All language subtitles for IMAX - The Great Barrier Reef - 1981 - 720p

It remained a mystery
for a thousand generations...

capturing the imagination

of those who lived
at its edge

but could not visit there.

Who could see only dimly
into a shadowy world

both beautiful and bizarre.

Today, we can enter that world

and cast light on it.

Scientific explorers now seek
to uncover

the secrets of this world.

Some of what we've learned
seems remarkably similar

to the beliefs of Australia's
aboriginal people.

They have endured
for 50,000 years

by regarding themselves not
above nature, but part of it.

Science often takes
a different approach...

analyzing the living world
by dissecting it

species by species.

But the aboriginals believe
that no living thing

exists apart from the greater
community of living things

that even the human
is merely a part

of the great system of life.

Science is only now discovering

how much the aboriginals
have long understood.

"It was unchanged through
all of the time of my ancestors.

"From the dreamtime
when animals were almost human

"and people were gods,

unchanging.

"The sea, the reef
and all that lives here.

"But now,
people are no longer gods

and change encircles us
like the sharks."

The encroaching modern world is
symbolized by vast settlements

such as Sydney,
Australia's largest city.

But along the same coast lies
an ancient underwater city

called by aboriginals
Wogogaboo.

It is the largest structure
on earth

built by living things.

The Great Barrier Reef.

More than 2,000
identifiable reefs combine

to form a rampart of coral
1,200 miles long

extending as much as 120 miles
out to sea.

Erected over millions of years

it is a feature
of earth's surface so immense

as to be visible from the moon.

In the great liquid space
of the ocean

the reef's limestone ramparts
and towers loom up

like a vast housing complex,
providing its residents

with shelter
from the surging sea

and from one another.

Like human cities,
the reef is also a place

where the hungry
can find a meal.

The concentration
and interaction of life here

makes possible a steady exchange
of life-giving nutrients

gathered from
the surrounding sea.

Ironically, the massive
reef system owes its existence

to tiny creatures
called coral polyps.

Though these diminutive
construction workers

are plant-like in appearance,
they are animals

related to jellyfish
and sea anemones.

They feed by capturing
passing food in their tentacles

and protect themselves
by secreting

a casing of calcium carbonate.

The calcium remains
of the polyps

are compressed over time
into limestone

forming the foundations

upon which new coral generations
build.

An oasis
in the desert of the open sea

the reef city attracts
offshore travelers

like the gentle manta ray.

Such visitors enter a world
of curious life-forms

where things are not always
what they seem

a world where fish can inflate
themselves like balloons

and an eight-legged creature,
long portrayed as a monster

turns out to be
remarkably intelligent and shy.

What appear to be ferns are
instead, animals

sweeping the water
for bits of food.

Here, some mollusks
are jet-propelled...

and worms perform
like Spanish dancers.

A creature
shaped like a fierce snake

is actually a fish so wary
it hides in a hole all day.

What appear to be feathers
are poisonous spines.

A pink carnation
is actually a worm.

The corals themselves exist

in an enormous array
of shapes and configurations.

Many of these structures
enable them to capture plankton

in barren tropical waters.

But to in ensure
a steady food supply

some corals also grow
their own food...

a microscopic algae

cultivated within the tissue
of the cords themselves.

To provide their algae gardens
with sunlight

corals take on unusual shapes.

The more surface area
exposed to the sun

the better internal algae
gardens grow.

As the coral generations
accumulate

they rise toward the surface

creating a wall
between land and sea

the barrier which gives
this reef its name.

This upward growth is not
without risk.

Occasional drops in sea level
expose and kill the corals

turning reefs to islands.

One such tiny slip of land,
Heron Island

at the southernmost end
of the Great Barrier Reef

is home to a research station

operated by
the University of Queensland.

Scientists from around the world
gather here

to study the reef ecosystem.

In the station's labs,
marine biologists seek to learn

how life transpires

in the world's greatest
underwater city.

Perhaps the most important
scientific research takes place

not in the labs,
but on the reef itself.

Researches by the score visit
the Great Barrier Reef annually.

Australians Valerie and Ron
Taylor have devoted their lives

to underwater exploration
and photography.

In three decades of diving here

they have helped reveal

the enormous complexity
of reef life.

Although we dive the reef
in the name of science

to study, photograph and count

the sheer beauty of the place
draws us here

as much as the desire
to better understand it.

The corals form a habitat

as lovely and magical
as a fairy-tale setting.

For life here, though

the coral serves as a vital
framework for survival

providing catch holds
for attaching organisms

hiding places for prey and
hunting grounds for predators.

A single square meter of coral
can sustain dozens of species.

The coral polyps are
the landlords

extracting as rent the organic
debris of their tenants.

The tiny blenny keeps
a wary watch

from the reef equivalent
of an apartment.

