1
00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:09,400
The Indian Ocean.


2
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,960
Home to the world's
most exotic islands.


3
00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,600
And beautiful and rare wildlife.


4
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,680
I'm travelling through 16 countries
around the edge of this vast ocean


5
00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,800
that stretches 6,000 miles
from Africa to Australia.


6
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,840
'Steeped in history, the Indian
Ocean is vital to world trade.


7
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,240
It's a journey of extremes.


8
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,600
'From stunning islands...


9
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,840
'..across pirate-infested seas...


10
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,600
'..to remote villages..


11
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'..and war-torn lands.'


12
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,400
What was that?


13
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:55,560
RAPID GUNSHOTS


14
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CHILDREN LAUGH


15
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,440
This is a journey about much more
than what's under the waves.


16
00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,880
It's about the lives of the millions
of people...


17
00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,040
..who live around this,
one of our greatest oceans.


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00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,200
On this leg of my journey,


19
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,240
I'm travelling from the edge
of Arabia to India,


20
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,800
and on to the tropical islands
of the Maldives.


21
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:35,920
'On the way I experience the chaos


22
00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,320
'of one of the great Indian Ocean
festivals.'


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00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,120
Feels like the whole of Mumbai
is out on the beach.


24
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,160
Among beautiful coral reefs
I discover


25
00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,960
what threatens the delicate
balance of the underwater world.


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00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,720
It's all dead, like a forest
that's been logged.


27
00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,000
And on the high seas I go fishing
the old-fashioned way.


28
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Yaaay!


29
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FISHERMAN: Nice catch! >


30
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I caught it! Yes!


31
00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,880
In the Indian Ocean, sustainably.


32
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,920
I'm starting this part of my journey
in a remote region of Oman.


33
00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:32,960
I'm next to the Strait of Hormuz,


34
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,160
one of the most important entry
points into the Indian Ocean.


35
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,600
Giant super-tankers come through
here


36
00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,560
carrying vast quantities
of the world's oil,


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which makes this stretch of water
one of the most vital on the planet.


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00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,800
Middle Eastern oil literally fuels
the industrialised world.


39
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,480
40% of all seaborne oil passes
through the Strait of Hormuz


40
00:02:58,480 --> 00:02:59,840
and into the Indian Ocean.


41
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,960
The oil tankers pass
the Musandam Peninsula,


42
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a strategically vital region
of Oman.


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00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,920
Oman was once a great power
in the Indian Ocean.


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For centuries Omanis traded
with India, Africa,


45
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,600
and even the Far East.


46
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,680
And that tradition lives on into
the 21st century.


47
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:27,600
In the town of Khasab,
I met up with my Omani guide.


48
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:33,360
I've met up with Bhada here, who's
brought me down to the harbour...


49
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,480
..to have a look out to sea.


50
00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,080
Hmm.


51
00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,040
Wow, look at the boats go.


52
00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:44,680
What would these boats be?


53
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,240
That's Iranian people. Iranians? Yes.


54
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,920
Heading across the water to Iran.
Exactly.


55
00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,120
And what do they do? They come over
here trading?


56
00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,280
Yes. There is a business between
Khasab and Iran.


57
00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:04,000
The business here is
a multi-million pound operation.


58
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,120
A combination of western sanctions
against Iran and high import taxes


59
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,360
has encouraged rampant smuggling
between Oman and Iran.


60
00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,440
They take from here different stuff,
like food, electronics, clothing.


61
00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,880
When you say electronics...
Televisions?


62
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,120
TV, radio, fridge, whatever.


63
00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,960
Sometime they put the car
in the boat. No!


64
00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,800
They put the car in the boat.
They're not slow, eh? For sure not.


65
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,920
Wow, they're like power
boats. Look at them go.


66
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:42,760
Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve,
thirteen, fourteen in one go.


67
00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,240
And more and more are coming out
again.


68
00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,440
It is quite a staggering sight.


