0:00:00 > 0:00:00- Subtitles
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:00:06 > 0:00:07- I'm Iolo Williams.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- I've spent years studying wildlife - on land and in the air.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16- This time, - I'm venturing into a new world.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22- I'll be looking for creatures - I've never seen before.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32- I'm travelling to Australia - to dive under the sea...
0:00:32 > 0:00:35- ..to see - one of our planet's treasures.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39- This is the Great Barrier Reef.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- It extends over 1,000 miles - off the coast of northern Australia.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- But this important part - of our ecosystem...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- ..is in danger.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06- It's sad coming here - and seeing this happen.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- It could disappear...
0:01:14 > 0:01:15- ..in 80 years.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28- Will the children of the future - be able to enjoy this special place?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- Captain Cook's ship, - the Endeavour...
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- ..was the first to hit the reef - in 1770.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- There are now over 800 shipwrecks - dotted around the area.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- I'm on my way to see - the remains of the SS Yongala.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- The shipwreck - lies five miles off the coast.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- It's now an artificial reef.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- I've heard - there's very special wildlife here.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- It's also an opportunity for me to - find out how a reef can mend itself.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- I'm about to dive to look at - a shipwreck, the SS Yongala.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10- It has a very interesting history.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- It sunk in 1911 in a cyclone.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- It was a terrible storm - which killed all on board...
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- ..122 people and a horse.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24- The body of the horse was found - and a few fragments of the ship...
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- ..but no-one knew - what had happened to it...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- ..until it was found - in the late 1950s.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- Today, - a lot of people dive to see it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- It's very interesting. - It's become an artificial reef.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42- I want to go down because - every time there's a cyclone...
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- ..it seems to scour the ship...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- ..and kills - a lot of the coral and wildlife.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- However, the wildlife - returns every time.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- There is hope...
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- ..that when the Great Barrier Reef - is destroyed...
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- ..the coral can return - in the right conditions.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- We'll go down. Anna, you're going - to stay with the other two?
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- I'm not wearing the full facemask - for this dive...
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- ..because I want to go deeper - than 20 metres.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- It's too dangerous for me to wear - the full mask as deep as this.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- So I'm wearing a regulator - and breathing through my mouth.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26- It was an incredible feeling - to dive slowly into a sea of fish.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- It was like diving - through a hurricane...
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- ..with leaves whipping around me.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- These fish are trevallies.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- They're the most numerous fish - on the entire reef.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59- Diving to the SS Yongala was a dive - to a very special place...
0:05:59 > 0:06:00- ..even on the reef.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- After hoping - to see one on the reef...
0:06:22 > 0:06:26- ..I saw a grey-brown snake - looking for food among the coral.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Though the snake is poisonous - and looks dangerous...
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- ..it's tame enough - for me to swim near her.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45- The flat tail - enables her to swim easier.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15- Sea fans - are thriving on the shipwreck too.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- As I swam around, - I realized very quickly...
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- ..that nature - had taken possession of the ship...
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- ..and turned it into a living reef.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- Look at this.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- This is a bull ray, - the stingray's big brother.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50- They're very rare.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- We're very lucky to see one.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- It's enormous.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- It can weigh over 100kg.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- Its size is obvious - as I swim above it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- From this position, - you can see the shape of the ship.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16- To think that dozens of skeletons - lie within this shell.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- It's so beautiful.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- It's easy to forget...
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- ..that a disaster caused such - wildlife to thrive around the reef.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40- Colourful coral - has covered the entire ship.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- Fish and wildlife everywhere.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52- That was worth it!
0:10:54 > 0:10:58- An incredible dive. - There were thousands of fish.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02- The best thing in terms of wildlife - was as I went down...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- ..trevallies, quite large fish, - went right around me.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07- After we went down...
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- ..a huge giant black ray - swam under me and had a look at me.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- There was an olive sea snake too.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- Its tail is flat. - It's adapted to swim in the sea.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- It was great.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- They're very poisonous - but they don't attack.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26- I could get very close.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- She was looking in the holes - for fish.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- It feels odd - seeing all the wildlife...
