0:00:41 > 0:00:43The South Pacific.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48The name is familiar,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52but 230 years after Captain Cook's epic voyages,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56this vast ocean remains little known.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06In the endless blue,
0:01:06 > 0:01:11isolated islands harbour life that's rarely seen.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23And these are some of the most pristine waters of any ocean.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31The turquoise seas
0:01:31 > 0:01:36and picture-postcard islands look like heaven on Earth.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42But all is not what it seems.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59The South Pacific also has an unforgiving nature.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Islands born from volcanic seas
0:02:18 > 0:02:21erupt with unique and extreme ways of life.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31People succeeded here against the odds.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40The South Pacific is a tale of the unexpected...
0:02:42 > 0:02:43..a forgotten world
0:02:43 > 0:02:47where isolation has created the bizarre and surprising.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03This is the story of life in an ocean of islands.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Out of the blue, a giant emerges from the deep.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Right now, the monster moves silently,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29but it's equipped with an awesome force.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31WATER WHISPERS
0:03:33 > 0:03:35MUFFLED ROARING
0:03:37 > 0:03:39GURGLING
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Some of the largest waves in the world break on South Pacific islands.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Their birth sums up the scale of this ocean.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The storm swell that made these waves
0:04:05 > 0:04:09has travelled 3,000 miles to reach this shallow reef.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18These distances proved a great challenge for animal castaways,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21but when they found new land, many evolved into new species.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Human colonisers followed similar routes,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and the ocean that isolated them from the rest of the world
0:04:32 > 0:04:34became central to their culture.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40The big waves were an inspiration,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45and riding them has been a tradition here for more than 1,500 years.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31No other ocean has had a greater impact
0:05:31 > 0:05:35on the lives of so many different animals and cultures
0:05:35 > 0:05:37than the South Pacific,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and it's all down to its massive size.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The whole Pacific Ocean is so large,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51you could fit the world's continents inside it
0:05:51 > 0:05:54with nearly enough room for another Africa.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03Ten thousand miles wide, less than one per cent is land.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Best known are the Hawaiian islands.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13They sit 1,500 miles north of the equator,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16but their story was shaped by the south.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22The South Pacific is made up of thousands of islands
0:06:22 > 0:06:26united by cultures and bound together by ocean currents.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Most of the land sits in warm waters,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37but travel south and the character of the islands change.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40New Zealand is not tropical but temperate.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The ocean currents which cool New Zealand's waters
0:06:47 > 0:06:49occasionally bring icebergs.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01Starting in the Antarctic, they've drifted for nearly eight months...
0:07:01 > 0:07:05on the way, passing the most southerly outpost
0:07:05 > 0:07:08in the South Pacific.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Where New Zealand's temperate seas merge
0:07:13 > 0:07:15with the icy waters of the Southern Ocean,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17lies a solitary piece of land...
0:07:22 > 0:07:25..85 miles of wave-lashed coastline.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It looks desolate, but it's not deserted.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55At certain times of year, there's more life here
0:07:55 > 0:07:57than on any other island in the Pacific.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00SEAL SNORTS
0:08:07 > 0:08:12In August, after months at sea, elephant seals arrive.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14SEAL ROARS
0:08:17 > 0:08:20They depend on this island for breeding.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Macquarie will soon be heaving with 60,000 elephant seals,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33but they won't have the beaches to themselves.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43One month later, another wave of migrants appear in the surf.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50These are royal penguins,
0:08:50 > 0:08:55and they're about to have their first sighting of land in seven months.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01They've spent that time hunting for fish and shrimp
0:09:01 > 0:09:03in the open ocean.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19One last hurdle and they're back on terra firma.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26This island is actually the only solid ground
0:09:26 > 0:09:29these penguins will ever set foot on.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Macquarie's nearest neighbour is more than 400 miles away,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and in the opposite direction from their favourite feeding grounds.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44BRAYING AND SQUAWKING
0:09:53 > 0:09:58Within days of the first arrivals, it's standing room only.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Nobody knows exactly how these penguins navigate back to Macquarie,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15but with this many adults returning every year to breed,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16it clearly works.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27SQUAWKING AND BRAYING
0:10:43 > 0:10:47STACCATO CRIES
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Out in the open ocean, royal penguins lead solitary lives,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56so these cramped conditions take a bit of getting used to.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Disputes settled, it's time to renew old acquaintances.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The elephant seals have also settled down...