69
00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,640
'The smugglers weave their way
across the Strait of Hormuz,


70
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,400
'through the busy shipping lanes,
dodging the Iranian Coastguard.'


71
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,560
I don't imagine
the Iranian authorities


72
00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,400
are particularly happy about that,
are they?


73
00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:02,560
No, I don't think so.


74
00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,960
The speed they go at,
the size of the boats...


75
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,440
it does give a sense of
a dangerous game being played.


76
00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,400
Sanctions were imposed on Iran
because of its nuclear programme.


77
00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,360
But they're not working.


78
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,520
Iran says it will block
the Strait of Hormuz


79
00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,480
and halt global oil supplies


80
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,120
if the West decides
to launch attacks


81
00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,640
to prevent Iran getting
nuclear weapons.


82
00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,840
The rising tensions have made the
waters off the Musandam Peninsula


83
00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:34,880
one of the major
global flashpoints.


84
00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,520
Bhada took me to explore
the craggy inlets


85
00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,000
that scar the coast
of this otherworldly area.


86
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,360
Though it's fantastically remote,
people do live here...


87
00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,800
on the edge of the rocky hills.


88
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,720
We're on our way to a community
to meet them.


89
00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,520
This place looks incredible!


90
00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,800
Just nestling under
these rocky hills.


91
00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,920
Considering so much of the world's
oil is passing by a few miles away,


92
00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,640
the Musandam Peninsula
is marvellously pristine.


93
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,120
Amid this arid moonscape,


94
00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,120
the village of Kumzar
is only accessible by boat.


95
00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,320
PEOPLE CHANT, RHYTHMIC MUSIC PLAYS


96
00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,880
The Kumzaris,
like most Omanis, are Muslims.


97
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,960
But after hundreds of years
of relative isolation,


98
00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,360
hey have their own unique culture.


99
00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,800
And they roll out the carpet
for a foreign visitor.


100
00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,800
MEN CHANT IN UNISON


101
00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,920
I do love how...a journey like this,


102
00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,120
around the Indian ocean,


103
00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:03,520
can throw up such...
incredibly different cultures.


104
00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,240
This is so staggeringly different


105
00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:12,040
from life in Mozambique,
for example...


106
00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,320
earlier in the journey.


107
00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,320
And yet all these countries
and communities


108
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are connected by being next
to one of our great oceans.


109
00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,720
All around the Indian Ocean,
people showed me great hospitality


110
00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,440
and the Kumzaris were
no different.


111
00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,600
We bedded down for the night
in the village hall.


112
00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,680
I'm absolutely shattered already.


113
00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,120
It's just the heat.


114
00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,040
It really...
saps the energy out of you.


115
00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:53,560
It's going to be a long, hot,
sweaty night.


116
00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,800
Living out here in isolation,
on the edge of Arabia,


117
00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,400
the Kumzaris have developed
their own language,


118
00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:12,520
containing elements of Persian but
spoken nowhere else in the world.


119
00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,360
But centuries of trade
HAVE brought outside influences


120
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,480
and when I met Abdu Salaam,
a village elder,


121
00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,960
some of the language proved
surprisingly familiar.


122
00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,520
Different kind of language. >


123
00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,680
Even there is some words of English
in it also.


124
00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,400
Words in English, really?
There is English words.


125
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,760
BHADA SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE


126
00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:32,800
Door. In Kumzari?


127
00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,240
"Door" is "door". Door is door.


128
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,880
Door and, er...star.
Najim, Arabic, najim.


129
00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,760
So you would stay "star"
for the stars


130
00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,040
and you would say
najim in Arabic for stars.


131
00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,000
Exactly. We have...we are bonded. We
are brothers! Star!


132
00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,600
LAUGHTER


133
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,040
Can we ask,
is this your fishing crew?


134
00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:02,560
Are these local people?


135
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,560
TRANSLATION: Yes, my crew starts
early in the morning,


136
00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:10,320
at around 5am,
and keeps going until sunset.


137
00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,120
There's a person on the mountain
whose job it is to watch the sea.


