Pennod 2 Iolo: Deifio yn y Barrier Reef

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-I'm Iolo Williams.

-I've spent years studying wildlife

-on land and in the air.

-This time,

-I'm venturing into a new world.

-I'll be looking for creatures

-I've never seen before.

-I'm travelling to Australia

-to dive under the sea...

-..to see

-one of our planet's treasures.

-This is the Great Barrier Reef.

-It extends over 1,000 miles

-off the coast of northern Australia.

-But this important part

-of our ecosystem...

-..is in danger.

-It's sad coming here

-and seeing this happen.

-It could disappear...

-..in 80 years.

-Will the children of the future

-be able to enjoy this special place?

-Captain Cook's ship,

-the Endeavour...

-..was the first to hit the reef

-in 1770.

-There are now over 800 shipwrecks

-dotted around the area.

-I'm on my way to see

-the remains of the SS Yongala.

-The shipwreck

-lies five miles off the coast.

-It's now an artificial reef.

-I've heard

-there's very special wildlife here.

-It's also an opportunity for me to

-find out how a reef can mend itself.

-I'm about to dive to look at

-a shipwreck, the SS Yongala.

-It has a very interesting history.

-It sunk in 1911 in a cyclone.

-It was a terrible storm

-which killed all on board...

-..122 people and a horse.

-The body of the horse was found

-and a few fragments of the ship...

-..but no-one knew

-what had happened to it...

-..until it was found

-in the late 1950s.

-Today,

-a lot of people dive to see it.

-It's very interesting.

-It's become an artificial reef.

-I want to go down because

-every time there's a cyclone...

-..it seems to scour the ship...

-..and kills

-a lot of the coral and wildlife.

-However, the wildlife

-returns every time.

-There is hope...

-..that when the Great Barrier Reef

-is destroyed...

-..the coral can return

-in the right conditions.

-We'll go down. Anna, you're going

-to stay with the other two?

-I'm not wearing the full facemask

-for this dive...

-..because I want to go deeper

-than 20 metres.

-It's too dangerous for me to wear

-the full mask as deep as this.

-So I'm wearing a regulator

-and breathing through my mouth.

-It was an incredible feeling

-to dive slowly into a sea of fish.

-It was like diving

-through a hurricane...

-..with leaves whipping around me.

-These fish are trevallies.

-They're the most numerous fish

-on the entire reef.

-Diving to the SS Yongala was a dive

-to a very special place...

-..even on the reef.

-After hoping

-to see one on the reef...

-..I saw a grey-brown snake

-looking for food among the coral.

-Though the snake is poisonous

-and looks dangerous...

-..it's tame enough

-for me to swim near her.

-The flat tail

-enables her to swim easier.

-Sea fans

-are thriving on the shipwreck too.

-As I swam around,

-I realized very quickly...

-..that nature

-had taken possession of the ship...

-..and turned it into a living reef.

-Look at this.

-This is a bull ray,

-the stingray's big brother.

-They're very rare.

-We're very lucky to see one.

-It's enormous.

-It can weigh over 100kg.

-Its size is obvious

-as I swim above it.

-From this position,

-you can see the shape of the ship.

-To think that dozens of skeletons

-lie within this shell.

-It's so beautiful.

-It's easy to forget...

-..that a disaster caused such

-wildlife to thrive around the reef.

-Colourful coral

-has covered the entire ship.

-Fish and wildlife everywhere.

-That was worth it!

-An incredible dive.

-There were thousands of fish.

-The best thing in terms of wildlife

-was as I went down...

-..trevallies, quite large fish,

-went right around me.

-After we went down...

-..a huge giant black ray

-swam under me and had a look at me.

-There was an olive sea snake too.

-Its tail is flat.

-It's adapted to swim in the sea.

-It was great.

-They're very poisonous

-but they don't attack.

-I could get very close.

-She was looking in the holes

-for fish.

-It feels odd

-seeing all the wildlife...

-..knowing there are 122 bodies

-in that ship.

-But what lifted my spirits

-was seeing all that wildlife.

-It's an artificial reef after all.

-As I said before going down...

-..it's destroyed by the storms

-but it returns.

-The wildlife was so rich down there.

-It was incredible.

-One of the best dives of my life.

-When I first came out here,

-I was very excited.

-I was thinking, "Goodness me.

-"I'm going to do something

-I've wanted to do since I was a boy.

-"I'm going to dive

-on the Great Barrier Reef."

-However, there was a part of me

-that was rather scared.

-That might be an odd thing to say.

-I was scared...

