All language subtitles for Extinct or Alive S02E04 The Caribbean Monk Seal

Of all the ocean's mammals, seals have
always had a unique relationship with

mankind.

Like an otter crossed with the most
loyal dog, these endlessly playful

carnivores have almost no natural fear
of people.

Sadly, for the Caribbean monk seal,
hunters and pirates took advantage of

relationship, killing monk seals by the
thousands for their meat and oil.

The last confirmed Caribbean monk seal
sighting was in 1952.

But just as the pirates hid their
treasures deep among the endless islands

this shark -infested Caribbean sea, I
believe the extinct monk seal may have

found a way to survive, hidden from its
greatest enemy, us.

Every single year, as many as 2 ,000
species are deemed extinct worldwide.

But the process we use to declare an
animal extinct is an inexact science.

It happens all the time.

Animals are rediscovered that were
thought to be gone forever.

My grandfather discovered a coelacanth
66 million years after it was supposed

be extinct.

I'm Forrest Galante. I'm a wildlife
biologist, and my life work is searching

animals that we've given up on.

On this expedition, I'm venturing out to
the most remote island of the

Caribbean, in search of the allegedly
extinct monk seal.

This warm water seal was declared
extinct in 1952, but local fishermen say

otherwise. Seal! Right here! Grab your
camera! Don't grab the wheel!

Spending most of its time at sea, There
he goes.

tracking a seal means surrounding
ourselves with paradise's deadliest

Got me. Putting us directly between the
prey and its greatest predator in one of

the most fine -tingling encounters of my
life.

This is Extinct or Alive, the Caribbean
monk seal.

I've just touched down in the Caribbean,
one of my absolute favorite places on

Earth. Now, when most people think of
the Caribbean, they think of the

But when I think of the Caribbean, I
think of an incredible animal nicknamed

sea wolf, the Caribbean monk seal.

There are three species of monk seal.

Hawaiian, Mediterranean, and the
currently extinct Caribbean.

But only the monk seal was native to the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

At one time, they also spread well into
the Atlantic Ocean.

and even the east coast of Central
America, making their home on the low,

beaches of secluded islands.

They were very large, up to 8 feet long
and 600 pounds, with the

big, rounded heads and wide -set eyes.

Delicious prey for all the toothy
predators that prefer the shallow, warm

of the Caribbean.

Legendary man -eaters, including bull
sharks, tiger sharks, and even

are abundant here, along with the
smaller reef and lemon shark.

The shark's ability to intimidate
poachers leads me to believe the

monk seal could be surviving undetected.

It was declared extinct in 2008.

But I'm on my way to meet with a man
named David, an 85 -year -old Bahamian

fisherman who's been all over the
Caribbean. And he tells me that not only

he believe that there are still monk
seals here, but that he has seen one

after the animal was deemed extinct.

It was David's story that made me
believe the monk seal may have survived

inspired this expedition.

Now I'm here on Grand Bahama, hoping he
can help direct my search.

David? Yes, sir. Hello, my friend.

Very nice to meet you. Thank you for
meeting me here today.

You've been living here a long time,
huh?

And you've been a fisherman that whole
time?

So tell me about when you saw the
shield. What happened exactly?

You pulled up on your boat. It was
sitting there.

And then you just saw it jump into the
water and run away.

That may sound like a simple story, but
consider this.

There are no other subtropical seals
native to the Caribbean, other than the

extinct monk seal.

And few animals in these waters look
remotely like it.

When was this that you saw this?

Maybe six years.

Six years ago? Wow, so very recently.

With a 20 -year lifespan, the seal David
allegedly saw could still be alive.

Can you show me on the map where it was?

Way out here.

That's in the middle of the ocean.

I didn't know there were two little
islands out there. Are they very small?

Oh, very small.

Is there anything else you know about
seals? Have you ever heard anything

Threw it in the blue hole?

Here?

Oh, wow.

That was unexpected.

Blue holes are underwater limestone
caves, originally formed by glacial

after the icing.

Essentially, sinkholes connected to the
sea.

They're often found in the ocean.

But when they form inland, like the one
David described,

they're perfectly still and optic. Dark
waters could preserve a carcass.

Just left my meeting with David.

And as ridiculous as it seems, I am now
in the center of an island looking for a

monk seal.

And out here somewhere, there's a
sinkhole.