138
00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,760
Then he directs the others
to the fish


139
00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,960
by telling them to move to the left
or right or forward.


140
00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,880
So they can catch the fish.


141
00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,360
That is genius!


142
00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,360
So he's the sort of spotter,
up there on the cliffs,


143
00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:39,400
and he says, "OK, now's the time.
Get the net out and get them."


144
00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,840
Exactly. That's his job now,
on the top there.


145
00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:46,960
That's your bit. Come on.
I'll help you.


146
00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,280
Bhada, pull harder! And you!


147
00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,160
I don't see you pulling.
I'm pulling, I'm pulling!


148
00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,040
Oh, right, I see.
That's how it is, is it?


149
00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,960
(He's a tough taskmaster!)


150
00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,560
I want to know more about
the benefits in this job.


151
00:10:09,560 --> 00:10:11,760
What are the holidays like?


152
00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:21,520
Looks to me like they've got
a good catch.


153
00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,720
Are you happy with that as a catch?
TRANSLATION: Yes, thanks to God.


154
00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,240
You've got to take the whole scene
in to appreciate


155
00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,040
how spectacular this is, really.


156
00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,640
On the edge of the Strait of Hormuz,


157
00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:36,880
there's a community here


158
00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,720
still pulling fish out of this bay


159
00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,040
in the way they have done
for generations.


160
00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,120
There's no heavy industry
polluting the sea here


161
00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,160
and no vast fishing fleet
decimating fish stocks.


162
00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,000
The sea off Kumzar is plentiful


163
00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,000
and Oman is one of
the most prosperous nations


164
00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,360
on my entire Indian Ocean journey.


165
00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,400
Goodbye and farewell.
Thank you very much indeed.


166
00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:09,440
Thank you, thank you.
You are very welcome in Kumzar.


167
00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,400
They might be isolated today
but throughout history,


168
00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,400
sailors from this area


169
00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,240
used to trade around the coast
of the Indian Ocean.


170
00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,040
Omani merchants used
the monsoon winds to travel


171
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,960
thousands of miles
and trade between continents.


172
00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,440
I followed one of those
ancient routes


173
00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,520
to the west coast of India


174
00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,400
and headed towards the biggest
Indian Ocean city of all, Mumbai.


175
00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,360
It's only when you're at a festival
like this


176
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,640
that you really start to understand


177
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,680
just how many people there are
in this country.


178
00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,560
I'd arrived during one of the
biggest festivals


179
00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:02,240
in the entire world -


180
00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:07,520
the annual birthday celebration
for the elephant-headed god, Ganesh.


181
00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,680
For weeks and months
before the festival,


182
00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:14,560
Hindu fans buy or make statues
of the god


183
00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:18,080
before carrying them
as part of a huge procession


184
00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,080
down to the Indian Ocean.


185
00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,200
All this is just
a temporary installation,


186
00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:27,840
if you like, that will be
taken down at the end of today.


187
00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,080
Wow!


188
00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:35,520
And this is Ganesh.


189
00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:40,640
Hindus believe
that paying homage to Ganesh


190
00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,000
will remove obstacles to success


191
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,440
and bring good fortune
over the coming year.


192
00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,480
Vikas Vasudev would be my guide


193
00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,680
on this leg of my journey
in western India.


194
00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,280
Ganesh is a visitor
during these ten days.


195
00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,440
He visits the people of the Earth,


196
00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,360
and then the way
you bid farewell to guests,


197
00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,080
you bid farewell to Ganesh,
and you put him back in the Earth.


198
00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,800
This is the all-inclusive nature
of this festival.


199
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,160
This lady,
who is just receiving a blessing,


200
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,960
or giving a blessing there,
she's Muslim - this is a Hindu god,


201
00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:23,200
but this festival brings
everybody in the city
and the country together.


202
00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,000
For the finale of the festival,


203
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,600
even this huge Ganesh is carried
through the streets towards the sea.


204
00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,040
THEY CHANT


205
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,800
That is nothing short
of miraculous.