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- ..knowing there are 122 bodies - in that ship.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40- But what lifted my spirits - was seeing all that wildlife.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- It's an artificial reef after all.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- As I said before going down...
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- ..it's destroyed by the storms - but it returns.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- The wildlife was so rich down there.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- It was incredible. - One of the best dives of my life.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- When I first came out here, - I was very excited.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- I was thinking, "Goodness me.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39- "I'm going to do something - I've wanted to do since I was a boy.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- "I'm going to dive - on the Great Barrier Reef."
0:12:42 > 0:12:47- However, there was a part of me - that was rather scared.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- That might be an odd thing to say.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- I was scared...
0:12:53 > 0:12:58- ..because I didn't want - to dive down and see a dead reef.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- But that didn't happen - - I saw a living reef.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- There are problems. - Of course there are.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10- There are parts of the reef - where most of it has died.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- However, I've had a lot of fun.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- I've loved diving - and seeing the sea turtles...
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- ..and incredible - multicoloured fish...
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- ..that I've never seen before - and never thought I would see.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- I hope I'll see more, learn more...
0:13:34 > 0:13:39- ..and I also hope - I'll get a much better idea...
0:13:39 > 0:13:45- ..of the solutions - to the problems facing the reef.
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0:13:51 > 0:13:51- Subtitles
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0:14:08 > 0:14:11- I'm visiting - the Great Barrier Reef...
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- ..to find out about its health and - to learn more about its wildlife.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- I'm on my way to Cape Tribulation, - famous for its mangroves...
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- ..to discover the relationship - between the mangroves and the reef.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55- Mangroves extend over 2,000 - square miles around the coast.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- Very special wildlife - lives within them.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25- It's hard to describe how hot, how - stifling it is in the mangroves.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- These trees are very specialized.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- They're one of the few species - that can live in seawater.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36- The mangroves and the Great Barrier - Reef help to protect the land...
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- ..because storms are quite common - in this part of Australia.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- The storms hit the reef, which - saps some of the storm's energy...
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- ..and then the mangroves, - which reduces it further.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52- By the time it hits the land, - there's hardly any energy left.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07- The link between the two - goes deeper than that.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08- When the tide's in...
0:16:08 > 0:16:13- ..the mangroves are a very important - nursery for all sorts of fish.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- A lot of them, as they mature...
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- ..go on to live in the reef itself.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- I couldn't wait to find out...
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- ..what kind of wildlife I'd see - in the mangroves around here.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- There's so much food here - for the fish.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- The clear water - washes the food downwards.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- The sea washes food upwards.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- It's full of plankton here. - I can see it in the water.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19- Some of the fish feed on algae which - grows on the rocks and the trees.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- There's plenty of food here.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27- Coming down along the mangroves, - you can see hundreds of tiny fish.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- They think - we're large predatory fish.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37- So they rush in - between the branches.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- It's a shelter. - It's a safe place for them to be.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45- It's one of the big advantages for - the fish, being among the mangroves.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- It's a great place for them.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- Wow! Did you see that?
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- I think it was a tawny reef shark...
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- ..about a metre and a half - in length.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- It was coming down this side.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33- I think it's been hunting - in the mangroves.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- The mangroves - are important to the sharks...
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- ..especially - the blacktip reef shark.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- The juveniles stay here - until they are confident enough...
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- ..to swim out to sea.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- They then live on the reefs.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- It's great to see a shark here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14- After seeing the small fish in the - mangroves, I'm on my way out to sea.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- I'm going to the far side - of the reef to see larger fish.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- I'm going to a place called - Cod Hole.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- The tide is rushing through.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- It's dangerously fast here.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- But it circles around the reef.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58- The hope is there'll be a section - calm enough for us to go down.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- We're looking for huge fish - - groupers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- They're called potato cod - in these parts.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- Divers used to feed them. - They're not allowed to any more.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- But the fish still come up to you - to see if you have any food.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- So the hope is - they'll come right up to us.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- Before I came out, I'd heard that - the reef was in a disastrous state.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- It really worries me when I hear - that large swathes have died.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- Will this be a warning to us?
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- The reef - is almost like the canary...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- ..that miners - used to take underground.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59- It's a combination of excitement - and fearing the worst as we dive.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- As the potato cod - don't move far from their habitat...
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- ..they're dependent - on their surroundings for food.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- If I see a cod down here, it's a - sign that the area's in good health.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- There they are!
0:22:00 > 0:22:06- Groupers, or potato cod - as they're called in these parts.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- They're huge.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10- They like their food.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15- They're called potato cod - because of the pattern.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- A large yellow potato - with black dots on it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42- Hello!
0:22:42 > 0:22:43- Hello!
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- You're not the prettiest fish - in the world.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- Not the prettiest fish.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- I remember catching a trout - when I was a boy.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- It was two or three pounds - and I thought it was big.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- How much do these weigh?!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- They're enormous.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- It's likely that this individual...
0:23:07 > 0:23:13- ..will spend its entire life - on and around this small reef.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- I think it's welcoming me - to the Great Barrier Reef.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Did you see the small fish - on its back?
0:24:00 > 0:24:01- It's cleaning it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05- It's removing parasites - from its skin.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- It's one of the most enjoyable dives - I've ever had.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- I just dived to the bottom, - stayed around...
0:24:22 > 0:24:24- ..and let the fish come to me.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- I've made a new friend in Australia!
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- A giant potato cod, a grouper fish.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- I'll call him Nigel.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- I went down to the bottom - and it came right up to me.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- I think it was after food. - It was looking around.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- After a while, it was like when - you meet a friend down the pub...
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- ..you haven't seen for a while.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- You get on fine to begin with...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- ..but after a little, you think, - "I'll go out the back door."
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- I tried to do that - but it followed me.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- It was nice to be so close - to such a large fish.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01- .
0:26:03 > 0:26:03- Subtitles
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- I've always wanted - to dive on the reef.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- I'm so thrilled - to have the opportunity to do so.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Before I came out...
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- ..I'd heard that the Great Barrier - Reef was in a disastrous state.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- I've travelled ten miles - away from the coast...
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- ..to see - what the reef is like there.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12- I'm going to dive to one of the - outer reefs right near the open sea.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- What I hope to see here...
0:27:14 > 0:27:18- ..is the destruction - caused by the cyclone two years ago.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20- It was very strong.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26- It went through this narrow part - and destroyed the reef.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- It'll be interesting to see...
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- ..if some of the coral - are starting to grow back.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- The rain's arrived. - It's cold rain too.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- Out here, - the current is very strong.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- It's like a river.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- So we'll have to move - 200-300 yards, be let down...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- ..and we'll go down slowly - with the current.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- At the bottom, we'll be fine...
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- ..but when we come up, - we'll have to be very careful.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- If we're carried away that way, - it's the end of us.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- I'm diving down to see - what the coral's like here...
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- ..after a cyclone - destroyed the area.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02- I've been told - that 90% of it has been destroyed.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18- I wonder if the situation - is worse than I feared.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- Wow, the current is strong.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52- Immediately after getting - in the water, I can feel it.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10- All around me, you can see - the effects of the cyclone.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14- Look at this.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- This is a huge piece of rock coral.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26- It's been ripped out and thrown - on the ground by the cyclone.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28- It happened two years ago.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31- It looks lifeless.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- It looks as though - there's been a war.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37- However, when you look closely...
0:30:38 > 0:30:42- ..there are parts of it on the sides - that are still growing, thankfully.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- Hopefully, if it's left in peace, - it'll return.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07- The cyclone - wrecked the coral here...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- ..and stirred up the sediment - from the seabed...
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- ..which in turn covered the coral...
0:31:14 > 0:31:18- ..so it couldn't get nourishment - from the sun.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- Without coral, - there's no food for the fish.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Parts of the reef can die.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37- I'm amazed how little fish are here.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- The coral here have died.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50- These here have all died.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52- Some of them - are lying on the ground.
0:31:53 > 0:31:59- What's happened is there was - a terrible cyclone a few years ago.
0:31:59 > 0:32:05- It smashed, wrecked and killed - some of the coral.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37- This is a more positive scene.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- I was becoming disheartened.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46- I turn the corner - and I see all the little fish.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Here's a sign - that the reef can revive itself...
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- ..in the right conditions.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02- This rock coral - is starting to grow back.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- There are scars on it - from the storm.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- But it is growing.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12- If it's left in peace, - it'll cover this whole area.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- It'll take a long time.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- The conditions must be right.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24- What's happened is that - part of the reef has renewed itself.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- The current is taking me - from one place to another.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- This isn't an enjoyable experience.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- It's difficult swimming - and staying in one spot.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- I said the current was strong - on the surface.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01- It's very strong down here too.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- I'm finding it difficult holding on.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- The current is so strong. - I'm being pulled away.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- I don't like grabbing the coral.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- The coral's dead so it's OK.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- It's the only way - I can stay down here.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- With the current - getting more and more dangerous...
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- ..we went back to the boat.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- That was some experience.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29- I knew the current was strong - on the surface.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33- I hoped that once we were down, - it would be alright.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36- But it was just as strong - down the bottom.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- I don't like grabbing the coral...
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- ..but if I didn't, - I'd be over there somewhere now.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44- It was so strong.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47- It was as if there'd been a war...
0:35:47 > 0:35:51- ..the way the storm had killed - and destroyed everything.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- There were little pockets of life.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- That was one of the dives...
0:35:56 > 0:36:00- ..where you're glad to get - back on the ship in one piece.
0:36:07 > 0:36:08- This side, is it?
0:36:13 > 0:36:14- .
0:36:16 > 0:36:16- Subtitles
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- I'm going on a journey - along the Great Barrier Reef...
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- ..to see its current state...
0:36:32 > 0:36:36- ..and to see the special wildlife - that lives there.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- I've now reached - the Whitsunday Islands...
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- ..where I'll find out...
0:36:50 > 0:36:55- ..how the reef has dealt with - environmental changes over time.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14- The place has suffered because - of climate change in the past.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23- Before the last ice age...
0:37:23 > 0:37:27- ..the water level - was much lower than it is today.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- Hundreds of miles - of the Great Barrier Reef...
0:37:32 > 0:37:34- ..would have been above sea level.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55- Look at this place.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59- It's up there with the most - beautiful scenery in the world.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- The whitest sand - and the bluest sea I've ever seen.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14- The islands we see today - were high mountains.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19- Around 15,000 years ago, - the sea started coming in.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20- The level rose.
0:38:20 > 0:38:26- It's created dozens of islands, - 77 in all...
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- ..and this lovely bay.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- Standing here - and looking out at this...
0:38:32 > 0:38:37- ..blimey, - it makes you feel very small.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- It makes you appreciate - the natural world at its best.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- I'm in the bay on a kayak...
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- ..because this is a great place - for stingrays.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- The best place to see them - is from a kayak.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24- The water is so clear.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27- I can see three or four metres down.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29- I've seen about a dozen.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- They're odd-looking creatures.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- It's as if they're flying underwater - with their tail...
0:39:36 > 0:39:38- ..where the barb is located.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42- They can be dangerous - but the bay is a nursery for them.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43- It's quite safe.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48- They like places - with a sandy seabed.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- They hunt on the sea floor...
0:39:51 > 0:39:54- ..looking for crabs - and other similar creatures.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- Going across the clear blue water...
0:40:03 > 0:40:08- ..I can see the stingrays under me - landing in the sand here and there.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21- Some of them grow - to be two metres long.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- There are dozens of them in all.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29- The shallow water and mangroves - are perfect for them.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46- With the white sandy beaches, - the green vegetation...
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- ..the blue sky - and the crystal clear sea...
0:40:49 > 0:40:53- ..this remote bay is one - of the most beautiful places...
0:40:53 > 0:40:56- ..I've ever been to - in the whole world.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16- One of the main things I noticed - while here...
0:41:16 > 0:41:20- ..was the amount of people - from all over the world...