0:11:08 > 0:11:12even if some still play hard to get.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16SHE WAILS
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Though it's not easy turning down the advances
0:11:19 > 0:11:22of a suitor six times your size.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30A gentle nuzzle, and she appears won over.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32DEEP-THROATED GURGLING
0:11:39 > 0:11:43And it's not just love that's in the air.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45At these southerly latitudes,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48ocean winds bring rain six-and-a-half days out of seven.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And when it doesn't rain...
0:11:50 > 0:11:52it snows.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56It couldn't be more different
0:11:56 > 0:11:59from the cliched image of a South Pacific island.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03But surprisingly, what makes Macquarie so rich in wildlife
0:12:03 > 0:12:07also benefits other islands in the tropical South Pacific,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09thousands of miles away.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Macquarie's penguins and seals depend
0:12:15 > 0:12:20on a cold, nutrient-rich current... and that doesn't stop here.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Powered by the strongest winds in the world,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28the current continues east
0:12:28 > 0:12:30until it hits the tip of South America,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32where it's driven northwards.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Over 8,000 miles later, the cold current reaches the equator
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and a remote archipelago...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56The water has warmed up on the journey north,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00but it's still cold and nutrient rich.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04This has allowed some animals to live here
0:13:04 > 0:13:08which you wouldn't normally find this close to the equator.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Sea lions.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Isolated on the Galapagos, they've been here so long
0:13:33 > 0:13:35they've become a separate species.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50When the surf's up,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55the sea lions spend hours just messing around in the waves.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Surfing burns a lot of energy, and they can only do it
0:14:00 > 0:14:04because these cold seas support vast numbers of fish.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14The sea lions share these nutrient-rich waters
0:14:14 > 0:14:17with another equatorial misfit.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Penguins -
0:14:25 > 0:14:28the only penguins found in the tropics.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Like the sea lions, Galapagos penguins can survive here
0:14:38 > 0:14:40because the water keeps them cool and well fed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53But these conditions are not constant.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58In El Nino years, when currents reverse, warm waters replace cold,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01fish populations crash
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and then, stuck on Galapagos, penguins and sea lions starve.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Their numbers will bounce back,
0:15:12 > 0:15:17but it's the price these animals pay for life on these isolated islands.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28There are thousands of islands in the South Pacific.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Many are unbelievably remote.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Some are thousands of miles away from the nearest continent
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbour.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Imagine each island as a castle,
0:15:53 > 0:15:58and the ocean a giant moat stretching to the horizon in every direction,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02and you have captured the essence of their isolation.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09It's a wonder how any life reached these islands at all.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But no matter how remote or small an island is,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28animals have somehow conquered the massive ocean barrier
0:16:28 > 0:16:30to reach these specks of land.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36For the lucky few that made it,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40South Pacific islands provided great opportunities.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Once here, they had the freedom to be different.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Crabs may not seem unusual,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02but there's one kind here that's like no other.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10On this little island in Vanuatu lives a real oddity.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22It's the largest terrestrial invertebrate on Earth...