There's someone hid the body of a
Caribbean monk seal that they killed.

whether or not that's true is really
hard to say. But if we can find the

sinkhole and then find the bones, we can
at least get those tested to see how

old they are and at least understand a
little bit more about the species.

Where the sinkhole is is another
question altogether.

What? Yeah.

I think I found it. Oh, you just found
it. It's over here.

Where are you?

Oh, whoa.

Oh, my goodness.

David didn't say it was 50 feet down.

Good place to hide a field body.

You know how I'm going to get down. It's
how I'm going to get up that I'm

worried about.

I do, actually.

Okay.

Now that Mitch has helped me secure a
safe exit, I'm free to explore.

Here we go.

Unfortunately, I'm not on scuba. I don't
even have my fins because I have to

climb out. I just have to hold my
breath, dive down, kick with my feet,

with my little dive light and see what I
find.

Fortunately, I'm an experienced
freediver, allowing me to stay under for

five minutes.

The surface water is fresh, but as I
dive down, it gets a lot saltier.

We can think that the blue hole is
connected to the ocean somehow.

I think there's thousands of feet of
tunnels those seals could get washed

Without fins, you can barely make it 50
feet, so keep looking.

The more I dive around, the more I begin
to realize this is not just a singular

hole. There are massive tube -like
tunnels running all the way out to the

from the center of the island here. So I
have to periodically go around in a

circle, checking each one with the
light.

And the light is giving me an incredible
view that I may be the only person to

ever witness at this depth.

I'm not seeing any light, but the clear
water is very revealing.

I found it.

I got super excited because I thought
this was the Caribbean moon seal skull.

But as soon as I grabbed it, even before
I got to the surface, I saw the molars,

I saw the cranial bridge, and I realized
this is a pig skull.

Let's go find it real now.

The big blue hole is a butt.

But I'm eager to get out on the open sea
to find those islands David told me

about.

We need to travel nearly 700 miles.

to try and locate two islands you could
fit in a football stadium.

Plus, the warm, shallow waters that
surround these islands are teeming with

sharks, and we're sure to draw their
attention.

So I've reached out to my longtime
friend Neil, who's not afraid of sharky

water. Neil!

Hey, good to see you, man. Yeah, man,
good to see you too. Think we can make

that run?

I think we can get it. All right, let's
do it. All right, man. Come on. Sweet!

The scope of this expedition means my
crew and I are packing enough food,

water, and film equipment for several
weeks at sea.

We're headed over 650 miles northeast,
searching for two islands you won't find

on any map.

All right, guys, so here's the plan.

Neil has agreed to help us try and find
these islands, right?

It's a big ocean out there.

And this field's range is over a million
square miles and over 7 ,000 islands.

So we're out here now.

We've got to look for these two little
islands way up here.

Once we get to that area, we have no
exact marks. We have no exact Google

reference. So what we have to do is try
and find the two islands. Being out in

such a remote area, anything that needs
to take a break from swimming is going

to rest on those islands. Our first plan
of attack.

Check those islands. We're going to walk
them. We're going to look at them

through IR. Mitch, I'm going to rely on
you heavily to fly the thermal drone,

right? That's important.

The thermal drone will allow us to
detect any warm -blooded animals coming

ashore after dark.

I believe the monk seal population may
have retreated to these remote islands,

using isolation and the incredibly
dangerous surrounding waters to keep

at bay.

David's livelihood is fishing, so he
can't give up precious weeks to join us.

But his story was the inspiration for
this entire journey.

I know he believes what he saw was real.

But if I can't find these islands...
I'll lose my only lead to the Caribbean

monkeys.

Coming up, look at how the grass is kind
of all matted down here.

Look at this.

Isn't he lovely?

Hey, guys.

And later, we're going to look for the
apex predator of the Caribbean.

We're cruising the Caribbean in search
of two uncharted islands where a local

fisherman told me he's seen the extinct
Caribbean monk seal.

See a lot of ocean.

Oh, yeah, look. Look right out on the
horizon. There's a little, little patch

land. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right where he
said they would be.

We can anchor up. Absolutely. I'm going
to take the little boat and run over and

scout ahead. All right, thanks.

The shallow waters around these islands
mean we can only get so close.

So I'm taking the much smaller tender,
which will allow us to reach the shore.

This is all seagrass flats and patched
reefs.

It's great habitat for tons of marine
life. So being out here in this remote

area is the perfect place for a seal to
live, if they're still around.

