, the
file fish slowly moves away,

but the shark felt it

and comes back around to investigate.

A gentle tap with its snout

and the shark knows it's onto a meal.

Once the fish gets frightened and bolts,

all the sharks sense the vibration

and start chasing the fish.

It's a free-for-all.

The fish knows its only
chance is to vanish

into a hole in the reef
beyond the shark's reach.

It makes a dash for the
reef, but it's too late.

[dramatic music]

Another filefish bravely
holding still in open water

surrounded by sharks, but
the sharks do see this one.

The fish tries to slowly
sneak down to the reef,

but doesn't make it.

Meanwhile, the parrotfish is
still hiding in plain sight,

but one of the sharks has either seen it

or detected its beating heart

with its electrosensory system.

The shark nudges the fish for a reaction.

The fish bolts and a chase ensues.

[dramatic music continues]

I follow along to see what happens.

The parrotfish is desperately trying

to find a place to hide.

It dives into the reef,

but the sharks pursue
the fish relentlessly.

They will wiggle their
way into a tiny hole

to grab the fish,

sometimes knocking over
the coral in the process.

Every one of these sharks is hungry

and must eat to survive.

Eventually, two sharks get
in from the other side,

fighting over the parrotfish.

The fish is dinner.

[dramatic music continues]

After an hour of excitement
watching the sharks hunt,

my air is getting low

and it's time to head
back towards the surface.

As I reluctantly ascend,

I get a wider view of the
scene playing out below.

I would hate to be a fish on that reef.

Whoa, it turns out whitetip reef sharks

aren't lethargic at all.

At night, they're extremely
aggressive hunters.

Get me outta here!

[bright music]

- [Announcer] Next on
Jonathan Bird's "Blue World,"

Jonathan explores shipwrecks
in the St. Lawrence River.

But first, Jonathan
explores the kelp forest

and gets attacked by an electric ray.

- This is Harold Parker State
Forest in Massachusetts.

It looks like a typical forest,

but not all forests are the same.

I'm heading to Catalina Island
off the coast of California

to explore another kind of forest.

Here, the forests are underwater.

Getting here from the mainland

is as easy as boarding a ferry.

[gentle music]


one of only two settlements
on Catalina Island.

I head on over to Catalina
Scuba Luv Dive Shop

and pick up some scuba tags.

Then it's off to Casino
Point for a shore dive.

Casino Point is a beautiful
spot just outside the harbor.

It's also a marine reserve,
so no fishing is allowed.

I waste no time and start suiting up

to explore this dive site that
has such a great reputation.

Casino Point is set up as a dive park

with a protected area just for divers

safe from boat traffic.

And look, a staircase
right into the water.

I walk down the steps and
descend into the Pacific Ocean.

[waves splashing]

Immediately I'm greeted by blue
water, excellent visibility,

and lots of kelp.

And now I know why they call
these places kelp forests.

The kelp grows up from the
sea floor as tall as trees.

I really do feel like I'm in a forest.

[soft music]

Kelp is a kind of marine algae
that can take many forms.

The kelp forests around Catalina Island

are formed by giant kelp,

which can reach the height

of a 14 story building in
only a single growing season

because it can grow two feet a day.

It's one of the fastest
growing organisms on earth.

Looking down at it from above,

I see what an eagle might see

flying over the trees in a forest.

But unlike trees on land,

the kelp doesn't have a
rigid trunk to hold it up.

In fact, the kelp is quite floppy.

So how does it stay vertical?

At the base of each leaf, called a frond,

is a pneumatocyst, basically
a little gas bladder.

Each one of these pneumatocysts
provides buoyancy,

so the kelp floats.

Down on the sea floor is
something called a holdfast.

Basically, it's like a set of roots

that hold onto the rocks.

Kelp needs something heavy
on which to attach itself.

It can't grow in a sandy sea floor.

So between the pneumatocyst
keeping it afloat

and the holdfast keeping
it from floating away,

the kelp hangs vertically in the water.

Kelp is really important in this ecosystem

because it's a great place to hide,

and I don't mean for divers.

[bright music]

This is a great habitat for fish

to seek refuge from predators.