0:17:33 > 0:17:35..the robber crab.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40The biggest can weigh up to four kilograms -
0:17:40 > 0:17:42the same as a newborn baby -
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and have a leg span of one metre.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It's a hermit crab on steroids.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56At night, the huge "robbers" really come alive.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Although these crabs are found throughout the Pacific,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19it's only on undisturbed islands that you can see them in such numbers.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26Exactly why robber crabs have grown so big is a mystery,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29but with so few creatures making it to these remote islands,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32the giant crustaceans
0:18:32 > 0:18:37seem to have filled a niche normally taken by medium-sized mammals.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And with almost no competition from other native animals,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48the crabs' huge size allows them to make the most of another great coloniser -
0:18:48 > 0:18:52something found here in abundance.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06Coconuts are one of their favourite foods -
0:19:06 > 0:19:08it's why they're also called "coconut crabs" -
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and they've been known to carry them as far as three miles
0:19:11 > 0:19:13to a favourite den.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Robber crabs are perhaps the only animals in the world
0:19:28 > 0:19:31able to break into a coconut.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The husk is ripped off by powerful pincers.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Other legs drill through the germinating holes on the seed itself
0:19:39 > 0:19:42until the nut finally cracks.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51The whole process can take several hours,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54but the reward is a meal rich in protein.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03Robber crabs may rule the land, but they're no masters of the sea.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13An adult crab would drown in a few minutes,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15which raises the question -
0:20:15 > 0:20:21how did these monsters get to so many of the South Pacific's most isolated islands?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This female carries the answer -
0:20:28 > 0:20:29thousands of eggs,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33which will soon be left to the mercy of the ocean currents.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46A few shakes of her tail are all that's needed
0:20:46 > 0:20:48to send them on their way.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52The eggs will hatch immediately.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Then the larvae will have just 50 days to find a new home above the water.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06For animal castaways,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11finding new land in this vast ocean was a chance in a million.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13THUNDER RUMBLES
0:21:13 > 0:21:16To beat the odds, luck was needed,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18sometimes coming from an unlikely source...
0:21:18 > 0:21:20cyclones.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23WIND WHISTLES
0:21:23 > 0:21:29Each year, these powerful tropical storms form over the huge ocean.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43The largest can span more than 600 miles.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47THUNDER ROLLS
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Cyclones are one of the most destructive forces in the South Pacific.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Yet surprisingly, they have played a critical role
0:22:09 > 0:22:12in spreading life to the loneliest islands.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18And few islands are more remote than these.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Two thousand miles from the nearest continent,
0:22:27 > 0:22:33Hawaii is the world's most isolated archipelago.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35It is so far flung
0:22:35 > 0:22:40that less than 500 kinds of animal settled here in 30 million years.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Remarkably, many of these colonisers
0:22:45 > 0:22:48were carried to Hawaii on the back of cyclones.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59For an animal to be sucked up by storm winds, carried across the ocean
0:22:59 > 0:23:04and dumped here alive was a matter of extraordinary luck.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11Yet that's what happened to the ancestor of this insect.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It's a kind of fruit fly...
0:23:13 > 0:23:15but no ordinary one.
0:23:19 > 0:23:26Hawaii's fruit flies are the birds of paradise of the insect world.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30They attract females with elaborate courtship rituals
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and have a sophisticated range of territorial behaviour.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40Male hammerhead flies use their heads as battering rams.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46A male clavisetae fruit fly
0:23:46 > 0:23:50fans sex pheromones from his raised abdomen.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56His extended tongue is an added attraction.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Since that first coloniser,
0:24:04 > 0:24:09they have evolved into nearly 1,000 species,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11many with their own unique behaviour.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36When it comes to choosing a mate, females are very fussy.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40One wrong move by her suitor and she's off.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46BUZZING
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Hawaii's isolation has had a curious effect
0:24:55 > 0:24:59on the evolution of some of its other wildlife, too.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Crawling around these ferns are caterpillars.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12They're the larvae of a moth and look ordinary enough.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16But these tiny caterpillars are perhaps the strangest of their kind in the world.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26When one finds the right spot, it settles down to chew through a leaf.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32So far, so normal.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But the caterpillar is not actually swallowing the bits of leaf.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45It's channelling a gap between the segments.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53When finished, it'll tuck itself into the space.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01So what is so strange about this animal?
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Well, those are not your typical caterpillar feet,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09and what follows is not your typical caterpillar behaviour.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16This is a carnivorous caterpillar...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22..with a vice-like hold and a bite to match.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Hawaii's numerous fruit flies were just too good an opportunity to ignore.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And the stick-like camouflage of another kind of meat-eating caterpillar
0:26:43 > 0:26:48is just as effective when ambushing prey.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Nobody knows what set Hawaii's carnivorous caterpillars on this extraordinary path,
0:27:05 > 0:27:10but it's the sort of quirky evolution that's common on isolated islands.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Each South Pacific island has its own unique set of creatures.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27With so many islands, this adds up to thousands of animals
0:27:27 > 0:27:29found nowhere else on Earth.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Isolated by miles of ocean,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42human colonisers also developed different ways of life.