All right, here we go. Ready, Mark? Yep.
Ready, Mitch? Yep.

Let's do it.

Seals spend most of their day at sea.

So my best hope right now is to find any
signs of bedding down or hauling out.

Any matted down grasses or prints in the
sand.

So we know where to look for a live
specimen once it gets dark.

Oh, look at these guys over here.

Look at this.

There's a whole pile of southern
stingrays right here.

Probably aggregating to mate or they
could perhaps be feeding on something.

at them. Come here, buddy.

Look how beautiful they are. See,
they're looking for food right now.

out hunting these shallows. Look at
this.

Isn't he lovely?

Their pectoral fins almost look like
underwater wings.

allowing them to move swiftly and kick
up sediment as they look for food along

the seabed.

Now most people think these animals are
aggressive because they have the name

stingray, but the truth is they're super
friendly, super docile creatures.

The sting refers to a venomous barb on
their tail, which is typically easy to

avoid, but not something you want to
experience.

If you don't end up right on top of
them, they don't feel threatened at all,

then they're completely harmless.

Just let them slide right over you.

Aren't they great?

Hey, guys!

All right.

I came here to find a seal.

See you guys.

This island is tiny, but I'm encouraged
by how much life is thriving here.

Oh, look at these absolutely fantastic
creatures. See them here?

These are upside -down jellyfish.

And they're called that because if you
look at how they're sitting in the

their non -stinger part, the part that
they use to swim and not catch food

is down on the ground. And their
stingers, which are usually floating in

water, are up in the air.

And what these animals are doing is
they're sitting here in this pool, and

they're filter feeding. And their
tentacles just sit there in this very

current, and as micronutrients float
through here, they collect them. They'll

grip onto any little living shrimp, any
fish krill, and digest it with their

potent venom. They look like flowers
sitting on the bottom, and they're a

jellyfish. They just hang out upside
down in tidal mangroves. Beautiful,

beautiful sea creatures.

Unfortunately, I can see high tide
reaches well into this island, which

likely wash away any tracks a seal would
leave behind.

After an hour of scouting solo, I'm not
finding any signs of the seal.

So we've gone full circle around the
island, but there are no signs of any

here, unfortunately. So what we're going
to do now is head over to the other

island.

My hopes are high as we approach island
number two, traveling just under a mile.

Signs of the seal may have eluded us so
far, but all the life we're seeing is

abundant and thriving.

This island is bigger, with more
vegetation than the other.

There's plenty of prey, and enough
healthy sharks to suggest a vibrant

ecosystem.

Look at this.

How lucky are we?

Have this incredible island, this
perfect seal habitat that only a handful

people have ever stepped foot on.

Look at that. Look at all of those
stunning cormorants sitting out on the

These large coastal birds can have
wingspans of over three feet.

But they're not just for flying.

They're excellent divers with some
reaching depths of nearly 150 feet to

fish.

And really, this shows just how remote
we are. This is a magnet for life.

There is no way of knowing if anyone has
ever set foot on this island, and the

cormorants clearly seem to prefer their
distance.

Still no sign of a seal population, so
I'm going to start working inland.

Look at this here.

See, there's no marks in the sand
currently.

But you wouldn't expect that because the
tide comes all the way up here. Look at

how the grass is kind of all matted down
here. It almost seems as if something

would crawl out of the ocean, sit here
in the cover of the grass, feel very

comfortable, watch out over its domain.

And by something, I obviously mean a
monk seal. So I don't know that that's

this little bedded down area is from.

I mean, it could be sea turtles that
come up here. It could be other things.

But what I do know is it's a perfect
spot for a monk seal.

Just a very cool little spot.
Interesting to see all this vegetation

down. Good signs of a big animal. No
definitive signs of a monk seal yet.

David wasn't joking.

These islands are tiny.

At only a few hundred feet wide, it
doesn't take me long to cover the rest.

And while I'm seeing the perfect
environment, we're coming up short on

Just like that, back to our boat, and...

To be honest, no definitive signs of
seals.

When we will find them is when the sun
begins to go down, and if they're here,

they're going to haul out. Just like
those cormorants, they're going to be

attracted to this area of rest.

So what we have to do now is go grab the
rest of the crew, wait it out until the

sun starts to sink, and then go full
stealth mode for our seal that's going

be hauling out.

Coming up.

Back up, back up. Oh, what the heck was
that?

All right, boys, hold on.