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- ..who come to see - the Great Barrier Reef.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- I wanted to find out how important - the reef is to the local economy.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- I'm on my way to Cairns...
0:41:44 > 0:41:49- ..one of the main tourist cities - in this part of Australia.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56- Looking around, I can see - parts of the reef on both sides...
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- ..extending - as far as the eye can see.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- It's a good sign.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06- It's not one large reef...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- ..but thousands of small ones.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- There are small ones everywhere.
0:42:11 > 0:42:17- It's hard to imagine that the entire - Great Barrier Reef at one time...
0:42:17 > 0:42:21- ..was part of the mainland, - until the ice age.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- Flying over it...
0:42:24 > 0:42:29- ..is a great opportunity to look - down and see the individual reefs.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34- It gives you an idea, just an idea, - of how enormous it is.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39- I'm aware that I'll only see - a small part, even from the air.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23- I'm meeting a woman from Blaenau - Ffestiniog who now lives here.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- She and her family run a business - taking visitors out to sea on boats.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36- I wanted to discover how important - the reef is to the local economy...
0:43:36 > 0:43:40- ..and what could happen - if the reef disappeared.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- How many people in this area, - in Cairns...
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- ..depend on the reef?
0:43:48 > 0:43:50- Lots?
0:43:50 > 0:43:51- Lots?- - Yes.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54- It's not just about - the boats that go out.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57- There are businesses - that do the bookings.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00- There are staff on the boats.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03- Yes, a lot of people depend on it.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08- If something happens to the reef, - if the deterioration continues...
0:44:08 > 0:44:10- ..this place would be empty.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12- It would.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16- It's one of the world's - main attractions.
0:44:16 > 0:44:22- The reef, not only for you - as a family, but to the area too...
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- ..must be worth a fortune.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26- There's a lot of money in it.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29- At the moment, the business is busy.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31- The boats are full.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36- People still visit the reef - and enjoy doing so.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40- But they also understand - that things are changing.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45- It's only a matter of a few years - before things deteriorate a lot.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- When you think about - the number of people...
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- ..who come to Australia from across - the world, where do they want to go?
0:44:53 > 0:44:57- Sydney to see the Opera House, - Uluru to see Ayers Rock...
0:44:57 > 0:44:59- ..and to the Great Barrier Reef.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- It's on everyone's bucket list.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- If you think about all the people - who come here and the money made...
0:45:06 > 0:45:10- ..it's one of the world's - main attractions.
0:45:16 > 0:45:17- I like this place.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22- It's lively. It's Friday night. - A lot of people are out.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- It's odd being the other side - of the world...
0:45:25 > 0:45:29- ..and meeting a woman - from Blaenau Ffestiniog...
0:45:29 > 0:45:32- ..whose family runs boats - out to the Great Barrier Reef.
0:45:33 > 0:45:34- Who'd have thought!
0:45:36 > 0:45:38- What's obvious to me...
0:45:38 > 0:45:43- ..is that Cairns - is totally dependent on tourism.
0:45:44 > 0:45:50- Over 95% of the tourists come here - to see the Great Barrier Reef.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- Without the Great Barrier Reef, - there'd be no tourists.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- Without the tourists, - there'd be no Cairns.
0:45:57 > 0:46:02- There'd be no-one here. There'd be - no reason for anyone to come here.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- I wonder how many - of the thousands out tonight...
0:46:06 > 0:46:09- ..realize and appreciate that.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- I wonder how many - are worried about that.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- Not many, I wouldn't think.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17- I feel rather guilty...
0:46:17 > 0:46:21- ..because I've flown - to come out here.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26- Flying is one of the worst things - in terms of climate change.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30- But as one of the wardens - out on the reef said...
0:46:30 > 0:46:35- .."If people like you don't come, - there's no value to the reef.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37- "If there's no value to the reef...
0:46:37 > 0:46:41- "..the government aren't going - to care about the place."
0:46:41 > 0:46:45- So it is important that people - come here and pay to see the place.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- That's what brings money - to places like this.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- It's what makes the Australian - government look after the reef...
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- ..because it brings in - so much money.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59- After all, money talks.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52- S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.
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