Moray eels seek out crevices
to occupy like day rooms.

Like many residents

the barramundi cod lays claim
to a plot

and spends much of its time
defending it from intruders.

Some creatures,
like these bat fish

use the reef as a place to hover
and rest part of each day.

Many of the fish that swim
lightly through the day

commute beyond the reef
at night to hunt

changing places with others
that commute back

to rest all night on the reef.

The constant search for food
permeates existence here.

Hunger can even lead small fish

to risk approaching
a much larger stranger

in the hope of finding
something to eat.

Offer food, and the fish flock
like birds in a city park.

Not every creature here is
a resident.

The jellyfish is a passer-by

occasionally swept over the reef
as it rides the currents.

Most animals,
like the shovel-nosed skate

seem timid
in the presence of divers.

But the Taylors have learned
to be on the lookout

for a notorious creature
less likely to flee.

The abundance that draws divers
to the reef

also attracts sharks.

Some sharks
are permanent residents

who survive by being masters
of deception.

The wobbegong, or carpet shark

has developed
near-perfect camouflage

making it difficult to tell
coral from carnivore.

It escapes the notice of enemies
while lying in ambush for prey.

Because of their long experience
diving the reef

the Taylors have often led
scientific expeditions

to study
the deepwater sharks lured

to this rich hunting ground.

Though frenzies are believed
uncommon

sharks grow aggressive
when food is on their midst

whether provided by nature

or by humans seeking
to observe their behavior.

These bronze whalers provide
a rare glimpse

of the streamlined power of
animals fashioned by evolution

into beautiful and near-perfect
hunters in the sea.

Patrolling the edges of the reef

sharks serve a vital function.

They eliminate the weak

and, over time,
strengthen the breeds

of the very species
they prey upon.

The history of the reef is a
chronicle of constant change.

More than 25 million years ago

corals began to fringe
Australia's eastern coast.

Across eons,
ice ages lowered the sea levels

exposing and killing reef coral
until the climate began to shift

and global warming melted
the ice

allowing fresh veneers of coral
to return.

Though most of the reef's story

remains hidden
beneath the surface

we can more readily trace
the history

of the scattered islands
looming up from it.

When the seeds and spoors
of life

reach these fertile outposts
on the wind or currents

lush miniature worlds are born.

The islands provide
both sustenance and habitat

for some of the largest bird
colonies in the tropics.

The life of the islands
is inextricably linked

to the encircling sea.

Nutrients are cycled
from fish to bird to guano

fertilizing
luxuriant vegetation.

These islands are also
the birthplace

of another creature of the sea.

Each year, on summer's tides,
under the protection of night

and ancient drama
of reproduction unfolds.

From birth,
sea turtles are ocean wanderers.

But at the age of 30,
they begin to return every year

across thousands of miles
of open sea

to reproduce young of their own

on the very same beaches
where they were born.

After mating at sea

the female laboriously pulls
herself ashore

where she digs an egg chamber
in the sand.

In a single night, she will lay
as many as 180 eggs

then cover them with sand
and return to the sea.

The hidden eggs incubate
over eight to ten weeks

protected by sand from sea birds
and other marauders.

When the hatching emerge

instinct propels them
toward the ocean

in a race
to escape island birds.

Perhaps only one in a thousand
of these hatchlings

will return in 30 years
to reproduce...

enough to ensure
the perpetuation of the species.

Beyond the marvels
of ocean life

researchers are also
making discoveries

that could yield invaluable
products for human life.

Scientists are
already finding species here

with immunities
against many diseases.

The reef is a kind
of living laboratory

where survival prompts
exotic adaptations.

Juvenile fish

developed from eggs drifting
in the currents

congregate near the reef.

When mature

they move out together
as schools.

The shimmering array of fish

and the ability
of every individual in a school

to instantly
and simultaneously shift course

presents a disorienting target
to would-be predators.

A diver roaming the reef
will encounter

as many strategies
for self-defense

as there are potential dangers
in the surrounding sea.

For those creatures not blessed
with great speed

a suit of armor can provide
a portable hiding place.

For invertebrates
such as the lobster

a shell serves a dual purpose
as both shield and skeleton.

Lacking a shell of its own

the hermit crab turns
an empty shell

into a kind of mobile home...

while the spider shell fashions
a shelter camouflaged

to be mistaken for coral.

No method of defense
is foolproof.

A crab suddenly caught
in the open

is vulnerable to attack.

Opportunistic predators
quickly zero in

on the crab's
vulnerable underbelly.

The hard limestone casing
secreted by corals

provides polyps
with a secure shelter

impervious to most predators.

Yet, there is
one devastating exception

the crown-of-thorns starfish.

Emitting digestive juices
that kill polyps

the crown of thorns
can wreak havoc.