I'm on a remote, uncharted island in the
Caribbean, searching for an extinct

monk seal that hasn't been seen in over
65 years.

There's another point here, Mitch, so
let me just scout it ahead.

I'm circling the island, following the
shoreline to spot any signs of the seal

during this crucial period.

The last strip of beach to check, Mitch.

Alright, that's a full circle around the
island.

See the guys around here.

Honestly, very disheartening.

Cruising out to an island in the middle
of nowhere.

Just finding the island was an
accomplishment.

But you'd think, there'd be something
out here.

You know where that other island is?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah.

Do you think you can make it there with
the thermal drone?

If you fly over and just search it with
the thermal, we'll at least know if

there's a mammal on it or not.

As close as these islands are, it's low
tide.

Too shallow for the boat to cross.

But if Mitch's drone can make it the
whole way, the thermal imaging on the

camera will detect any large mammals
with ease.

Oh, there we go. Yeah, we made it. Yeah.

Oh, wow.

See the trees? Yeah.

He's done it.

Mitch is now flying over the first
island we searched. Stay on the beach.

How's your battery?

Uh, 60%. Okay.

So we'll have a ton of time.

Now, to see if the thermal picks up any
mammals.

Oh, what the heck was that? Back up,
back up, back up.

Stay on it, stay on it. It's gone, it's
gone. It went back in the water.

Can you play it back? I didn't even see
it properly.

Hold on, let me see if I can pull it up.

What the hell was that?

There's definitely something there.

Can you do another lap?

I don't have the battery for it.

Okay, now bring it back.

There was a large shape, slowly moving
towards the shore, just as a seal would

come in for the night. I got it. But
whatever it was, it took off when it saw

the drone.

And now that it's low tide, we can't get
a boat over there for hours.

First thing in the morning, as soon as
we can, as soon as the boat's able to

we've got to shoot over to our island to
try and see what it was.

Now, my biggest challenge will be trying
to sleep, knowing that a supposedly

extinct monk seal could be snoring right
over there.

So last night we got an insane thermal
signature on the other island, something

that I really wasn't expecting after
seeing no seal signs here.

So we wanted to run over there straight
away, but the boat was high and dry with

the low tide.

Fortunately, the tide's come up enough
now that the boat's at least floating

again. So what we're going to do is jump
on there, rush over to the second

island, and hope, just hope that by some
miracle, that seal's still there.

All right, boys, here we go.

Hold on.

Coming up.

Neil, right here! What? Don't grab the
wheel!

Out! Got me.

No more bites.

No more bites today.

I'm in the Caribbean, searching two
uncharted islands for an allegedly

monk seal.

And last night, while sweeping one
island on foot, the thermal drone

a large mammal on the other island.

The low tides made it impossible to
cross at night.

So I've waited all night to finally gain
access to the island and check on our

best lead yet.

What I'm looking for is any signs of a
seal, specifically a slide mark. A seal

will haul out onto the beach. It'll drag
its body up like that.

And then, you know, if it decides to
turn, it'll use its flippers like that

dig, flip around, and head back into the
water. So that's what I'm looking for.

Unfortunately, the fact that it's been
nearly 10 hours since we got that heat

signature means that the tide has risen
and fallen.

And the hardest thing in the world is to
track on the beach near the tideline

because it washes everything away.

There are no slides in the direct
vicinity of the sighting.

So I'm working my way outwards from the
site, staying close to the coast.

So we've gone.

Full circle around the island.

It's an absolutely stunning island, but
there are no signs of any seals here,

unfortunately. So I don't know what it
was that I saw.

I certainly can't say that it was a
seal, but I really don't know what else

could have been.

That being said, we're never going to
find him sitting here during the

It's just, it's an absolute
impossibility. They'd only haul out at

This is prime hunting time for seals.

So our hope... was to find some trace
that it was here last night.

I'm coming up empty on these islands,
but I have one more idea.

We're going to look for the apex
predator of the Caribbean, the only

capable of eating Caribbean monk seals,
tiger sharks.

Big, mouthy, toothy sharks that will eat
a seal whole, because they're much more

likely to find them than we are.

If there are seals, there's a good
chance that tigers can lead us to them.

But I have one more plan for the shark.

Let's call it my number two plan.

Try and get a fecal sample from them.
Then we can get that fecal sample

analyzed, and if it has Caribbean monk
seal DNA in it, that is all the proof we

need. So it's a bit risky. We're talking
about very big, very bitey sharks and

going to find them in their natural
habitat.

