All language subtitles for Mysteries of the Deep Series 1 Part 7 Bermuda Triangle Doomsday 1080p

Wade: Is our vital undersea
cable network at risk

from forces beyond our control?

It could literally cripple

modern society as we know it.

Can new discoveries on
the sea floor finally confirm

an explosive theory about
the atlantic's most notorious

expanse of water?

Figueroa: Could this explain
some of the stories

that we've heard about
the bermuda triangle?

Wade: And how have a fortunate
few gone over the world's

most famous waterfall and lived
to tell the tale?

It's very,
very unlikely that you

would survive going
over the niagara falls.

Wade: The underwater realm

is another dimension.

It's a physically hostile
place where dreams of promise

can sink into darkness.

I'm jeremy wade.

I'm searching the world
to bring you

the most iconic and baffling
underwater mysteries

known to science.

Shipwrecks can't just
disappear...Or can they?

Wade: It's a dangerous,
unexplored frontier that

swallows evidence.

We know more about the face
of mars than we do

our deepest oceans.

Wade: Where unknown is normal
and understanding

is rare.

[ sonar pinging ]

over the years, the bermuda
triangle has been the scene of

the disappearance of dozens of
ships and aircraft

and hundreds of people.

What is it about
this area of ocean

that has made it
so notorious?

Now, scientists are making big
discoveries at the bottom of

our oceans that promise

to shed new light on
some of the bermuda triangle's

most mysterious incidents.

On a calm spring day,
a tugboat is sailing

from puerto rico
to fort lauderdale,

florida, through
the southern section of

the bermuda triangle.

Her experienced captain is
resting below deck

when he receives a sudden call
to come to the bridge.

The compass was spinning
like mad,

and he'd never seen anything
like that before.

Wade: A strange darkness
descends on the vessel,

and without warning,
all the tugboat's

electronic systems shut down.

Nothing electric was working.

The communications were
all out.

Wade: The captain heads out
on deck and is shocked

by what he sees.

The crew become aware that
the sea around the ship

is boiling.

Zimmerman:
The currents on the sea

are going wildly in
different directions.

The crew are
absolutely terrified.

Zimmerman: The fog is just
so thick that he can't

distinguish between where the
sky stops and the sea starts.

Wade: Fearing the worst,

the captain orders
full speed ahead

to escape
the churning waters.

Eventually, the tugboat breaks
through the fog into

calmer seas and sails away
from the danger.

The crew are at a loss

to explain what they have
just experienced.

What could have caused this
to happen?

We want to know what it is,
and we want to know more.

Wade: One natural phenomenon
that can have a dramatic effect

on the state of the sea is
underwater seismic activity.

Volcanoes and marine systems

vary quite a bit, just like
they do on land.

It can cause disturbances
that can

affect the surface
of the water.

Rondeau: In that case, what
you actually have is heat.

They emit a huge amount of --
of gases,

and all of
those create bubbles.

Wade: Underwater volcanoes
have bean blamed for sea

disturbances and ship
disappearances

elsewhere in the world.

But no volcanic activity
was reported

in the vicinity
of the tugboat incident.

So what else might
be responsible?

Zimmerman:
There are also underwater
rock shifts that will release

unexpected waves,

unexpected currents.

But generally,
those currents are not

associated with bubbling
or boiling.

Wade: For the ocean
to be as volatile

as the waters that surrounded
the besieged tugboat,

it is thought that
some other natural force

must have been at play,

and there is
one prime suspect --

the highly combustible gas,

methane.

Wright: Methane deposits are
mixtures of ice

and gas that are found
in sediments

in the world's oceans,
and we're finding more and more

of them.

Wade: Kept in an icy state
by the immense pressure

and low temperatures at
the bottom of the ocean,

methane, often in the form of
solid compounds

called hydrates,

only needs a small disturbance
to be unleashed.

Figueroa: You go to the bottom
of the ocean, and you shake up

and you disturb the areas
where the hydrates are,

and literally bubbles of gas

erupt from the bottom
of the ocean

and start going up
the water column.

