Under the Sea 3D

---

CARREY:
The islands of

Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Here, volcanic gases

form undersea fountains...

and the sea erupts

with kaleidoscopic life.

The reefs surrounding these Pacific Islands

form the heart of the Coral Triangle.

More marine species live here

than anywhere else on Earth.

So many species live here

that they can all survive...

only if each is distinctly different

from the other.

This puppy-like creature

is actually an epaulette shark...

who lives only in the Coral Triangle.

He's not much of a swimmer,

so he prefers to crawl.

The Wobbegong Shark

looks like a shag carpet...

until he moves.

Disguised hunters need

almost endless patience.

Dinner must come to them.

A giant frogfish is hoping

the school of glassy sweepers...

mistakes it for a yellow sponge.

The crocodile fish blends

into the reef perfectly.

This time,

the Blue Damselfish was lucky.

But out of the frying pan

and into the fire.

Giant frogfish come in all colors.

Trying to hide under one

could be a really bad idea.

The stonefish is about as graceless

as a fish can be.

It has little to fear from predators.

No fish on Earth is more venomous.

It might wait several days

for a careless fish...

to swim within range

of that big ugly mouth.

After waiting so patiently...

that must be frustrating.

But the most venomous creatures here

are not fish.

That distinction belongs to sea snakes.

Their venom is many times more potent

than a king cobra's.

Like other snakes, these breathe air...

but they can dive more than 100 feet,

and stay down for hours.

Sea snakes are increasingly rare,

even here in the Coral Triangle.

Most have become wallets,

shoes or handbags.

In the Coral Triangle,

mangroves fringe most shorelines.

These coastal jungles protect islands

from erosion...

and provide a buffer against storms

and even the occasional tsunami.

The labyrinth of mangrove roots...

captures sediments

washed down from the islands...

keeping the coral reef

from being smothered in silt.

The maze of roots is a shadowy habitat

for many creatures.

A swarm of Striped Catfish

feeds on algae growing on the roots...

and on the silty bottom.

This silt settles in bays...

forming vast plains

of organic debris, sand and muck.

And if you think nothing could live here,

you might be surprised.

The catfish school cascades across

the mucky bottom like a breaking wave...

as fish feeding in the front

are passed over by those in the rear.

Like most animals living here...

the stingray conceals itself

by hiding beneath the muck.

Dude, I can totally see your tail.

The goby is an excellent watchman,

but not so good at cave building.

He leaves the heavy construction

to his partner and personal contractor...

the nearly-blind shrimp.

The relationship is called symbiosis.

Both animals think they have

a pretty good deal.

A carrier crab is looking

for his own symbiotic partner.

He's happy to find a jellyfish...

which he decides to wear

as a protective hat.

This is a love triangle.

Flamboyant Cuttlefish.

The 2 small ones

are the hopelessly devoted males.

The female is the larger one,

but they would never tell her that.

They can swim well enough, but usually

prefer to gallop across the muck...

on the tips of their fleshy, little arms.

Their mating embrace

is little more than a peck on the cheek.

The male simply passes the female

a tiny packet.

Or, at least he tries to.

Whether she'll accept is another matter.

That's all there is to it.

Deeper in the bay,

a school of reef squid...

fashion a bouquet

of translucent egg cases.

Male squid hover nearby

as females move in...

and add to the cluster.

In about 3 weeks,

the egg casings will begin to burst...

each releasing a half a dozen

or so jewel-like miniatures.

The baby squid will then

drift away across the sandy plain...

to take their chances.

A field of garden eels towers over

the sea floor.

Some rise more than 6 feet...

reaching high to snap up tiny animals

adrift in the current.

Above the reef, a swarm of baby

convict fish forages over the coral.

Then, in late afternoon,

they all gather over a burrow in the sand...

that serves as home.

The dark creature emerging

from the borough is an adult convict fish.

Her brief appearance may be a signal,

beckoning her children home for the night.

But before sleeping,

the babies have one important chore:

They must feed their parents.

The pair of adult convict fish

never leave their den.

And what they eat is a mystery.

Some scientists believe the babies feed

their parents a form of secreted slime.

But others think mom and dad survive...

simply by eating

a few of their children every night.

As evening deepens,

reef cuttlefish are on the hunt.

They communicate with instantaneous

changes of color, pattern and texture.

Their ability to hover without effort...

is aided by a porous calcium-carbonate

structure beneath their skin.

This cuttlebone

gives the creature buoyancy.

Cuttlefish are aggressive hunters.

They strike with blinding speed...

shooting out a pair

of lightning fast tentacles.

A piercing tongue covered

with razor-sharp teeth...

waits to gnaw the fish to bits.

South of the Coral Triangle lies

the largest living structure on Earth...

Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

This most recent version

of the Great Barrier Reef...

began growing about

at the end of the last Ice Age.

Then, sea levels were 400 feet lower

than they are today.

As the ice began to melt, the seas rose.

Corals grew on top of coral...

building undersea mountains

made of limestone or calcium carbonate.

Corals grow by combining

carbon dioxide and sunlight.

But the balance of carbon dioxide

in our atmosphere is critical...

especially to coral reefs,

and the creatures that call them home.

Every animal here depends on another

in some fashion.

This potato cod

is ready for her beautician.

And let's face it, when you're a cod,

you need all the help you can get.

Cleaner fish provide a gentle service

no self-respecting cod can be without.

While giving her a facial,

the cleaners eat parasites.

And in exchange, the potato cod

resists the temptation to gobble them up.

Another good deal.

A crown jellyfish slowly pulsates...

forcing tiny animals to pass

through its stinging tentacles.

When the current carries

a jellyfish into the reef...

butterfly fish join up.

Even if it makes their little lips sting.

Some creatures

are not satisfied with only a taste.

Green sea turtles love to fill their

cast-iron stomachs with venomous jelly.

As the turtle devours its prey...

it carefully closes its eyes to avoid

the sting to sensitive corneas.

The eastern edge

of the Great Barrier Reef...

plummets into the depths

of the coral sea.

Many deep-water creatures gather

on these undersea escarpments.

A chambered nautilus bobs its way

toward deeper water.

Its shell contains gas-filled chambers

that can withstand tremendous pressure...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes