Pennod 4 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?

-My time on the Great Barrier Reef

-is coming to an end.

-I've travelled from north to south

-looking what state it's in.

-I've been lucky enough

-to see animals...

-..I would never have seen otherwise.

-This is our final night on the boat.

-We're 12 miles off the coast

-between Ribbon Reef No.9 and No.10.

-There's a reef

-20 metres from the back of the boat.

-It's pitch black.

-We're starting later.

-Cheers, thank you.

-I have a torch so I'll be OK now.

-We're going down for a look.

-We're not sure

-what we're going to see.

-We might see sharks.

-We won't know until we go down.

-In daylight, it's a nice dive.

-There's a variety of coral and fish.

-At night, who knows?

-The fish you see now...

-..are totally different to the ones

-you'd find during the day.

-The landscape is like being

-on the surface of the moon.

-Apart from all the fish here.

-There are lots of large fish around.

-Most are trevallies.

-Oh, a shark! Wow!

-A reef shark. Can you see it?

-I hoped to see a shark

-and here it is.

-This is their habitat...

-..and this is when they hunt.

-They move through the water

-so gracefully.

-Some of these sharks

-can hunt in their sleep.

-I hope they won't mistake me...

-..for a tasty litte fish.

-In daylight, sharks would keep away.

-They'd be scared of us

-because of our size.

-When they attack swimmers,

-it usually happens on the surface.

-But at night,

-it's a very different story.

-They might go for my legs or hands

-if I get too close.

-Now and then, the shark puts its

-head under some of these rocks...

-..looking for sleeping fish.

-I pity any fish which sticks

-its head out for a look...

-..with all the large fish about.

-There's a party of sharks here!

-There are half of dozen around us

-wondering what's going on.

-One's gone to the left,

-another's gone to the right.

-Some are over there.

-Here he comes.

-It's coming in

-to see what's going on.

-Did you see that?

-It went right at me between my legs.

-What a beautiful animal.

-It's like a torpedo

-the way it goes through the water.

-This is a special place.

-Look at all the sharks.

-I'm so glad I've been able

-to swim here.

-It's full of life.

-Oh, wow! Look at this!

-That was a moray eel.

-It was about two metres long

-with incredible camouflage.

-She's hidden herself

-right in that rock over there.

-I'm more worried about the eel

-than the sharks to be honest.

-It has a nasty bite

-so I won't get too close.

-I'm so glad

-I've come down here in the dark.

-This place is teeming with life.

-I thought to myself...

-.."Do I really want to go down there

-in the darkness?"

-If you make the effort,

-it's worth doing.

-It's so different

-going down at night.

-All you can see

-is what's shown by the light.

-You can't see anything else

-beyond the shaft of light.

-Suddenly, a shark comes through

-the shaft of light.

-It was incredible.

-I've realized a dream by being

-within three milimetres of a shark.

-Not one shark,

-but about half a dozen of them!

-One thing

-about going down at night...

-..when you know

-there are sharks in the water...

-..is it doesn't matter

-if you tell yourself...

-..they won't attack

-and you're totally safe...

-..the music to the Jaws film

-goes around your head all the time!

-That was great. Really great.

-Worth doing.

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-I'm travelling

-along the Great Barrier Reef.

-I've reached Magnetic Island.

-Magnetic Island

-is a paradise for wildlife...

-..as two thirds of the land

-and water is a nature reserve.

-I'm told there's a lovely reef here.

-I'm going to take a look.

-Deeper down,

-around the inner reef...

-..I saw some of the most

-colourful fish I've ever seen.

-There are fish all around me.

-Blue and yellow fusiliers,

-and parrotfish of all colours.

-To think we're so close to the land.

-For someone who wants a taste

-of the Great Barrier Reef...

-..without going too far,

-this place is perfect.

-I'm about 50 yards from the beach

-and there's so much life here.

-But as I swam further down the

-coast, I saw what I feared I'd see.

-There were far fewer fish here...

-..and signs

-of extensive coral bleaching.

-I've come down about 200 yards...

-..and I've just come across

-a wide area of bleached coral.

-There are some living parts.

-They're purple, pink and yellow.

-They're lovely. Very pretty.

-They're staghorn coral.

-They look like a witch's fingers.

-To go over such a wide expanse

-and for it all to be dead is so sad.

-I found it confusing...

-..seeing parts of the reef that

-were so healthy and full of life...

-..while others close by

-lay in ruins.

-This devastation was caused

-by a rise in the water temperature.

-My journey has been a mixed one

-so far.

-I hope I'll learn more

-about the reef's situation...

-..as I go further south.

-I'm on my way to a special part

-of Magnetic Island called Fort.

-This is where the Australian army

-prepared defences against Japan...

-..during World War II.

-Today, very different residents

-live here.

-I'm at one of the highest parts

-of Magnetic Island called Fort.

-I'm looking for koalas.

-I've never seen any.

-I've been to Australia once before.

-This is the place to look.

-Wait there a moment.

-There's a koala in the tree

-over there.

-That's the first koala

-I've ever seen.

-Well, well. It's quite low down too.

-I'm lucky to see one.

-That's the rainbow lorikeet

-flying overhead.

-It's such a pretty bird.

-Koalas don't go any further north.

-This is the furthest they go.

-They're solitary animals.

-They're not sociable.

-The male will fight other males.

-Of course,

-they come together to mate.

-The only other time

-you'll see two at once...

-..is when a mother's with its young.

-This one's in an eucalyptus tree,

-which makes up most of their diet.

-It's great seeing a koala,

-so low down too during the day.

-They're very lazy.

-They sleep at least 20 hours a day.

-My son's the same!

-They sleep for 20 hours a day

-and eat.

-The reason for that is there's

-hardly any nutrition in the leaves.

-They have to eat a lot then rest...

-..to let the stomach break down

-the leaves to get the nutrients.

-That's why they sleep so much.

-I'll try and go under the tree

-so I can look at its face.

-It's busy eating the leaves.

-It's not taking any notice of me.

-Great stuff.

-Wonderful.

-There's another one.

-It's fast asleep.

-Yes, it's fast asleep.

-It's grabbed a branch

-and fallen asleep.

-Poor thing.

-Goodness me.

-They sleep for so long.

-Yes, it's just sleeping there.

-I think this one's a female.

-I can't see clearly from here.

-The females

-rarely venture down to the ground.

-They get the water they need

-from the leaves.

-The larger males

-sometimes need more water.

-If there's a watering hole

-they'll come down.

-They prefer going from tree to tree.

-They'll often stay in one tree

-for a day or two.

-They sleep, grabbing in a branch,

-feed and then sleep some more.

-I won't go under it.

-I'll leave her be.

-She looks so contented

-and so sleepy.

-She's tucked in. Sweetheart.

-What a place to finish my visit

-to Magnetic Island...

-..right at the top.

-I can see most of the island,

-the mainland...

-..and out there, the sea

-and the Great Barrier Reef.

-It was nice to see a koala.

-I've always wanted to see one

-and hadn't seen one before.

-I've also always wanted

-to dive in the reef.

-If I can dive and learn a bit more

-about the reef...

-..I'll go home a very happy man.

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-I'm travelling

-along the Great Barrier Reef.

-After hearing it was under threat,

-I wanted to find out how bad it was.

-I also wanted to see the wildlife

-before it disappeared.

-I'm on my way to Ribbon Reef No.10.

-I'm about to do

-a very different dive.

-I won't have to wear the large mask

-as I won't be talking underwater.

-A sea turtle comes up to me.

-Turtles, like sharks,

-are built to live underwater.

-But in contrast to sharks...

-..turtles have to go up to the

-surface every so often to breathe.

-At last,

-I see a huge piece of coral.

-The Monolith.

-Like a huge garden full of coral.

-It's hard to believe that this

-huge reef started from one polyp...

-..or a needle-sized seed...

-..thousands of years ago.

-I was amazed

-by the size of the Monolith...

-..like an underwater mountain...

-..and also

-by the wildlife around it...

-..with colourful coral

-growing all over.

-The following morning...

-..we went to look at

-what else the place had to offer.

-I can wear the full facemask

-for this dive as it's not too deep.

-Look at that!

-A pink anemonefish hiding.

-The fish does this for safety...

-..to protect itself

-from larger fish.

-Look at the size

-of this large anemone.

-Every now and then,

-you'll see a fish poke its head out.

-There'll be many but they'll

-all be from the same species...

-..the pink anemonefish.

-Some of them are quite large.

-Those are the females.

-There are slightly smaller ones,

-the males.

-Then there are the tiny ones.

-They're neither male or female.

-What happens is the female

-gives the male a hard time.

-Its stress levels are high...

-..which keep it as a male.

-Once she dies,

-the male becomes the female...

-..and one of the tiny fish

-becomes the male.

-What a story!

-Look at all the fish around here.

-Every now and then, all the

-small fish move quickly in unison.

-What that means

-is a predatory fish has come in...

-..and tried to grab one of them.

-By staying together

-and moving in unison...

-..they're doing their best

-to avoid that large mouth.

-These are interesting,

-these blue creatures.

-They disappear immediately.

-They're Christmas tree worms.

-A small part of their bodies

-pokes out...

-..and they take food from the water.

-If there's a threat,

-someone like me...

-..this happens.

-They disappear down a sort of tube

-where they're totally safe.

-By creating a tunnel in the coral,

-the worms have a shelter.

-It's a safe place for them

-from the predatory fish.

-I've had an incredible experience

-diving on the Barrier Reef.

-More importantly, I've felt

-the thrill I dreamt I would.

-What's worries me is if the pressure

-on the reef gets too much.

-A pressure created by us

-and our way of life.

-I've now dived many times

-on the reef.

-I've come to really enjoy the place.

-I have admiration for it.

-It's a living thing.

-But I have a love for it too.

-I've so enjoyed being underwater.

-Every time I go down now, it's like

-going to meet an old friend.

-There are things we could all do...

-..big and small.

-It's so important that we do them.

-If we don't start doing them now,

-the reef may be gone.

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-The traditional owners

-of the Great Barrier Reef...

-..are the native people,

-the Aboriginals.

-For over 60,000 years,

-they had a unique culture.

-It was based on the reef.

-It was a place for them to hunt...

-..and a spiritual place too

-of sacred importance.

-There's evidence that over 70 tribes

-of the Islanders as they're known...

-..lived on islands around the reef.

-In the trees behind me

-is a very special cave.

-In the cave

-is the Aborigines' artwork.

-I've heard a lot about this artwork.

-I'm happy

-that I'm going to see it now.

-There's an interesting history

-to the tribe, the Ngaros...

-..and to the landscape around me.

-I'll tell you more

-once I'm in the cave.

-The caves are on the coast

-near the Whitsundays.

-Wow.

-It's hard to believe

-we're standing in a cave...

-..looking at artwork...

-..that dates back

-around 9,000 years.

-I don't know exactly

-what the pictures are.

-Sea turtles perhaps or boats.

-Ngaro were the tribe who lived here.

-A tribe called Ngaro.

-They came from the mainland.

-They hunted in the forest

-around here.

-They hunted mostly on land.

-Then, around 3,000 years ago...

-..the sea level rose here.

-Their diet

-then changed quite dramatically.

-This place was an island.

-The Ngaro changed

-from being a mainland tribe...

-..to being an island tribe.

-They lived on islands on the reef.

-Then, unfortunately,

-the white man arrived.

-They lived side by side

-for a little while.

-Then, the white man

-started to fell the trees.

-The Ngaro were vehemently opposed

-to that.

-This was a place where they hunted,

-where they lived.

-There was a battle.

-The Ngaro won.

-Then, the white people

-asked them to come to a meeting...

-..to discuss peace.

-In that meeting,

-they killed almost all of them.

-There are none of them left today.

-I have a shiver down my spine

-coming to a place like this...

-..knowing that my feet

-are standing...

-..where the Ngaro stood

-9,000 years ago.

-It's a very odd feeling.

-It also leaves

-a bad taste in the mouth...

-..thinking what the white man

-did to them, killing them all.

-But the white man did that

-all over the world.

-I wanted to find out more...

-..about native tribes' connection

-with the Great Barrier Reef...

-..and what we can learn

-if we're to save the place today.

-Descendants of the tribe

-still live in the area.

-I went to meet one of them,

-a man called Jay.

-He still lives on the coast

-near the reef.

-This is where your ancestors

-would've lived.

-Absolutely.

-This is one of the greeting spots.

-Some of my people

-from the mainland would come over...

-..and discuss what to hunt, where

-to go and how to camp on the island.

-In many different areas

-of the island as well.

-There's a lot of us

-communing back to nature...

-..back to K'Gari,

-my ancestral word for Fraser Island.

-It's what, sorry?

-It's what, sorry?

-

-K'Gari.

-We should be calling this K'Gari.

-We should be calling this K'Gari.

-

-K'Gari Island!

-We should be calling this K'Gari.

-Either way!

-These trees are amazing. There are

-only one or two I recognize.

-Some of these I don't.

-This is a pine of some sort.

-It's what we call a scarred tree.

-My people called it kambai.

-It's a canoe-creating tree.

-What you're holding there

-is the canoe itself.

-If you come round this side.

-Have a look here.

-The big canoe shape? Yeah?

-My people used to carve

-the canoe shape in the tree.

-Over time, the tree would grow out

-and they'd carve it again...

-..and it'd keep growing out

-to make it deeper and wider.

-There's your canoe, leaving the tree

-intact and ready to go again.

-They also made shields as well

-but this was mainly a canoe tree.

-That is fantastic.

-So that suggests to me that the sea

-and reef were important to them.

-Most definitely.

-My people's totem

-is the bottlenose dolphin.

-It represents the tribe's signature

-on the Great Sandy Strait.

-It's a beautiful hunting ground

-where my people roamed quite a bit.

-It was an amazing place

-where they fished.

-They hunted for dugong and turtles.

-Can we have a look by the beach?

-Can we have a look by the beach?

-

-Please. Absolutely.

-I consider my people to be more

-sea and land nomads. A bit of both.

-Even though they lived

-on the coastal side.

-This is their buffet,

-what we're looking at...

-..which is quite good.

-So, the fact that your people...

-..would go to great lengths

-to build seaworthy canoes...

-..would suggest that they would

-spend quite a bit of their time...

-..out on the sea

-and heading out to the reef.

-Absolutely.

-At certain times of the year...

-..we'd get a lot of trevallies

-being caught on the island.

-That's where a lot

-of the neighbouring tribes...

-..would come over

-and join our tribe...

-..for a sort of

-hunting and fishing festival.

-Which is great!

-It's amazing to think

-that in little canoes...

-..they'd have gone all the way out.

-..they'd have gone all the way out.

-

-Right around the whole vicinity.

-Would the reef

-have been sacred to them in any way?

-Absolutely. They treated it

-with the utmost respect as well.

-That's bar none.

-They tried to utilize

-everything possible...

-..to try

-and make their tribe work...

-..while not overindulging

-in overhunting the whole area.

-There's enough food to go around.

-That's very important.

-If you have more, you share. It's

-a big quality that's been passed on.

-Even to today's society,

-it's still the same.

-If only we, the white people here,

-had adopted your attitude...

-..towards the reef, the islands

-and the natural world...

-..we'd be

-in a much better place now.

-It was very interesting

-chatting with Jay...

-..and hearing his

-and his forefathers' thoughts...

-..not only about the island

-but about the reef too.

-An important part

-of their thinking...

-..was the fact they didn't take

-too much of something.

-They took enough,

-they shared with everyone...

-..but they made sure

-they left plenty.

-They want to return here

-and live with nature.

-That's the big difference between

-them and us, the white people.

-They made sure that they lived

-with nature, alongside nature.

-They respected nature.

-We seem to come in and want

-to conquer nature every time.