0:27:43 > 0:27:49Each culture has its own customs, and some are truly bizarre.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50SINGING
0:27:55 > 0:27:57The locals are in celebratory mood.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07THEY ARE SINGING
0:28:08 > 0:28:13This man is about to perform one of the strangest rituals in the world.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26It's a tradition that tests the mettle of the most courageous men.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Having a head for heights is only the start.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Forest vines are tied around his ankles.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44They will be his lifeline.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18LEAVES RUSTLE, TOWER CREAKS
0:29:18 > 0:29:23For centuries, Pentecost men have been leaping head first
0:29:23 > 0:29:28from wooden scaffolds with only forest vines to break their fall...
0:29:32 > 0:29:36..a tradition that inspired modern bungee jumping.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21The jumps may look like acts of madness,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25but the festival's origins have a serious side.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32They celebrate the annual harvest of their staple crop.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36And with up to nine cyclones pounding the South Pacific a year,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39a successful harvest is worth celebrating.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04The close calls with Mother Earth are not miscalculations.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08The diver's hair is actually meant to brush the ground
0:31:08 > 0:31:11in a symbolic act of fertilisation.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21And it's believed the closer the jumper gets to the ground,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24the taller the crops will grow the next year.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Human history across most of the South Pacific
0:31:50 > 0:31:53dates back less than 2,000 years.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58By comparison, animal colonisers first arrived on these shores
0:31:58 > 0:32:01over 30 million years ago.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Yet by the 12th century,
0:32:04 > 0:32:09people had colonised almost every habitable piece of land.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Surrounded by water, the ocean became embedded in their culture -
0:32:18 > 0:32:22sometimes in surprising ways.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23DRUMMING
0:32:31 > 0:32:35In the Banks Islands, women use the sea to make music.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44And their songs celebrate the creatures that live in it.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52No matter where people settled in the South Pacific,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54their survival depended
0:32:54 > 0:32:57on a deep understanding of the ocean and its wildlife.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17And one ocean event has featured in the Pacific islanders' calendar
0:33:17 > 0:33:19since they first arrived here.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26It happens on just one night a year, in November.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Armed with torches and homemade nets,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36these islanders prepare for a harvest.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40They gather in the reef shallows,
0:33:40 > 0:33:45watching and waiting for what will soon be a flurry of activity.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51As the moon rises,
0:33:51 > 0:33:56it triggers a natural phenomenon and a very strange spectacle...
0:34:03 > 0:34:06..the rising of worms -
0:34:06 > 0:34:08palolo worms.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14These are actually the worms' rear ends - their reproductive segments.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17The part with the head remains in the coral rock.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25When they reach the surface, eggs and sperm will mix.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30EXCITED SHOUTING
0:34:42 > 0:34:46The tide washes the wriggling worms into the shallows
0:34:46 > 0:34:49where they are scooped up by the bucketful.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57The whole event lasts just a couple of hours, but in that time,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59hundreds of kilos can be gathered.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Rich in proteins and fats,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11palolo worms are the caviar of the South Pacific.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18This may be a short-lived feast, but living in the South Pacific
0:35:18 > 0:35:21means making the most of anything going.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Every year, in June, tiger sharks appear
0:35:36 > 0:35:41in the shallow waters around this scattering of tiny, sandy islands.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50They've travelled hundreds of miles in anticipation of an event
0:35:50 > 0:35:52that lasts less than two weeks.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57And their timing is impeccable.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Albatross chicks are sitting ducks.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The sharks may have lost the element of surprise,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21but their high visibility will make little difference
0:36:21 > 0:36:23to the albatross chicks' behaviour.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLING
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Right now, the focus is on flying.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35For fledging albatross, that's not as simple as you'd think.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44The problem is the island's runway is a bit short,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48especially for a bird with one of the world's longest wingspans.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53The maiden flight often ends in a wet landing.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57And that's why the sharks are here.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03With their highly acute senses,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06they're onto the chicks within a few moments of touchdown.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22During two weeks of fledging,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26over 100 albatross chicks make the same fatal error...
0:37:26 > 0:37:29and the sharks take full advantage.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01In an ocean where food can be surprisingly scarce,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05this annual feast is something these sharks depend on.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19The size of many South Pacific islands means that food is often limited.