So the kelp forest is filled
with thousands of fish.

[gentle music]

The most famous kelp forest
resident in Southern California

is most certainly this
damselfish, the Garibaldi.

Garibaldis are hard to miss.

No other fish in the kelp forest is quite

so brightly colored.

Although Garibaldis become aggressive

when they're guarding a nest
of eggs, the rest of the time,

they don't seem bothered by divers much.

In fact, this one seems
positively curious.

[gentle music continues]

I find it hard to film the kelp

because every time I
settle down to get a shot,

a Garibaldi pokes its head
in to see what I'm up to.

So I film the curious fish
for a few minutes only

to discover a whole bunch of
other fish watching the show.

It seems I've become
quite popular down here.

Because lots of divers come to this site,

these kelp bass are not afraid.

They must know that
there's no fishing allowed

in this sanctuary.

They pose confidently for my camera.

Nearby, I also find a turban snail.

These snails move up and
down the stipe of the kelp,

munching away on the algae.

All this munching is making me hungry.

So as my tank gets low,

I turn around and head back to the steps.

Time for some lunch.

[bright music]

The following morning,

I board the Catalina Scuba
Luv Boat, King Neptune.

We're heading out to visit a
different kelp site in hopes

of finding some additional
residents of the kelp forest.

We leave Avalon Harbor
under a beautiful blue sky.

Only half an hour from the
dock, I prepare ato dive.

The water's in the mid 60s,

so a seven millimeter wetsuit
will keep me nice and warm.

[gentle music]

- [Speaker] All right, ready?

- [Jonathan] I hop into the
water from the dive boat's

convenient submerged swim step,

and Julia hands me my camera.

I descend into the blue

and soon enter another
mysterious kelp forest.

[soft music]

I head out deeper to a sandy slope

where there isn't much
substrate for the kelp.

At a depth of 90 feet,

we discover a rare resident
of the kelp forest,

a torpedo ray.

I move a piece of kelp so I
can get in close for a shot.

The ray is not afraid of me

because she has a powerful
means of defense, electricity.

This animal generates an electrical charge

of nearly 50 volts that it can use

to zap predators or its prey.

The torpedo ray has a curious looking tail

unlike most other rays.

I want to see her swim
so I can film the tail.

So I give her a little tickle.

The ray immediately turns
around and faces off

against my camera.

I wasn't expecting such
an aggressive reaction,

so I keep my camera between the two of us

and we stare each other down.

[dramatic music]

I'm not making any sudden
moves, and neither is she.

But as cameraman Todd
moves in closer for a shot

and inadvertently closes
her avenue for escape,

the torpedo ray panics
and attacks my camera,

pulsing the muscles in her abdomen

that create electricity.

Then, as quickly as it began,

she calls off the attack and swims away.

[gentle music]

I follow along behind,

and now I can see how she swishes her tail

back and forth to swim like
her relative, the shark.

Much different from how other rays swim.

What a way to end an
incredible couple of days

diving Catalina Island.

These beautiful forests of kelp

and their colorful inhabitants truly are

one of the many wonders of the blue world.

[bright music]

- [Announcer] Don't go away.

Jonathan explores some
well-preserved shipwrecks

in the St. Lawrence River.

- The St. Lawrence River

is one of the busiest
waterways in the world.

[gentle music]

Because it connects the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean,

the river has been used for
hundreds of years to get cargo

to and from ports serving both
the United States and Canada

within the Great Lakes.

huge cargo ships travel up and down

the St. Lawrence by the hour.

Like any busy waterway,

the St. Lawrence has had
its share of accidents,

and as a result,

there are hundreds of
shipwrecks on the bottom

of the river going back hundreds of years.

Many of these wrecks are
remarkably well-preserved

time capsules of history.

To learn more about these wrecks,

cameraman Todd and I have driven up

to the Thousand Island region

of the river to do some diving.

The Thousand Island region
is a beautiful community

in upstate New York.

There really are over a thousand
islands on the river here,

and many of them contain incredible homes.

Our guide to the area is

famous National Geographic
photographer David Doubilet.

He's a local resident and
expert on the nearby wrecks.