Wade: So could releases of
methane from the sea floor

have caused the appearance of
a boiling sea around the tugboat

traveling through
the bermuda triangle?

Zimmerman: By the time methane
gas reaches the top surface,

it is going very rapidly.

That motion
generates turbulence,

seemingly random motion
in all directions.

Wade: But a boiling sea was not

the only phenomenon witnessed
by the tugboat crew.

Their navigational instruments
also malfunctioned.

When gas is followed close
to a conductive surface,

they build up
an electric charge.

It's known as
the streaming potential.

It's an electric
kinetic phenomenon.

Wade: This charge could have
overloaded the tugboat's

electrical systems,

sending its instruments
haywire.

The tugboat was then sailing
blind, trying to get through

the dense fog,

possibly another effect
of methane.

Zimmerman:
Those small bubbles,

they've had the opportunity
to hit

100% relative humidity,
and they will release a fog

when those bubbles have burst.

It's a fog that should be
fairly dense.

Wade: A methane burst seems
the most likely cause

of the mysterious event
experienced by the tugboat crew.

But could methane be
responsible for

more deadly incidents
in these notorious waters?

Figueroa: Could this potentially
explain some of

the narratives and the stories
that we've heard

about the bermuda triangle?

Wade: Terrifying a tugboat crew
is one thing,

but causing the disappearance
of whole ships

with all passengers and crew
is quite another.

This would require
an enormous force.

October 1985.

In the norwegian oil fields
of the north sea,

a helicopter captures
this extraordinary footage.

Routine drilling
beneath a rig has

accidentally unlocked

a large pocket of natural gases,
predominantly methane.

Huge quantities of gas
roar up from the sea floor

with a force that threatens
the stability of

the platform itself.

This phenomenon, known by oil
workers as the burp of death,

is not uncommon in oil fields,

but could there be dangerous
methane deposits elsewhere,

including in
the bermuda triangle,

with the power
to take down ships?

[ sonar pinging ]

[ sonar pinging ]

methane gas escaping
from the sea floor is

responsible for a number of
disturbing incidents at sea.

But could it be behind

mystery disappearances
in the bermuda triangle?

The 1985 gas release
that threatened an oil platform

in the north sea
showed devastating force.

The incident was not a natural
occurrence, however.

It was caused by
intrusive human activity,

drilling for oil.

But could massive methane
discharges like this occur

naturally and on a scale that
could endanger shipping?

In 2017, researchers at
the arctic university

of norway report
a remarkable new discovery --

huge craters at the bottom
of the ocean up to

half a mile wide
and almost 100 feet deep.

The norwegian research
indicates that you could have

large bubble bursts
from the sea floor.

Wade: The giant craters found at
the bottom of the barents sea

reveal what could be
evidence of massive,

naturally-occurring
deep ocean methane bursts.

Figueroa: These large methane
craters were

the result of significant
methane explosions.

The methane built up

in large amounts and then was
released all at once.

Wade: Instead of a gradual
release of bubbles

that causes the surface water
to churn,

these craters suggest methane
blowouts on a massive scale.

A single eruption can throw
vast quantities

of methane to sea.

We're talking
millions of tons.

Wade: A ship caught in such
an event could be doomed.

The water would suddenly
become much less dense due to

the sheer quantity of gas,
sinking the vessel in a matter

of moments.

If a bubble occurred while
a ship was directly above it,

it could be submerged
into this pocket

of gas that is less
dense than the water

that the rest of the ship is --
is on.

Wade: But this deadly gas
from the bottom

of the ocean doesn't stop
at the surface.

It continues to rise.

So if you have a crater
that's half a mile wide,

releasing a burst of methane,

and what would it do
to the air-sea interface

and the turbulence
of the air above?

You know, what -- what would
that look like?

Momentum doesn't just stop

when this plume hits
the top surface.

It carries on
into the atmosphere.

If your aircraft is above that,
it will knock out the controls,

the communications, and,
of course, the navigation.

Wade: And there's
a further potentially

fatal threat
to over-flying planes.

Methane is explosive, and if
you have a huge pocket of it,

and an aircraft
goes through it...