-..because I didn't want

-to dive down and see a dead reef.

-But that didn't happen -

-I saw a living reef.

-There are problems.

-Of course there are.

-There are parts of the reef

-where most of it has died.

-However, I've had a lot of fun.

-I've loved diving

-and seeing the sea turtles...

-..and incredible

-multicoloured fish...

-..that I've never seen before

-and never thought I would see.

-I hope I'll see more, learn more...

-..and I also hope

-I'll get a much better idea...

-..of the solutions

-to the problems facing the reef.

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-I'm visiting

-the Great Barrier Reef...

-..to find out about its health and

-to learn more about its wildlife.

-I'm on my way to Cape Tribulation,

-famous for its mangroves...

-..to discover the relationship

-between the mangroves and the reef.

-Mangroves extend over 2,000

-square miles around the coast.

-Very special wildlife

-lives within them.

-It's hard to describe how hot, how

-stifling it is in the mangroves.

-These trees are very specialized.

-They're one of the few species

-that can live in seawater.

-The mangroves and the Great Barrier

-Reef help to protect the land...

-..because storms are quite common

-in this part of Australia.

-The storms hit the reef, which

-saps some of the storm's energy...

-..and then the mangroves,

-which reduces it further.

-By the time it hits the land,

-there's hardly any energy left.

-The link between the two

-goes deeper than that.

-When the tide's in...

-..the mangroves are a very important

-nursery for all sorts of fish.

-A lot of them, as they mature...

-..go on to live in the reef itself.

-I couldn't wait to find out...

-..what kind of wildlife I'd see

-in the mangroves around here.

-There's so much food here

-for the fish.

-The clear water

-washes the food downwards.

-The sea washes food upwards.

-It's full of plankton here.

-I can see it in the water.

-Some of the fish feed on algae which

-grows on the rocks and the trees.

-There's plenty of food here.

-Coming down along the mangroves,

-you can see hundreds of tiny fish.

-They think

-we're large predatory fish.

-So they rush in

-between the branches.

-It's a shelter.

-It's a safe place for them to be.

-It's one of the big advantages for

-the fish, being among the mangroves.

-It's a great place for them.

-Wow! Did you see that?

-I think it was a tawny reef shark...

-..about a metre and a half

-in length.

-It was coming down this side.

-I think it's been hunting

-in the mangroves.

-The mangroves

-are important to the sharks...

-..especially

-the blacktip reef shark.

-The juveniles stay here

-until they are confident enough...

-..to swim out to sea.

-They then live on the reefs.

-It's great to see a shark here.

-After seeing the small fish in the

-mangroves, I'm on my way out to sea.

-I'm going to the far side

-of the reef to see larger fish.

-I'm going to a place called

-Cod Hole.

-The tide is rushing through.

-It's dangerously fast here.

-But it circles around the reef.

-The hope is there'll be a section

-calm enough for us to go down.

-We're looking for huge fish -

-groupers.

-They're called potato cod

-in these parts.

-Divers used to feed them.

-They're not allowed to any more.

-But the fish still come up to you

-to see if you have any food.

-So the hope is

-they'll come right up to us.

-Before I came out, I'd heard that

-the reef was in a disastrous state.

-It really worries me when I hear

-that large swathes have died.

-Will this be a warning to us?

-The reef

-is almost like the canary...

-..that miners

-used to take underground.

-It's a combination of excitement

-and fearing the worst as we dive.

-As the potato cod

-don't move far from their habitat...

-..they're dependent

-on their surroundings for food.

-If I see a cod down here, it's a

-sign that the area's in good health.

-There they are!

-Groupers, or potato cod

-as they're called in these parts.

-They're huge.

-They like their food.

-They're called potato cod

-because of the pattern.

-A large yellow potato

-with black dots on it.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-You're not the prettiest fish

-in the world.

-Not the prettiest fish.

-I remember catching a trout

-when I was a boy.

-It was two or three pounds

-and I thought it was big.

-How much do these weigh?!

-They're enormous.

-It's likely that this individual...

-..will spend its entire life

-on and around this small reef.

-I think it's welcoming me

-to the Great Barrier Reef.

-Did you see the small fish

-on its back?

-It's cleaning it.

-It's removing parasites

-from its skin.

-It's one of the most enjoyable dives

-I've ever had.

-I just dived to the bottom,

-stayed around...

-..and let the fish come to me.

-I've made a new friend in Australia!

-A giant potato cod, a grouper fish.

-I'll call him Nigel.

-I went down to the bottom

-and it came right up to me.

-I think it was after food.

-It was looking around.

-After a while, it was like when

-you meet a friend down the pub...

-..you haven't seen for a while.

-You get on fine to begin with...

-..but after a little, you think,

-"I'll go out the back door."

-I tried to do that

-but it followed me.

-It was nice to be so close

-to such a large fish.

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-I've always wanted

-to dive on the reef.

-I'm so thrilled

-to have the opportunity to do so.

-Before I came out...

-..I'd heard that the Great Barrier

-Reef was in a disastrous state.

-I've travelled ten miles

-away from the coast...

-..to see

-what the reef is like there.

-I'm going to dive to one of the

-outer reefs right near the open sea.

-What I hope to see here...

-..is the destruction

-caused by the cyclone two years ago.

-It was very strong.

-It went through this narrow part

-and destroyed the reef.

-It'll be interesting to see...

-..if some of the coral

-are starting to grow back.

-The rain's arrived.

-It's cold rain too.

-Out here,

-the current is very strong.

-It's like a river.

-So we'll have to move

-200-300 yards, be let down...

-..and we'll go down slowly

-with the current.

-At the bottom, we'll be fine...

-..but when we come up,

-we'll have to be very careful.

-If we're carried away that way,

-it's the end of us.

-I'm diving down to see

-what the coral's like here...

-..after a cyclone

-destroyed the area.

-I've been told

-that 90% of it has been destroyed.

-I wonder if the situation

-is worse than I feared.

-Wow, the current is strong.

-Immediately after getting

-in the water, I can feel it.

-All around me, you can see

-the effects of the cyclone.

-Look at this.

-This is a huge piece of rock coral.

-It's been ripped out and thrown

-on the ground by the cyclone.

-It happened two years ago.

-It looks lifeless.

-It looks as though

-there's been a war.

-However, when you look closely...

-..there are parts of it on the sides

-that are still growing, thankfully.

-Hopefully, if it's left in peace,

-it'll return.

-The cyclone

-wrecked the coral here...

-..and stirred up the sediment

-from the seabed...

-..which in turn covered the coral...

-..so it couldn't get nourishment

-from the sun.

-Without coral,

-there's no food for the fish.

-Parts of the reef can die.

-I'm amazed how little fish are here.

-The coral here have died.

-These here have all died.

-Some of them

-are lying on the ground.

-What's happened is there was

-a terrible cyclone a few years ago.

-It smashed, wrecked and killed

-some of the coral.

-This is a more positive scene.

-I was becoming disheartened.

-I turn the corner

-and I see all the little fish.

-Here's a sign

-that the reef can revive itself...

-..in the right conditions.

-This rock coral

-is starting to grow back.

-There are scars on it

-from the storm.

-But it is growing.

-If it's left in peace,

-it'll cover this whole area.

-It'll take a long time.

-The conditions must be right.

-What's happened is that

-part of the reef has renewed itself.

-The current is taking me

-from one place to another.

-This isn't an enjoyable experience.

-It's difficult swimming

-and staying in one spot.

-I said the current was strong

-on the surface.

-It's very strong down here too.

-I'm finding it difficult holding on.

-The current is so strong.

-I'm being pulled away.

-I don't like grabbing the coral.

-The coral's dead so it's OK.

-It's the only way

-I can stay down here.

-With the current

-getting more and more dangerous...

-..we went back to the boat.

-That was some experience.

-I knew the current was strong

-on the surface.

-I hoped that once we were down,

-it would be alright.

-But it was just as strong

-down the bottom.

-I don't like grabbing the coral...

-..but if I didn't,

-I'd be over there somewhere now.

-It was so strong.

-It was as if there'd been a war...

-..the way the storm had killed

-and destroyed everything.

-There were little pockets of life.

-That was one of the dives...

-..where you're glad to get

-back on the ship in one piece.

-This side, is it?

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-I'm going on a journey

-along the Great Barrier Reef...

-..to see its current state...

-..and to see the special wildlife

-that lives there.

-I've now reached

-the Whitsunday Islands...

-..where I'll find out...

-..how the reef has dealt with

-environmental changes over time.

-The place has suffered because

-of climate change in the past.

-Before the last ice age...

-..the water level

-was much lower than it is today.

-Hundreds of miles

-of the Great Barrier Reef...

-..would have been above sea level.

-Look at this place.

-It's up there with the most

-beautiful scenery in the world.

-The whitest sand

-and the bluest sea I've ever seen.

-The islands we see today

-were high mountains.

-Around 15,000 years ago,

-the sea started coming in.

-The level rose.

-It's created dozens of islands,

-77 in all...

-..and this lovely bay.

-Standing here

-and looking out at this...

-..blimey,

-it makes you feel very small.

-It makes you appreciate

-the natural world at its best.

-I'm in the bay on a kayak...

-..because this is a great place

-for stingrays.

-The best place to see them

-is from a kayak.

-The water is so clear.

-I can see three or four metres down.

-I've seen about a dozen.

-They're odd-looking creatures.

-It's as if they're flying underwater

-with their tail...

-..where the barb is located.

-They can be dangerous

-but the bay is a nursery for them.

-It's quite safe.

-They like places

-with a sandy seabed.

-They hunt on the sea floor...

-..looking for crabs

-and other similar creatures.

-Going across the clear blue water...

-..I can see the stingrays under me

-landing in the sand here and there.

-Some of them grow

-to be two metres long.

-There are dozens of them in all.

-The shallow water and mangroves

-are perfect for them.

-With the white sandy beaches,

-the green vegetation...

-..the blue sky

-and the crystal clear sea...

-..this remote bay is one

-of the most beautiful places...

-..I've ever been to

-in the whole world.

-One of the main things I noticed

-while here...

-..was the amount of people

-from all over the world...

-..who come to see

-the Great Barrier Reef.

-I wanted to find out how important

-the reef is to the local economy.

-I'm on my way to Cairns...

-..one of the main tourist cities

-in this part of Australia.

-Looking around, I can see

-parts of the reef on both sides...

-..extending

-as far as the eye can see.

-It's a good sign.

-It's not one large reef...

-..but thousands of small ones.

-There are small ones everywhere.

-It's hard to imagine that the entire

-Great Barrier Reef at one time...

-..was part of the mainland,

-until the ice age.

-Flying over it...

-..is a great opportunity to look

-down and see the individual reefs.

-It gives you an idea, just an idea,

-of how enormous it is.

-I'm aware that I'll only see

-a small part, even from the air.

-I'm meeting a woman from Blaenau

-Ffestiniog who now lives here.

-She and her family run a business

-taking visitors out to sea on boats.

-I wanted to discover how important

-the reef is to the local economy...

-..and what could happen

-if the reef disappeared.

-How many people in this area,

-in Cairns...

-..depend on the reef?

-Lots?

-Lots?

-

-Yes.

-It's not just about

-the boats that go out.

-There are businesses

-that do the bookings.

-There are staff on the boats.

-Yes, a lot of people depend on it.

-If something happens to the reef,

-if the deterioration continues...

-..this place would be empty.

-It would.

-It's one of the world's

-main attractions.

-The reef, not only for you

-as a family, but to the area too...

-..must be worth a fortune.

-There's a lot of money in it.

-At the moment, the business is busy.

-The boats are full.

-People still visit the reef

-and enjoy doing so.

-But they also understand

-that things are changing.

-It's only a matter of a few years

-before things deteriorate a lot.

-When you think about

-the number of people...

-..who come to Australia from across

-the world, where do they want to go?

-Sydney to see the Opera House,

-Uluru to see Ayers Rock...

-..and to the Great Barrier Reef.

-It's on everyone's bucket list.

-If you think about all the people

-who come here and the money made...

-..it's one of the world's

-main attractions.

-I like this place.

-It's lively. It's Friday night.

-A lot of people are out.

-It's odd being the other side

-of the world...

-..and meeting a woman

-from Blaenau Ffestiniog...

-..whose family runs boats

-out to the Great Barrier Reef.

-Who'd have thought!

-What's obvious to me...

-..is that Cairns

-is totally dependent on tourism.

-Over 95% of the tourists come here

-to see the Great Barrier Reef.

-Without the Great Barrier Reef,

-there'd be no tourists.

-Without the tourists,

-there'd be no Cairns.

-There'd be no-one here. There'd be

-no reason for anyone to come here.

-I wonder how many

-of the thousands out tonight...

-..realize and appreciate that.

-I wonder how many

-are worried about that.

-Not many, I wouldn't think.

-I feel rather guilty...

-..because I've flown

-to come out here.

-Flying is one of the worst things

-in terms of climate change.

-But as one of the wardens

-out on the reef said...

-.."If people like you don't come,

-there's no value to the reef.

-"If there's no value to the reef...

-"..the government aren't going

-to care about the place."

-So it is important that people

-come here and pay to see the place.

-That's what brings money

-to places like this.

-It's what makes the Australian

-government look after the reef...

-..because it brings in

-so much money.

-After all, money talks.

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