But that's what we're moving on to do
now.

Second only to great white in fatal
human attack.

Tiger sharks are nasty hunters, and
known for eating almost anything.

And to find out exactly what they've
been eating, I'm going to have to get

within arm's reach of the biggest one I
can find.

Last time we were here, I had to push
that bull shark away from you, so

hopefully you don't have to return the
favor.

So I think what we need to do is...

We're really looking for chums, so
anything that's oily, anything that's

fusiform, mackerel -like.

We weren't planning on baiting sharks,
so we didn't pack any chum to keep them

close.

But I did bring my favorite fishing
tools in case I needed to feed the crew.

All right, you ready?

Let's do it. You ready?

Great.

Pre -dive spearfishing is one of my
greatest passions.

It's the most ecologically sound way to
fish.

Taking only what I need from the sea,
harming nothing else, with just a barbed

pole and a rubber band.

See this absolutely stunning fish?

Seems bad to kill it, but the reality
is, these are one of the biggest

of the Caribbean.

These are invasive lionfish.

They've come from the Pacific, from the
Indian Ocean specifically, and they were

brought to the Caribbean for the pet
trade for aquariums, and people started

releasing them. And now they've spread
out all over the Caribbean, and the

problem is all these vines they have are
super venomous, so other fish aren't

capable of eating them. And they sit on
a reef like this, and they just gulp up

all the baby fish. So these guys are
really a terrible problem.

If you ever see them in the Caribbean,
you want to remove them.

In our case, they're going to make
absolutely excellent shark chow.

All right.

Beautiful day of spearfishing.

One of my absolute favorite things in
the world.

We've got plenty of fish for the sharks.

We've got plenty of fish for the crew to
eat.

Had a great time doing it.

Doesn't get any better than this.

Serum mackerel, yellowjack, delicious
hogfish.

That's as much fun as you can have with
your pants on.

I'm hoping finding the tigers will mean
finding our Caribbean monk seal.

But I'm going to need this chum to hold
the shark's interest.

Because getting a stool sample will mean
getting up close and personal.

Real personal.

So we're headed to rendezvous with the
other boats.

I need the full dive crew for this
mission.

Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
What? What? Seal, right here. What?

I just watched him dart into this cave
right here.

There's a rat.

Grab your camera, grab your camera.
Someone grab the wheel.

I'm in remote Caribbean waters.

in search of the allegedly extinct monk
seal.

After having no luck searching two
remote islands a local fisherman told us

about, I've decided the best course of
action is not to search for the seal

itself, but for its fiercest predator,
the tiger shark.

So my cameraman Johnny and I are meeting
up with the rest of the dive crew.

Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
What?

What? Deal. Right here. What? I just
watched him dart into this cave right

Grab your camera. Grab your camera.
Don't grab the wheel.

review fun seal but i can totally tell
how you mistake it for one it's big it's

wide it's that same grayish brownish
coloration oh i could totally see from

boat seeing that cruise along the bottom
must have looked like a seal out here

yeah i just saw a big spot oh man that
was cool i went down and i could just

the head at first i was like oh is that
a seal is that a seal and i started

parting the fish i reached out to touch
it and sure enough it's a dirt shark

very very cool They're bent like sharks.

Totally harmless to humans unless you
happen to stick your hand right in their

mouth, but really cool to see.

Good eyes, man.

I thought I was.

Keep looking. Keep looking.

Now that I've met up with the dive team,
the gear is prepped, and we're

preparing for a very dangerous dive.

I'll be pre -diving, just holding my
breath.

without any bulky gear or bubble noise.

It'll allow me to move gently and fit
into the environment, allowing me to

search for the seal and get close enough
to these deadly sharks to get a stool

sample, possibly proving the monk seal
is part of their diet.

What we'll be attempting has never been
done before to my knowledge, and as I

begin chumming the water, lemon sharks
are already coming to the surface.

He got me.

So I was just chumming there, getting
the sharks brought in, and dropped my

guard for one second and just managed to
catch the corner of a tooth.

So not too bad, fortunately. It's not
going to slow us down, but it's going to

need a couple stitches.

It's a bad sign.

My first encounter with a shark, and I'm
injured.

And now my blood is in the water, just
as we're all about to get in.

We'll need to be on high alert.

The reef sharks and lemon sharks that
surround me as I hit the water don't

bother me much.