We load the boat operated by
Chris Hunt of Hunt's Dive Shop,

and we're off on an adventure.

It's a little bit strange
for me to be heading out

for a dive in fresh water.

It smells differently from the sea,

and the conditions on the river
are calmer than I'm used to.

Chris expertly guides the boat

to the first mooring we're visiting today.

The bow of his boat
tilts down like the front

of a World w*r II beach landing craft,

providing an easy entry into the water.

We suited up,

preparing to jump into the
relatively warm 65 degree water.

[upbeat music]

All right.

David and I head down the
mooring line to the top

of the wreck of the
Keystorm in only 35 feet.

The Keystorm was a 256 foot
long steel-hulled cargo ship

that sank in 1912 carrying a load of coal.

The captain miscalculated his
position and struck a ledge.

David knows this wreck well,

so he motions for me and Todd

to follow him towards the bridge,

which is strangely on
the side of the wreck.

The ship is awkwardly lying
on its side, so the bridge,

instead of being the
highest point on the wreck,

is hanging out in space at
a depth of about 60 feet.

It makes for a great shot

and I explore the bridge,

swimming in and out of the windows,

the glass from which is long since gone.

David photographs a ladder going sideways.

[dramatic music]

I head upwards into the interior.

Fish are hanging out inside,

and rooms are full of deep accumulations

of shells from generations

of zebra mussels.

Back outside,

I swim a little deeper
down the side of the wreck

to a huge cowl vent.

This is sticking up off the top deck,

but since the ship is on its side,

it points horizontally out into the water.

A cowl vent is used to
funnel fresh air below deck.

Just to illustrate how big this thing is,

I hop inside.

Will I fit?

Yes, even with my scuba gear,

I could slide right through this thing.

Soon, I'm off into another room.

This used to be a state
room where a member

of the crew slept.

Rustcicles hang from a doorway.

And hanging vertically from
the sideways floor, a bathtub.

I hop in the tub for a quick rust bath,

and then Todd and I head
back out into daylight.

David is swimming along the hull,

which is completely
encrusted in zebra mussels,

a small invasive mollusk
that grows on everything

in the St. Lawrence these days.

Finally getting low on air,

it's time to head back to the surface.

Woo! Wow.

The really confusing
thing about that wreck

is that it's on its side,

and so everything is discombobulated.

The floors are the walls,

and the walls are the
floors of the ceilings,

and when you're swimming through it,

it doesn't make any sense at all.

Completely throws your brain for a loop,

but a very interesting dive visually.

We leave the mooring and
head off to another wreck.

[upbeat music]

Approaching Dark Island,
home of Singer Castle,

we slow and prepare to dive
the wreck of the America.

The America was a drill
barge that sank in 1932

due to an accidental expl*si*n of dynamite

it was carrying.

Several people were
k*lled in the expl*si*n.

David, Todd, and I jump into the water

and head down to the sea floor.

In the shallows, we find the
anchor chain and follow it over

and down to the wreck.

[dramatic music]

Once we reach the wreck,

David directs us toward the stern

where the expl*si*n happened.

As we approach the stern,
it gets deeper and darker.

At 75 feet, we encounter the props.

Because the ship is upside down,

the props are sticking straight up.

David and I maneuver for shots

while Todd backlights the
props with his video lights.

Next, we drop over the side,
down towards the sea floor.

Hanging off the bottom of the wreck,

which is actually the
deck is a huge rusty winch

wound with steel cable.

I poke my head into the engine room door

and have a look around.

As this was a steam engine,

it had furnaces for the boilers.

One of the furnaces is open

and I can clearly see the
bricks lining the inside.

This is where coal was
burned to boil water

to make steam for the engine.

The black soot from the
fire is still visible

even after 80 years on
the bottom of the river.

I head out of the engine room,
up the line to the chain,

and back to the mooring line.

My exploration of both the Keystorm

and the America offered a
fascinating glimpse into history.

Shipwrecks are time capsules of history.

The moment they sink, out of
sight to the rest of the world,

they stop changing with the world above.

Although they eventually
rust away and disappear,

in the meantime,

they allow divers to travel back in time,

if only for an hour to
a world of the past.

[bright music]

[soft music]