0:38:20 > 0:38:26The smaller and more isolated they are, the harder it is to survive.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31And in this ocean of islands, there's one tiny island that stands out.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38It's home to perhaps the most remote community of people on the planet,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41with a truly inspiring story.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07These men are from the island of Anuta.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15This fishing technique is unique to their island
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and essential when the weather is too rough for their boats.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Octopus tentacles are used as bait.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30And it's very effective.
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Once a shoal has been found, dozens of fish can be caught in this way.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52The struggling fish are killed with a quick bite to the head.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Anutans have more fishing techniques than almost anywhere else in the Pacific -
0:40:03 > 0:40:07a vital skill, given the size of their island.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13And this is it.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Just one-sixth of a square mile in area.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Anuta is so small, that no matter where you are,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30the sound of the waves is ever present.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32WAVES WHISPER
0:40:32 > 0:40:34CHILDREN CALL
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Life on Anuta has changed little
0:40:40 > 0:40:45since these people's ancestors arrived here nearly 400 years ago.
0:40:45 > 0:40:51Many Anutans still spend their entire lives on this remote speck of land.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Anuta's isolation has meant that the 300 people who live here
0:41:00 > 0:41:04have had to become completely self-sufficient.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Almost every square metre of the island
0:41:09 > 0:41:14is cultivated to grow staple crops like taro or breadfruit.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Some food will be stored in the ground -
0:41:18 > 0:41:20an insurance policy against cyclones.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29With few trees on the island,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32their wooden outrigger canoes are treasured items,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36and some have been in continuous use for nearly 150 years.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Without them, these people would struggle to survive here,
0:41:47 > 0:41:53since it's the sea that Anutans look to for many of their needs.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24The men have a plan for whichever direction the wind takes them.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29They know the location of every one of their reefs,
0:42:29 > 0:42:34lining up landmarks on the island to gauge their exact position.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38It makes fishing trips very productive.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40MEN CHAT
0:42:46 > 0:42:51Anuta's isolation has shaped their society.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Too far away to trade with other islands,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56they have a strong community spirit.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07Everything is shared and all work together for the common good.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10It's the secret of their success.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22Anuta has one of the highest population densities on Earth -
0:43:22 > 0:43:25equal to that of Bangladesh - yet on their tiny speck of land,
0:43:25 > 0:43:30these people have always lived completely within their resources.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's a remarkable achievement,
0:43:42 > 0:43:44and not one that is shared by all
0:43:44 > 0:43:47who have made a home in the South Pacific.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Lost in the vastness of this ocean
0:43:54 > 0:43:59is an island with a legendary tale of over-exploitation.
0:44:08 > 0:44:13This was once the most inaccessible island in the world.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22When the first people arrived here 1,000 years ago,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Easter Island was a paradise
0:44:25 > 0:44:30thought to be richer in wildlife than even the Galapagos.
0:44:32 > 0:44:38Back then, its hills were cloaked with a forest of giant palms.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42It was also home to one of the largest seabird colonies
0:44:42 > 0:44:43in the South Pacific.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Initially, life must have been easy for the Easter Islanders,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53the Rapa Nui.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56And with time on their hands, they set to work
0:44:56 > 0:45:00carving huge stone statues known as moai.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Before long, each clan was trying to carve
0:45:05 > 0:45:09larger, grander figures than those of their neighbours...
0:45:10 > 0:45:13..competition that was to be their undoing.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23Vast quantities of wood were used to transport the stone statues,
0:45:23 > 0:45:24and slowly but surely,
0:45:24 > 0:45:29the Rapa Nui used up their island's precious resources.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34Eventually, their civilisation descended into chaos and warfare.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39Clan fought against clan, with disastrous consequences.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01By the time of their ultimate collapse, the Rapa Nui
0:46:01 > 0:46:04had changed their island beyond recognition.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15These are the hills where the giant palm forest once stood.
0:46:15 > 0:46:16And these are the cliffs
0:46:16 > 0:46:20that once rang to the sound of those huge seabird colonies,
0:46:20 > 0:46:24all hunted to extinction by the Rapa Nui.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29Today, the giant stone statues
0:46:29 > 0:46:32are a poignant reminder of the precarious nature
0:46:32 > 0:46:34of life on remote islands.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45All South Pacific islanders must make the most
0:46:45 > 0:46:47of whatever resources they have...