You know, we have
all that static electricity

around 'em, as well,
and if...

You just need a spark, methane,
and it's surrounded by oxygen.

Wade: Faced with shocking
evidence of the dangers

to shipping and aircraft,

scientists are racing to try
and identify where large

reserves of methane
may be located,

either in the form of gas
pockets or solid hydrates.

Currently, researchers at
the woods hole oceanographic

institute are using
spectroscopy to identify

methane hydrates.

They've been using gas
collection techniques

to actually measure

the amount of natural gas
that's found on the sea floor

in different locations,

and they're measuring
those gases to see what

their components are.

Wade: And the results
for methane are startling.

Recent discoveries show that
methane is incredibly

superabundant in the --
in the world's oceans.

Some estimate that it's
as much as 70% of

the world's supply of methane
is actually stored

under the oceans.

Wade: These undersea reservoirs
are being discovered all over

the world,

including off the east coast
of the united states,

but are there any
in the seabed

under the bermuda triangle?

We currently don't have any
evidence that large methane

buildups are happening

in the area of the triangle --
that's yet to be discovered.

Massive methane discoveries
under our oceans add weight

to the theory
that this gas

could be responsible
for disappearances

in the bermuda triangle.

But with reserves being
uncovered worldwide,

could methane be behind
the mystery of missing ships

in other parts of the world,
too?

Hidden on the bottom
of our oceans

is a massive network
of undersea cables.

These carry 99% of all
internet traffic

and trillions of dollars of
financial transfers every day.

They are the arteries that
keep the modern world alive.

But an alarming incident
in the early 1970s

suggest this network
could be vulnerable to

mysterious forces.

August 1972.

A military aircraft from
u.S. Task force 77 is

flying over southeast asia
on a routine flight.

As it banks over
the south china sea,

the crew sees a disturbance
in the water below -- a large,

mysterious explosion bursting
from the ocean.

This is a real mystery.

No one actually really
knew what happened there.

Wade: The vietnam war is at
a critical stage,

but there are no major combat
operations in the area

at this time.

So what is exploding
and why?

In an attempt to bring the war
to a swift conclusion,

the u.S. Military has initiated
a blockade of

north vietnamese ports.

All entrances to north
vietnamese ports will be mined.

Wade: Huge numbers of powerful
sea mines are deployed.

This was a huge operation done
by the united states navy.

The sea was literally seeded
with over 11,000 mines.

Wade: Floating on or just
under the surface,

these mines lie in wait for
any unsuspecting enemy vessel.

Any ships attempting
to leave or enter

these ports will do so
at their own risk.

Wade: But on August 4th, near
the north vietnamese port

of haiphong,

something strange
starts to happen.

These mines just
start exploding.

The u.S. Navy has no idea why.

The over-flying
u.S. Aircrew

observe 25 explosions
in about 30 seconds.

But it's just the tip
of the iceberg.

Elsewhere along the coast,

many hundreds of mines
spontaneously explode.

When your weapons
start going off,

that is a, you know, mystery
that you want to get

to the bottom of.

Wade: What's behind
this synchronized

undersea salvo?

Enemy action,
a new superweapon,

or something from
out of this world?

[ sonar pinging ]

[ sonar pinging ]

our vital undersea cable
network is under threat,

and with it, the very future
of the modern world.

And the key to understanding
why lies

in a mysterious incident
50 years ago.

In August 1972,
up to 4,000 u.S. Navy

mines mysteriously explode

in the seas around
northern vietnam.

The question is
what caused all of

these sea mines
to self detonate for

apparently no reason?

Wade: The initial assumption
of u.S. Investigators

is that
the enemy must be responsible.

There is speculation that it
may be the north vietnamese,

that somehow they've been able

to alter these mines
autonomously.

Wade: But few believe that
the vietnamese have

the technological means
to pull off such

a coordinated feat.

It's not as though
the vietnamese are sending out

underwater demolition teams
and blowing these things up.

The naval officers
in charge,

they have no idea why these
mines were self-detonating.