In occasional
population explosions

that ravage immense tracts
of the Great Barrier Reef

the crown of thorns
literally eats itself

out of house and home.

The crowded conditions
of the reef

have prompted organisms

to develop elaborate
chemical weaponry.

Nudibranchs, defend themselves
simply by tasting bad.

To advertise
their distasteful nature

and discourage predators

they've developed
gaudy color schemes

illustrating a rule
of the reef...

bright colors mean,
"Don't eat me"

which may explain why there are
so many colorful creatures here.

The florid beauty
of the anemone can be deceptive.

Capsules on the tentacles
of some anemones

fire poison darts

that paralyze anything,
from plankton to fish.

Yet, small clown fish
have adapted

to living
within the deadly weaponry

protected by a mucous coat.

The clown fish escape predators

by remaining close
to the stinging anemone

even using it as an egg nest.

In turn,
the nearly immobile anemone

can capture
and eat curious predators

lured to its side

by the presence
of the tiny clown fish.

The lion fish displays
the bright coloration

of a chemical warrior.

The feather-like spines contain
a powerful toxin

capable of paralyzing
or killing an attacker.

Among the most venomous

of all marine creatures is
the puffer fish

best known for swelling up

to make itself difficult
to swallow.

Many puffers also carry
a nerve poison in their organs

so powerful
that predators risk death

from respiratory paralysis
if they eat a puffer.

The study of reef toxins
has already shed light

on the nature of nerve
and muscle disorders.

We may find

that substances deadly
on the reef

can be turned by science

into remedies
for human ailments.

At night, the mood
of the reef transforms.

Shifts change in the reef city.

Herbivores that graze by day
are replaced

by carnivores
that hunt by night.

None is better equipped
than the shark.

In complete darkness,
the shark can locate prey

by sensing the electrical fields
of quarry and homing in on them.

In the sea, the shark is master
of the night.

For many creatures

night is simply a time
of inactivity, and even sleep.

The crevices and corridors
of the reef city offer

a profusion of hiding places
for the drowsy.

To rest in safety

the parrot fish surrounds itself
with a mucous cocoon

a transparent sleeping bag

that hides its scent
from night hunters.

Too skittish to be approached
closely in daylight

the creature is so docile
at night

it can be examined carefully

then returned
to its sleeping chamber.

Tentacles retracted all day
by many corals

are now extended
to sting and capture plankton.

The reef comes alive

with millions
of Medusa-like tentacles.

A few nights each year

the Great Barrier Reef is
the scene of a mass spawning

that may be unparalleled
on Earth.

Billions of coral polyps

across thousands
of square miles

spew a storm of eggs and sperm
into the water

often within minutes
of one another.

The floating blizzard
of new life is attacked

by a frenzy of worms
and countless tiny predators

but enough spawn survive

to create
a new coral generation.

The spawn will drift far
before sinking.

The progeny of one reef
can ensure the future of others

far in the distance.

Lighthouses and markers reveal
an ominous side of the reef.

Though a haven for sea life,
it is a mortal enemy of ships.

Even steel hulls
can be ripped open

by hidden coral heads.

There have been
more than 1,200 shipwrecks

on the Great Barrier Reef
in this century alone.

The freighter Cooma
went aground in 1926.

To divers, its crumbling remains
are a haunting reminder

that it once served
as a human home.

Yet, to creatures of the sea

the sunken ship is merely
a new building site.

Legions of polyps
and other encrusting colonizers

gradually overwhelm deck plates
and superstructures in a process

that will ultimately entomb
the steel remains

beneath layers of life,
creating an artificial reef

to be settled like a new suburb
of the city.

Researchers have assumed
a leading role

in the preservation
of this ecosystem.

They have been
directly responsible

for the protection
of many threatened species.

Through the efforts

of many concerned people
like the Taylors

the Great Barrier Reef
was established

as a marine park
by the Australian government.

The Great Barrier Reef

is a monument to life.

Tiny living organisms
built it all,

created a reef larger
than all the structures of Man.

We have only glimpsed
the astonishing diversity

and complexity of its life.

We find wonder and beauty

in something as simple
as a hermit crab.

It is important
that we share that wonder

that we care
for this priceless heritage

for ourselves, for our children

for all the generations to come.

We are learning more and more
about the Great Barrier Reef

and the myriad species
which exist within it.

Yet here, perhaps

we may learn most
about our own species.

On the reef, we may learn
whether we are only a predator

grown so powerful and uncaring

as to harm a magical realm
of life

or whether, with all our powers

we have grown
to respect life in all its forms

and to leave all
its splendid torches burning.

All living things are one

like the blood
which unites one family.

All of life forms one great web.

Man did not weave the web
of life.

He is only a part of it.

He is only a strand within it.

Whatever he does
to the web of life

he does to himself.