206
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,680
Ganesh is on the forklift truck
and he's on the move!


207
00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,160
We joined the devotees,
as hundreds of other Ganeshes


208
00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,080
flooded in from different
parts of the city.


209
00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,680
All sorts of Ganeshes at
this festival, from the big...


210
00:13:57,680 --> 00:13:58,760
to the small.


211
00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,960
DRUMS BEAT


212
00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,600
It's a traditional Indian festival,
set to a very modern beat.


213
00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,920
THEY PLAY DRUMS AND CHANT


214
00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,520
It's totally surreal, being here.


215
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,200
There's these gloriously dressed,


216
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,120
elderly Indian ladies,


217
00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:22,280
following a giant wall
of speakers...


218
00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,880
playing Ibizan house,
with a slightly Indian twist.


219
00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,160
MUSIC PUMPS


220
00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,680
The monsoon winds made this city


221
00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,360
one of the great
Indian Ocean trading ports.


222
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:38,800
MAN SHOUTS, THEY CHEER


223
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,000
And that same monsoon
delivers this deluge.


224
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,560
It's raining,
it's getting a little bit dark.


225
00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:49,280
We're moving close to the sea now


226
00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,160
and the festival
is really beginning.


227
00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,440
This is an absolutely
extraordinary experience.


228
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,000
It feels like the whole of Mumbai
is out on the beach.


229
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,760
They're starting to spray Ganesh
with water over there,


230
00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,480
and then he's going to be
immersed into the sea.


231
00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,200
The Ganesh is going into the sea.


232
00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:25,720
There he goes, into the water,


233
00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,960
to be immersed
and return back to nature.


234
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,720
Ganesh is the god of wisdom,
prosperity and good fortune.


235
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,920
The festival is hugely popular
with the millions of people


236
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,360
who've flooded into
this great city in recent years,


237
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,280
fleeing rural poverty
and seeking a better life.


238
00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,560
It's been a very long
and magnificent, wonderful day.


239
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,120
Ganesh is going into the sea until
the early hours of the morning,


240
00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,120
but I think we're going to head off.


241
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,040
It's colossal.


242
00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:09,240
I knew it was the biggest city
in India, but it just seems to


243
00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,120
go on and on and on,
like the size of a small country.


244
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:19,200
Mumbai has become
a great symbol of India's
economic growth in recent years.


245
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,800
It has some of the most
expensive property in the world,


246
00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,200
as well as some of
the largest slums.


247
00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,720
Like many people in Mumbai,
Vikas is not a local.


248
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,000
Why did you move here?


249
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,760
Work, man.
This is where the action is.


250
00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,640
Was it a good decision?
I love the city,


251
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,800
and at the same time,
I hate it.


252
00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,800
It's the richest city in India,


253
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,480
at the same time, it also has
the most poor people.


254
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,040
It has the largest slum in India,
so it's just full of contradictions.


255
00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:55,320
In India, this is seen as the pot
of gold at the end of the rainbow,


256
00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,080
isn't it? This is the place
to come to, to make your fortune?


257
00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:00,320
Yes. Definitely.


258
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,000
This has the biggest pot of gold
and the biggest sewer.


259
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,640
"The biggest pot of gold
and the biggest sewer" -


260
00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,000
I need to remember that.


261
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,600
India's population has more than
doubled in the last 40 years.


262
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:16,480
There are now at least
1.2 billion people in this country.


263
00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,360
This population explosion
is having profound consequences.


264
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:21,760
In just a short time,


265
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:26,880
Mumbai has gone from being
a small port to a mega-city.


266
00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,920
One of the original fishing
communities here were the Kolis.


267
00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:31,960
This is incredible.


268
00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:36,160
I wondered how India's
rapid changes were affecting them


269
00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,040
and the ocean that sustained them
for generations.


270
00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,480
We're walking into
near total darkness!


271
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:47,280
We're down by the sea
in a small fishing village
that has become an urban warren.


272
00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,040
Are you sure this isn't
into somebody's house?


273
00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,920
This is absolutely unbelievable.


274
00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,120
It's really overwhelming here,
actually.


275
00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:02,320
I'm overwhelmed by
the sights and senses.


276
00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,000
Bloody hell, look at this.


277
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,560
The Koli have been
fishermen for centuries,


278
00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,200
making a living
from the Indian Ocean.


279
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,080
Now they live down here
on the beach,


280
00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:14,600
surrounded by pollution, muck
and tower blocks of the big city.'


281
00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,920
Namaste. Namaste. Simon, Amur.


282
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,600
'Amur is a community leader.'


283
00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,560
How do we mend a fishing net?


284
00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:30,440
I'll sit there...
or I'll sit next to you.


285
00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,280
OK. Through there...right...


286
00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,040
He's a good teacher.


287
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,480
Can you tell me a little bit
about the community you represent?


288
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,600
TRANSLATOR: 'The Koli are the
original inhabitants of Mumbai.


289
00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,440
'We are the fisherfolk.'


290
00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,280
What's the fishing like off here?


291
00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,280
This is a huge city.


292
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,640
I imagine with all the ships
and the pollution,


293
00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,240
the fish stocks must be declining,
but is that the case?


294
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,120
'It's difficult for us.


295
00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:10,960
'Before, we earned good money
and our kids ate well.


296
00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:15,480
'But because of the lack of fish
in the sea,


297
00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,040
our life has become difficult.'


298
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:24,160
More people means
more stomachs to feed. It means
over-fishing and more pollution,


299
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,240
and lack of fish is just one
of the problems faced by the Koli.


300
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:31,200
Property developers are now
after their patch of seafront.


301
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:36,040
You live on what looks to me
like prime real estate,


302
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:41,280
right next to high-rises
and in a city of billionaires.


303
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:46,160
'I want to stand up and show you
this village of ours.'


304
00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,160
Excuse me.


305
00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,840
'There are no toilets or
running water here.


306
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,960
'The high rises have
all the facilities.


307
00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,560
'All THEIR needs are met.


308
00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,000
'But no-one listens to us.'


309
00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:10,480
The Koli people believe
they are being deliberately
denied basic amenities,


310
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,960
so they'll have no choice but to
move away from the seafront.


311
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:21,040
It does feel a little bit to me
as though your whole way of life


312
00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:25,440
is being threatened,
because the fish stocks
on which you rely are dwindling,


313
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:32,840
and you're being squeezed out by
the developers who want your land.


314
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,840
Does the community here
feel under threat?


315
00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:40,680
'You know, everybody wants
a piece of this seafront location.


316
00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:45,200
'But the sea is our God.
We make a living from the sea.


317
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:50,600
'It feeds our children. So whatever
happens, we're not leaving.


318
00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,720
'We'll stay here, come what may.'


319
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,000
It's perhaps inevitable that
a fishing community like the Kolis


320
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,760
will struggle to survive


321
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,160
in the polluted waters
off a growing mega-city,


322
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,880
but as this extraordinary country
continues to develop
and industrialise,


323
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,480
the impact of India's
increasing population


324
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,160
is being felt
all around the Indian Ocean.


325
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:21,720
Nearly 200 million people have been
added to India's population


326
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:25,600
in the past decade. To understand
the consequences for the ocean,


327
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,360
Vikas and I headed to
his home state of Gujarat.


328
00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:32,360
Along the way, I had a fascinating
reminder of the connections


329
00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,400
that have linked countries
around the Indian Ocean


330
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:36,800
for hundreds of years.


331
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,560
Incredible, we just stopped
to help a rickshaw
that's got some kind of problem,


332
00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,800
and it's loaded with
what appears to be black Africans -


333
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,400
We're driving through rural India!


334
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,120
These are the Siddi people,


335
00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:57,720
the descendants of black Africans
who live in communities


336
00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,280
close to the coast in this area
and across India.


337
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,760
Vikas and I went to meet
a local leader.


338
00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:07,880
Meet Simon.


339
00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:09,680
Namaste! Namaste.


340
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,640
Very nice to meet you, sir.


341
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,360
Who are the Siddis?
Who are the Siddi people?


342
00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:22,240
TRANSLATOR: 'The Siddis are descended
from Africans who came to India.


343
00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,000
'The Muslim princes
brought us here from Africa.


344
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,720
'We have been in Gujarat
for 600 years.


345
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:34,600
'They were brought here as slaves.


346
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,080
'They were brought here to work...


347
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,400
'..because the Siddis
are hard-working people.'


348
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,360
Hello, ladies, namaste!


349
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,200
African ladies, wearing saris.


350
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,520
The movement of Africans to India
has been little studied,


351
00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,920
but over centuries,
the Siddis have found
their own place in Indian society.


352
00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:05,280
Mohammad is saying the communities
live very harmoniously,


353
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:10,280
and that's pretty unusual, frankly,
in this country, which has suffered


354
00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:16,640
such caste and communal
and religious conflicts
over the generations.


355
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,840
It's quite wonderful to hear him
saying, "No, we get along fine!"


356
00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,680
Oh, that's the cutest scene!


357
00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:32,000
'Mohammed took us to a local school,
which was full of Siddi children.'


358
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,200
Namaste. Assalamu alaikum!


359
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:40,880
Do any of you know where Africa is?
Could any of you come and point
to where Africa is on the map?


360
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:42,680
Come on, mate.


361
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:48,760
Yay!


362
00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:50,720
SIMON LAUGHS


363
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,760
Clap, everybody, come on!


364
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,120
'The children are kept in touch
with their history.'


365
00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:00,200
TRANSLATION: 'After they
came here as slaves,


366
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,040
'they were soon recognised as being
very hard-working.


367
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,880
'They were particularly
good at working with wood.


368
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,280
'They were spread right
across India,


369
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,320
'but because of their skills
in carpentry,


370
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:13,000
'they were brought to Gujarat.


371
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,560
'They came to Gujarat in 1411,


372
00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,560
'so before 1411,
we don't know much.'


373
00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,880
Merchants were trading huge
distances across the Indian Ocean,


374
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:29,200
centuries before the Atlantic
was explored
and Columbus reached America.


375
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,640
They weren't all just slaves,
as well.


376
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:38,920
So many Africans came as sailors,
as merchants, as traders,


377
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,160
as soldiers, as warriors, to India.


378
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:45,280
It's still hardly known about
in India itself.


379
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:50,320
But this is all about people
travelling across the Indian Ocean.


380
00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:54,320
The ancestors of
these little children here


381
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:58,480
were blown across the Indian Ocean
by the monsoon winds...


382
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,600
many, many years ago.


383
00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:07,560
Some experts think millions
of Africans travelled to India.


384
00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:10,480
Many were slaves, but they also
came as merchants and warriors.


385
00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:15,560
There's even believed to have been
an African king in central India.


386
00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,560
All around the Indian Ocean,
cultures have mingled.


387
00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,120
Sometimes people travelled
willingly,


388
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:25,240
sometimes they were forced.
The ancestors of the villagers here
may well been traded


389
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,680
through the East African
slave market I visited in Zanzibar


390
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,200
on the first leg
of my Indian Ocean journey.


391
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,760
THEY PLAY MUSIC


392
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,360
MEN BEAT DRUMS


393
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,640
Centuries have passed
since their ancestors arrived,


394
00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,840
but the Siddis still perform dances
with African roots.


395
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,400
This group appears
at temples for money.


396
00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,240
MUSIC CONTINUES


397
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:32,760
'We travelled on through Vikas' home
state, Gujarat, towards the coast.


398
00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,080
I don't like driving at night
in India


399
00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,320
because you never know what
you're going to find.


400
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,240
Now, we've got a dangerous
obstruction in the road.


401
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:44,720
Holy cows!


402
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,840
How are we going to move the cows?