Wade: With a north vietnamese
plot unlikely,

the americans
investigate further

and discover
something intriguing.

Among the different mines
deployed by the u.S. Navy,

only one specific type has
blown up in large numbers --

magnetic mines.

These are mines which go off
when they feel

a large disturbance in
the magnetic field

of the earth.

As a ship passes through
this, it affects the field.

It's a big lump of metal,

and it affects the magnetic
field around it.

If it's a big enough effect,
the mine goes off.

Wade: But no ships were spotted

in the vicinity
of the explosions,

so there must have bean
some other kind of trigger.

U.S. Navy investigators
now strongly suspect

some sort of secret
enemy weapon,

and for this,
there is a precedent.

During world war two,
british engineers were able to

trip magnetic mines by using
huge electromagnets

attached to aircraft.

If you have a mine
sitting here

in the earth's magnetic field,
then all of a sudden, this other

artificial magnetic field
comes through,

it will basically trip off
the mine.

Wade: The vietnamese are not
thought to have such means

at their disposal,
but their cold war backers,

the soviet union, could,
the americans suspect,

be using
such aerial technology.

The first investigations were
all focused on sabotage

and a secret soviet weapon,

which caused probably the cia
to spend a lot of time

chasing its own tail.

Wade: Having found no evidence
of an electromagnetic

superweapon, the u.S. Navy
investigators are left

scratching their heads.

But then, in a strange twist,

reports emerge from further
afield indicating that they've

been looking in the wrong place
all along.

Elsewhere in the world,

other unexplained phenomena
have been occurring.

We know that this kind of
thing was happening not just

with these mines,
but with other things.

Clarke: At the same time as
the mines went off in vietnam,

there were actually reports of
electromagnetic disturbances in

the philippines, brazil, japan.

In america itself,
power companies were

reporting failures.

The power systems went
completely haywire.

Wade: There's only one thing
known to meddle

with the earth's
magnetic field

with such force --

the sun.

The magnetic mines
are set off by

a magnetic anomaly,
by a solar flare.

Wade: A solar flare is
an explosion of energy

on the surface
of the sun.

It can trigger what's known as
a coronal mass ejection,

which blasts an immense cloud
of magnetized particles out

from the sun at over
a million miles per hour.

If the earth happens
to be in its path,

strange things start
to happen.

It can cause alterations in
the earth's magnetic field.

Wade: If the magnetic flux
caused by the sun

matched that of
a large metal ship

passing near the sea mines,

it could have triggered
the underwater explosions.

For researchers, this was
sort of a smoking gun.

Wade: The explosive events
of 1972 were shocking enough,

but a similar solar event today

could have a far more
wide-ranging impact,

devastating our vital
underwater communications.

If we had a massive solar
flare, it could literally

cripple modern society
as we know it.

[ siren wailing ]

[ sonar pinging ]

[ sonar pinging ]

explosive events in 1972
showed conclusively that

solar storms can have a dramatic
impact here on earth.

But new evidence suggests that
their effects can penetrate to

the very bottom of our oceans
with potentially

devastating consequences.

Electromagnetic radiation
from a solar flare can have

implications for radar
and communications at sea,

but it also has the potential
to affect undersea cables.

Wade: Hidden along the bottom

of the world's oceans
and connecting the continents

lies a network
of submarine cables.

Polakowski: All this data
that we're sharing

and transferring doesn't get
thrown up through satellites.

It all goes through subsea
cable systems.

Those are really the conduits
of the modern information age.

Wade: 21st century life

on earth relies on 3/4 of

a million miles of undersea
cables -- every day,

these carry $10 trillion
worth of

financial transfers
and 99% of internet traffic.

Data doesn't move
through the cloud,

it moves under the ocean.

We sometimes think that they
are, since they're so deep in

the water, that they're not
affected by these solar storms,

electromagnetic kind
of disturbances.

But what we're finding now
is that

they are actually being
affected by these things.

Wade: Many experts now agree
that a large-scale solar event

could cripple our essential
underwater cable network,

causing unimaginable
disruption to our daily life.

We cannot rely upon

the sea to protect
our communication systems.