0:46:49 > 0:46:52..and the Anutans are no exception.
0:46:56 > 0:47:02They harvest the wildlife that also depends on this little piece of land.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14WHISTLING
0:47:16 > 0:47:18NASAL "OW-OW-OW"
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Each hunter uses his own preferred call.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26LIPS VIBRATING
0:47:28 > 0:47:32The noise will lure their quarry closer to their nets.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35SWISHING
0:47:37 > 0:47:39WHISTLING
0:47:42 > 0:47:44LIPS VIBRATING
0:47:49 > 0:47:51ANIMAL SQUAWKING
0:47:53 > 0:47:54Noddy terns.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57They've spent the day fishing out at sea,
0:47:57 > 0:48:01so it's only when they return to roost at night they can be caught.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12It would be easy for the Anutans to over-harvest the noddy terns -
0:48:12 > 0:48:14even exterminate the colony.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19But that's not the Anutan way.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Their approach ensures a future for the next generation to enjoy.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10Life has always been precarious in the South Pacific,
0:49:10 > 0:49:13but with the right balance, both people and animals
0:49:13 > 0:49:19will continue to thrive in this great ocean of islands.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41Some of the biggest waves in the world
0:49:41 > 0:49:43break on South Pacific islands.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46One of the aims of this series was to capture the awesome power
0:49:46 > 0:49:50of these natural forces from underwater.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00So the team headed to Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands...
0:50:01 > 0:50:03..well known for big, barrelling waves.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10On board was top surf cameraman, Bali Strickland.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Often you're like, "If I'd been one metre that way,
0:50:13 > 0:50:15"the shot would've been perfect."
0:50:15 > 0:50:18So to actually get the perfect position is pretty hard.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22But Bali was used to a camera housing this size,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24so how was he going to manage
0:50:24 > 0:50:26with one this big?
0:50:28 > 0:50:30German camera technician Rudi Diesel
0:50:30 > 0:50:35had only finished building this housing one day before the shoot.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38Inside was a camera that could film in super slow motion
0:50:38 > 0:50:39and high definition.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44Until now, no-one had ever tried using one underwater.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48About to take a 100,000-plus camera into the water.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Don't see much in the monitor.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Unfortunately, the camera turned out to be...
0:50:54 > 0:50:56well, camera shy.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- Oh, boy! - The anticipation was there.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03There was huge expectation.
0:51:03 > 0:51:04When you're breaking new ground,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07you have to be prepared for swings and roundabouts.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10You have to be patient sometimes.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12And there was another problem.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17The waves were tiny - more Cornwall than Carolines.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21The team had brought along world-class surfer Dylan Longbottom
0:51:21 > 0:51:24to give some scale to the waves,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26but it was having the opposite effect.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29When you look at the size of the waves,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31it's hard to imagine that in a single day,
0:51:31 > 0:51:33if the conditions were right,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37the wave would break way over your head with this perfect barrel.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39But there's no sign of it at the moment.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47Next day, Rudi felt sure
0:51:47 > 0:51:50his custom-built housing was now up and running.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52OK, switch it on...
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Yes, it works!
0:51:57 > 0:52:01The words I like to hear most often on a shoot - "Yes, it's working."
0:52:01 > 0:52:04The words I don't like to hear very often, Rudi,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07are, "No, it's not working. I think it's broken."
0:52:07 > 0:52:08But all was well with the housing
0:52:08 > 0:52:11and, finally, it was ready to make a splash.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Bali and Dylan paddled out to the surf zone.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29The waves were still small,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32but the hard, jagged reef beneath Bali's feet
0:52:32 > 0:52:35was a constant reminder of the dangers here.
0:52:38 > 0:52:39And even in small waves,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43getting into position with the large housing was going to be a challenge.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Bali lined up for his first shot...
0:53:01 > 0:53:04..capturing the action at 20 times slower than normal speed.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15An interesting shot, but not what the team were after.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19So why were there no big waves?