But the 15 -foot tiger sharks that
smelled our chum are a different story.

Look at the size of these beasts,
looming large over everything they see.

True apex predators.

Sharks have an olfactory bulb.

that gives them a sense of smell
hundreds of times greater than ours,

them to smell blood from as far as three
miles away.

As I reach the bottom and look up,
there's no sign of the grizzly mumps

the number of sharks seems to be
multiplying.

I'm holding my breath, which thanks to
training, I can do for up to five

minutes, but the cameramen have to rely
on bulky scuba gear.

These tigers are enormous, 13 -footers
at least, some of the biggest I've ever

seen.

Hiding among them are clusters of
hammerheads.

They can grow to almost 20 feet and have
been known to attack humans.

Whoa, he's coming in to check me out.

Now the tigers are coming in to
investigate.

I can't chase a shark.

so the only way I can get a stool sample
is to get one to come to me.

Next, by rubbing its snout, I'll
stimulate the ampullae of Lorenzini,

our electroreceptive organs, so
sensitive the shark will enter a state

immobility.

This should give me a chance to swab her
cloaca, letting us know if she's been

eating monkeys.

The dive team has dropped a bait box.

just under the boat to control their
attention.

And now, the big boss tigers are getting
much bolder in their approach.

The biggest tiger's on the attack.

She's taken the box, leaving the divers
alone as planned.

My whole crew is experienced in pushing
the sharks away by the nose if they come

in too close.

But the bait box attack seems to have
inspired more aggression.

If a feeding frenzy starts, it could
turn death.

While hoping to prove the Caribbean monk
seal still exists, by getting a stool

sample from a tiger shark, we've
attracted far more toothy predators than

prepared to handle.

So I'm calling it off for today.

Not bad.

It is dicey today. I'm not kidding. No
more bites.

No more bites today.

A full night's rest hasn't made the crew
any more eager to get back in the ocean

with the sharks warm.

So I'm going to pre -dive to test the
water.

Stop churning for the time being.

Just got to get in and feel it out, but
the sharks haven't left.

They know where this food's coming from.

Look at them, ready to go, covered in
scars.

A bit nerve -wracking.

I'm fair.

Anything happens, get me out, all right?
Yep.

Down below, the tigers are fairly calm.

But with this many sharks surrounding
us,

it would only take one incident to start
another frenzy.

All right, guys, the sharks are a little
touchy, but I think you can come in.

What we're going to have to do is insert
our dominance with the lemons. Show

them who's boss. Don't let them swim.

If they come in like this, you've got to
really give it to them, all right?

Jump in. Join me.

They're a little too calm, not letting
me get close enough to touch them.

I actually need one to approach, so I
can stimulate the electroreceptive

on the bridge of their cells.

Just above 48 razor -sharp teeth, giving
me one precious second to swab the

cloaca. Easy, right?

My friend the hammerhead has returned,
with the mouth too small to eat a seal.

He's more of a bottom -teeter.

But maybe his aggressive curiosity will
inspire one of the big tiger sharks.

There's a stillness all of a sudden.

And there she is.

The queen has arrived.

The apex predator tiger shark.

This pregnant female looks like she
could give birth at any minute.

And she's likely been eating everything
she can to support her growing young.

Possibly even the Caribbean monk field
we've been looking for.

This might be our lucky brick.

This is our best shot.

Now if I can just get her to come check
me out.

Probably weighing close to 2 ,000
pounds, this hungry mama nearly knocked

over.

But it's exactly the moment I've been
waiting for.

I got it! I got it!

I came to the Caribbean looking for a
monk seal.

I didn't find one.

That doesn't mean that they're extinct,
but I don't think it's looking good for

them. Oh, look at that.

Have you ever been so happy to see a bit
of poop in your life?

Now what I can do is take this to the
lab, get it tested, find out if by any

chance this big shark has been eating
Caribbean monk seal. If it has, it'll be

in that little fecal sample. And most
importantly, I have all my hands and

still. So that was awesome. Oh, my
goodness.

I got a fecal sample from a shark.
Whether or not that sample will yield

results of a monk seal is yet to be
known.

What I did find is an incredibly
beautiful, healthy marine ecosystem.

If we've made the mistake of eradicating
the monk seal, at least we've learned

from that. We've learned to protect this
amazing ecosystem.

We've learned from the mistakes we've
made, and we won't make them again.