If we have another solar flare,

if there is another event
similar to that of 1972,

then that could wipe out global
communications for days,

if not weeks, causing untold
trouble for millions.

Wade: The question is not if,

but when the next solar storm
will hit us.

It's turned from a mystery
into a nightmare.

♪

♪

wade: The world's great
waterfalls combine

awe-inspiring beauty with

terrifying power
and the dizzying prospect

of certain death.

On rare occasions, however,

people do survive such
chance-in-a-million cascades.

But how does anyone
overcome the most

feared and famous falls
on the planet?

How does anyone
survive niagara?

May 21, 2012.

A man in his early
forties climbs

a railing near the top
of niagara falls

and jumps in.

He disappears into the torrent
and is swept over the top.

Emergency services are
scrambled to recover

what is assumed will be
his dead body,

but when they arrive
at the foot of the falls,

they are amazed
to discover him alive.

The survivor is hauled
back up the cliff

on a stretcher and airlifted
to the hospital.

There, doctors treat him
for broken ribs

and a collapsed lung,

but he lives.

Of the estimated 5,000 people
who have gone over

niagara falls,

the middle-aged man is one of
just 13 who have survived.

Statistically speaking,
it's a very,

very unlikely event that
you would survive going over

the niagara falls.

Wade: Is it luck?
Is it a miracle?

Or can science help us
understand how

a fortunate few have survived
this deadly drop?

Astonishingly, some people have,
for whatever reason,

gone over these falls
and survived.

Niagara falls is a thunderous
cliff on the american-canadian

border that sends
an icy torrent

plunging 188 feet down
into a churning mass

of frothy water
and jagged rocks.

This natural wonder is thought
to be the fastest flowing falls

in the world,

with over six million cubic
feet of water rushing

over the edge
every minute.

Tuttle: Niagara falls is
absolutely spectacular,

hundreds of thousands of tons

of water crashing
over the escarpment.

Figueroa: It's powerful,
it's fast.

There's a lot of force.

It's cold -- it's one of those
amazing places on earth.

Wade:
Despite the obvious dangers,

there is a long history of
people throwing themselves over

the great falls at niagara
to see if they can survive.

People get mesmerized,
and they're curious.

Can I survive it?

How could I survive it?

Is it even possible
to survive it?

Wade: The first known successful
attempt was made by a woman

called annie edson taylor,

a 63-year-old teacher
from auburn, new york.

Annie taylor decides that
she is

going to be
the first to survive

going over the niagara falls
purposely in a barrel.

She had a mattress
wrapped on

the inside of the barrel
for cushioning,

went over the falls,
survived it, and was therefore

the first person to
successfully go over the falls.

Wade: Annie taylor survived
with just a cut and bruises,

but her first words
when she surfaced

after the death-defying feat

were a warning to others...

"no one ought to ever
do that again."

but they did.

People started to go over
the falls in barrels.

People come up
with inventive ways

to go over niagara falls --
metal boats.

One guy used inner tubes.

Man: I guess it's
the same reason

why people want
to climb mountains.

The falls was there,

and he just wanted
to conquer it.

Some people go over because
they want to be daredevils.

Some people go over
just 'cause they're crazy.

Wade: Daredevil attempts carried
out using some form of safety

equipment like barrels
make up the majority of

niagara survivals.

But even more remarkable are
the handful of survivors who

have made the great leap
without any form of protection.

How could anybody survive
such a fall?

[ sonar pinging ]

[ sonar pinging ]

as far as we know,
only 13 people have survived

a leap over niagara falls,

the majority in
protective barrels,

but a handful have gone over
without any form

of protection and lived
to tell the tale.

Goodman:
It's kind of a mystery why

those people survive
while other people don't.

There are a number of
factors to bear in mind here.

So firstly, there's
the sheer height.

Wade: At 188 feet,
niagara is higher

than the leaning tower
of pisa.

188 feet, icy drop
to the bottom --

no, thank you.

Wade: But remarkably,
unprotected jumps into water

from an even
greater height

have been survived.