403
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,280
Oh, a gentle tap.


404
00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,120
Come on!


405
00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:55,000
Convoy moving.


406
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,840
You look a bit tougher.


407
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,160
Would you mind moving just out of
the way?


408
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,880
Would you mind just moving to one
side? We've had quite a long day.


409
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,840
Would you just mind moving, please?


410
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,760
Could you help us, city boy?


411
00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:15,840
He doesn't want to move.


412
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,440
Whoa.


413
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,800
The most vital bit of work
we've done.


414
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,600
Oh, my God!


415
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,160
What a sight.


416
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,240
Vikas had brought me to Veraval,


417
00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:51,960
just one of the hundreds
of huge fishing ports


418
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,360
that now dot the coast of India.


419
00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,320
I have never seen anything
quite like this.


420
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,080
It's the biggest fishing port
in India,


421
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,640
and I think it's probably the port
in India with the most flags.


422
00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:11,680
Every trawler is just completely
bedecked with flags


423
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,920
as far as the eye can see.


424
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:19,240
There are hundreds, there must be
thousands, of fishing boats here.


425
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,400
There are 4,000 trawlers
based here at Veraval.


426
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:24,680
On my journey,


427
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,920
I'd already seen the impact
of overfishing on the Indian Ocean.


428
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,600
This was the first time I'd seen
an entire fishing fleet.


429
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,400
All the boats were moored up,


430
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,800
waiting for the end
of the monsoon season.


431
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,320
Why don't we see if we can get
on this boat? They're waving at us.


432
00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:40,360
Oh, man.


433
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:48,080
A bit of poo there. Afternoon,
gentleman! Can we come aboard?


434
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,200
Several million tonnes of fish


435
00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,920
are landed at ports along
the coast of India each year.


436
00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,600
Can there be any doubt this is
having a massive impact on fish


437
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,240
and marine life
in the Indian Ocean?


438
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:01,960
THEY SHRIEK


439
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,760
Oh, man, we're going to go
into the water.


440
00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:11,320
It's the world's most polluted
water. Save yourself, Vikas! Quick!


441
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,560
'If anyone could tell me about the
health of Indian Ocean fish stocks,


442
00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,880
'it was a Veraval skipper.'


443
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,880
Is it becoming harder to fish
the waters off here


444
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,640
because of the number of boats?


445
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,680
TRANSLATION: Yes, the fishing
has become very difficult.


446
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,440
The number of fishing boats
has been increased,


447
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,120
and that's what makes it difficult.


448
00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:42,840
Because of this, we have to go quite
far out to fish. 400-500 kilometres.


449
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,240
500 kilometres?


450
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,680
That's the distance you're having
to travel out into the ocean?


451
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,640
That's incredible.


452
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:56,960
Do you think we might be destroying
fish stocks in our seas -


453
00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,000
is this what you are seeing?


454
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,840
TRANSLATION: Every year
we are catching less fish.


455
00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,360
So every year,
fish stocks are reducing.


456
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,720
It could be that this season
will be very bad for us.


457
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,680
On my journey, conservationists
had already warned me


458
00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:21,440
we're fishing our oceans to death.


459
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,000
But despite the collapsing
fish numbers,


460
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,320
they're still building
more boats here.


461
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,760
In fact, the fishing
industry is subsidised by
the Indian government.


462
00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:35,720
Colossal fishing fleets like this
are wiping out the fish in our seas.


463
00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,480
It's devastating to learn about,


464
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,280
to be told about it - not just
by scientists, but by the captain


465
00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:47,800
of a fishing boat who says
he's seeing his catch diminishing.


466
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,000
He's worried the fish are being
wiped out - he's worried,


467
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,160
I'm worried, we all,
in my view, should be worried.


468
00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:55,440
This might look beautiful,


469
00:30:55,440 --> 00:31:00,080
but what this sight really is
is the destruction of our oceans.


470
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,600
Ultimately,
it's up to governments to reduce


471
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,400
the impact of the world's growing
population on the environment.