0:53:19 > 0:53:24There's no land between here and Kamchatka, 3,000 miles away.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26And the waves that arrive here
0:53:26 > 0:53:29start off around Japan or the east coast of Russia.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32And when a storm hits these places,
0:53:32 > 0:53:35it whips up the sea, generating swell.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38It's rather like throwing a pebble into a pool.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40The ripples radiate outwards
0:53:40 > 0:53:43which, when they reach land, make waves.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49So if the size of these waves was anything to go by,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Japan and Russia were having some unusually mild winter weather.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00And that was more than you could say for Pohnpei.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04And there were still no big waves.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08The only good news was that the housing was still working
0:54:08 > 0:54:12and remained watertight, despite being soundly tested
0:54:12 > 0:54:14both below and above the water.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Then, when the team thought things couldn't get any worse...
0:54:21 > 0:54:25If conditions got any calmer here, we'd probably have small boys
0:54:25 > 0:54:28out sailing their toy boats out on this millpond!
0:54:28 > 0:54:31I mean, we came for 12-foot barrelling waves
0:54:31 > 0:54:35and we've got a sort of gentle riffle at the moment.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37Time to check the swell charts.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41There was better news on the Russian front -
0:54:41 > 0:54:44a big storm sending swell Pohnpei's way.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47At the end of the shoot, the waves arrived -
0:54:47 > 0:54:51the biggest the team had seen so far.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00The big surf proved even more of a challenge for Bali.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06And there was still the sharp reef to avoid.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Bali's final shots had promise,
0:55:16 > 0:55:20but these waves were still much smaller than the team had hoped for.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Having seen the potential of Rudi's camera underwater,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25I just know I've got to get it back out
0:55:25 > 0:55:29on one of these locations and use it in a big barrel,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32because the results will be incredibly surprising
0:55:32 > 0:55:34and totally unique.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40Four months later, with news of a large swell coming from Russia,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42the team were back in Pohnpei.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48This time, the waves looked big, even with surfers in them.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55And expert surfer Dylan couldn't wait to get out there.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56Well, we've turned up
0:55:56 > 0:56:00and we've seen a couple of absolutely monster barrels.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03So we've got what we came for.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05And, um...I'm pretty nervous,
0:56:05 > 0:56:09because I'm about to swim that huge torpedo camera back out there...
0:56:11 > 0:56:14..and it's dangerous-looking!
0:56:14 > 0:56:18The big waves had brought surfers from all over the world,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22but this was definitely a day for the professionals.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Bali was going to have to use all his surf experience
0:56:28 > 0:56:30to get the shots without risking his safety.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Positioning was going to be everything.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36This really is a dangerous sport.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40Superficially, it looks a bit like skiing down the face of a mountain.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44The difference here is that the mountain is actually chasing YOU
0:56:44 > 0:56:47and wanting to gobble you up as you go along.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49- MAN:- Oh!
0:56:51 > 0:56:53This is what we came for.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Bali got into position for his first shot of the day -
0:56:57 > 0:57:00a ten-foot barrel wave.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Capturing a shot like this leaves little margin for error,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07as Bali discovered.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09I tried to hold on as long as I could
0:57:09 > 0:57:12and it sucked me over the falls afterwards.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16This thing is so heavy, I was in the foam, inside, trying to get up.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21My right leg cramped and I couldn't get up for ages.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24I was just lucky there wasn't really much behind it,
0:57:24 > 0:57:28or I'd still be in there trying to get out. Phew!
0:57:28 > 0:57:33For the next shots, Bali's position in the waves was right on the money.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Using the slow-motion camera underwater had paid off,
0:57:37 > 0:57:43here, for the first time, revealing the vortices created by huge waves.
0:57:45 > 0:57:49Then the shot that crowned a perfect day.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51I shot it. I wasn't sure how good it was.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54I've watched it back and I've still got shivers in my spine,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58because it's probably the best shot I've ever got in the water,
0:57:58 > 0:57:59without a doubt.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02And here it is.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05Big-wave surfer Dylan Longbottom
0:58:05 > 0:58:09in a 12-foot, monster barrel wave
0:58:09 > 0:58:12filmed in super slow motion -
0:58:12 > 0:58:15the first shots of their kind ever recorded.
0:58:16 > 0:58:21And this time, Bali's exit from the wave was perfect.