In 2015, laso schaller
jumped into a lagoon

in switzerland from
a height of 192 feet.

He came out unscathed.

But schaller had carefully
selected his jump point

and could control exactly
where and when

he hit the water.

A jump into the mighty torrent

of niagara is far
less predictable.

Goodman:
At the bottom of the falls,

there are some areas
that are rockier

and some areas that are
less rocky.

Wade: And there are other odds
stacked against

a niagara jumper.

There's the shock of
the hitting the water.

The water is cold,
it's freezing.

How long do you have before
you're at risk for hypothermia?

There are so many things
working against you here.

Wade: But certain things are as
applicable to successful

niagara jumpers

as they are to any other
high divers.

Body position on water entry
is critical.

It seems as though many of
them enter the water feet first,

perhaps on the tips
of their toes,

which is protecting their
brain from a brain injury,

and therefore, they go much more
easily into the water.

Wade: And high divers have
another trick to survive

hitting the water.

They will tighten up their
muscles really, really tight,

and this will help them avoid

any sort of injury
to their organs

or their other muscles
by going --

entering the water
in super-tight form.

Wade: The maelstrom of water
at the bottom of

the falls could also offer
an initial advantage.

Tuttle: There is a giant

washing machine creating
air bubbles down there.

Wade: Hitting static water
at speed

is like hitting a solid object,

but aerated water provides
far less resistance,

and because of this,
high divers often rig

air tanks into their dive pools
to soften their entry.

But there is a downside
to this aerated water.

You are not going to be able
to swim in that

low density, almost, water.

You can't get to the service,
you try to breathe,

you're gonna breathe in water
and air.

You're gonna drown.

Wade: In addition, the water
thundering down from the falls

creates lethal eddies
and whirlpools,

making the freezing water
completely unpredictable

and whipping debris around at up
to 30 miles per hour.

There's a dynamic movement
of water when

you get to the bottom
of the falls.

We're talking whirlpools
and currents,

so it's not like you can even
physically swim.

The water beneath 'em churns,
and it will push you under,

and most people want to come
to the surface immediately.

What people need to do
is actually swim down

below to be able
to get kicked out.

Most people who go over
the falls don't know that,

and, you know, if you're
stuck, you drown.

Wade: But against all the odds,

somehow, it is possible to
survive this lethal descent.

It might be a combination
of luck, um,

and chance and physics.

You just kind
of never know.

A lot of things
have to play together.

We'll probably never really
understand how a small number

of men and women have endured

one of the most powerful
forces on the planet

and lived to tell the tale.

But for me, the best way
to survive niagara

is to never even consider
jumping in the first place.

♪

[ sonar ping ]

♪

although statistically safe,
the history of sea travel is

awash with mysterious dangers,

sudden storms,

pillaging pirates,
even sea monsters.

But could there be
a new danger out there

on the high seas?

A secretive force that arrives
without warning,

causes huge destruction,
and disappears without trace

back into the deep?

June 13, 2019.

The norwegian-owned oil tanker,
front altair, is

sailing in international
waters near

the strait of hormuz

on a routine voyage from
the united arab emirates

to taiwan

when suddenly the ship is
shaken by a powerful impact.

[ alarm blaring ]

elliot: The ship is
smothered in smoke.

Clearly, something dramatic
has happened.

Wade: The ship's crew have no
time to launch any lifeboats.

Clarke: Smoke is so thick that
the crews decide

to radio for help and abandon
ship as quickly as they can,

avoiding normal procedure
and just getting to sea

to get away from their ship.

Wade: The tanker is carrying
75,000 tons of

naphtha, a flammable liquid
hydrocarbon mixture.

It could be an accident,
so something's exploded

on the ship accidentally.

The front altair's crew are
still in the water when

the nearby u.S. Fifth fleet

receives a second
distress signal from

a different ship.

It soon emerges that
another attack has taken place

on a similar vessel

of another nation
in the region,

raising the specter of
a concerted campaign being

carried out against shipping

that is vital
to the world economy.

Can this be a coincidence?
Probably not.

Polakowski:
When you see these kind of
attacks that are very similar,

they're very close in time,

you have to start
asking questions.

Are they related?

Are they coordinated?

Wade: Fortunately, no one
is seriously harmed.

But these multiple explosions
are no accident.

Soon, it becomes apparent
a major incident has occurred.

Wade: Who or what is behind this
coordinated series of attacks?

A military assault
on a large ship

would normally utilize
missiles or torpedoes.

The moment they see smoke,
the moment they see a ship

belch fire, they think
it's been hit by a missile.

Wade: But this is not
a conventional military attack.

Wade: The damage bears
the hallmarks of magnetic mines.

Explosive devices attached
to the hull,

the outside of the ships,
which had been set off by --

either via timer or remotely.

The damage
at the blast hole

is consistent with
a limpet mine attack.

Polakowski: A limpet mine is
a portable small explosive

that can be stuck
to, in this case,

a hull of a ship.

Wade: Which means
this deadly military hardware

was placed in position.

So who put it there?

[ sonar pinging ]

[ sonar pinging ]

mysterious coordinated attacks
on two tankers in

the strait of hormuz have
investigators baffled,

and it turns out this is not
the first time it's happened.

Clarke: A month earlier
to the day, four other

huge supertankers had
sustained similar damage

in other similar attacks.

The theory about coordination
becomes even more likely.

Wade: Billions of dollars worth
of oil are shipped through

the strait of hormuz
every year,

and as a result, this is one of
the most closely monitored

sea areas on the planet.

So if the perpetrators of
the attacks were using boats,

they would have been spotted.

But could they have been using
remote underwater vehicles?

Was there some kind of
submersible or some kind of

underwater mechanism
that is being used

to attack these ships?

Wade: Underwater vehicles are
usually operated

via a control line,

which makes clandestine use
over distance

difficult to impossible.

Only one other obvious option
remains that can operate

above and below water with
such stealth and precision --

specially trained divers.

Elliot: These are very highly
skilled frogmen,

highly trained
military individuals.

These are elite warriors.

Wade: The identity
and true motives of

the attackers remains
shrouded in mystery.

You cannot prove
who they are.

The equipment will be
internationally sourced.

They will all disappear.

No nation will acknowledge
who they are.

You actually have to
physically catch them

to be able to prove
who they belong to.

This is a region absolutely
rife with tension.

The blame game begins.
Who did it?

Iran does have
a track record of

causing trouble
in the straits of hormuz,

however, they cannot be ruled
as the only potential actor.

There are terrorist
organizations around the world,

some of whom have developed
marine wings

which are specializing
in this sort of operation.

Wade: Could an unknown
terrorist network

be responsible for
these maritime attacks?

We're used to seeing
terrorist acts on land.

We're not used to seeing
terrorist acts at sea,

and especially in the stealthy
undersea environment.

This could be a really scary
new development.

Wade: As airports have become
more secure,

are terrorists turning to
ports and shipping as the new

targets of choice?

The theories with frogmen,
especially with the growth in

diving as a hobby

and as an industry, is that
these skills are actually

becoming more
and more available,

and terrorist organizations
developing marine wings

with these capabilities.

Wade: The world is now waking up
to this new threat.

But how do you stop
an underwater terrorist?

Polakowski: The only really way
that they're gonna be able to

protect themselves is getting

a full picture of what's
happening under the water.

So now, with technology like
sonar, electro-optics, radar,

we're actually able to see
a real-time view of

the underwater environment.

Wade: But while port defenses
can be stepped up

relatively easily,
the risk of terrorist attack

out on the open ocean remains.

Clarke: Are we heading
to a future where

these are gonna get
more frequent,

where there's gonna be more
and more incidents in

the maritime sphere that
impact upon global trade?

Wade: Terrorism worldwide
is constantly adapting

and evolving,

finding new ways of wreaking
havoc in new

and unexpected places.

The 9-11 terrorists turned
civilian airliners into

lethally effective missiles,

killing thousands.

So if the threat of deepwater
terrorists isn't countered,

what might they do in
the future with, say,

a supertanker full of oil?