472
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,760
Politicians have to take a
long-term view and protect our seas.


473
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,160
I left India and headed south-west
towards the coral island paradise


474
00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:21,960
widely seen as a barometer


475
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,240
of the health of
the world's oceans - the Maldives.


476
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,640
I can see literally dozens
of tiny little islands


477
00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,640
strewn across a perfectly flat sea.


478
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:43,960
Almost like little emeralds.


479
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:49,720
This is definitely a contender


480
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,040
for the most beautiful sight
in the world.


481
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,840
The 1,200 islands which make up
the Maldives are scattered


482
00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,320
over 35,000 square miles.


483
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,720
Every year, hundreds of thousands
of tourists fly in for a unique


484
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,280
Indian Ocean experience.


485
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:14,920
What a way to travel.


486
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:21,480
Look at this. Paradise.
We've landed in paradise.


487
00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:27,600
The Maldives specialises in high-end
and high-cost tourism.


488
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,160
This hotel was keen to show off
its luxury suites.


489
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:41,760
I know what you're thinking.


490
00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,360
Honest to God, we don't stay
in many places like this.


491
00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,320
This is a deluxe beach villa.


492
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,800
Is this all for me?!
This is all for you.


493
00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,160
What's this?


494
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,120
I've got my own swimming pool!


495
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,440
This is what people come
to the Maldives for.


496
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,760
And, to be honest, I can
really see the attraction.


497
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:28,200
Apart from how posh it is here,
the thing that really strikes me


498
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,120
is just how flat the Maldives is.


499
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:35,320
The highest point on these islands
is only about here above my head.


500
00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:40,120
So Maldivians say they're very
keen on environmental issues,


501
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,600
because they're aware
of what could happen to them


502
00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:45,800
from things like rising sea levels.


503
00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,760
It also means they're
very connected to the ocean.


504
00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,280
And in this luxury resort, you can
even have a meal under the sea.


505
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,120
What is this?


506
00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,720
This is an underwater restaurant.


507
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,080
HE GASPS


508
00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,880
It's like we're in an aquarium.


509
00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,080
'My guide to the Maldives
was Marie Celine,


510
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:18,240
'an expert in the environmental
issues facing these islands.'


511
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,360
So, how do you describe yourself?


512
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,320
You're a scientist,
a conservationist,


513
00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:25,560
coral reef specialist?


514
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,920
I would call myself
a preservationist now.


515
00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,640
We do rely on coral reefs here
in the Maldives, in the sense that


516
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:34,840
our whole livelihoods
depend on it, and our survival.


517
00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,800
Tourism is that important
to the Maldives? Yes, it is.


518
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,320
Tourism and fisheries, which
are boats connected to the reefs.


519
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:46,280
The entire Maldives archipelago
is made up of coral islands,


520
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:50,520
one of the most extensive
reef systems in the world.


521
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,040
Marie runs a unique
coral conservation project,


522
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,560
and offered to take me
there on her boat.


523
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,160
Hello, gentlemen.


524
00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:06,480
Let's set off.


525
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:18,160
Where are we and where are we
going to? You see that?


526
00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,520
We are somewhere around here.


527
00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:26,040
So we're moving up and then we'll
cross this big channel here.


528
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:30,920
How long is it going to take us,
given that it's already very dark?


529
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:32,920
We're trying to get there
by sunrise. OK.


530
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:38,400
So that you will see the beauty
of the atoll. Tomorrow morning. Yes.


531
00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:02,960
The sort of sky that Turner painted.


532
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:05,080
To be greeted by a dawn
like this is...


533
00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,400
A tonic, is what it is. A tonic.


534
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,760
We'd reached an area called
the Baa Atoll.


535
00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,520
It's a UNESCO biosphere reserve


536
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:23,800
because of the fantastic diversity
of marine life underwater.


537
00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,840
It's also a truly stunning sight.


538
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,760
Although they make up less than
1% of the global marine environment,


539
00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:42,840
coral reefs
around the planet provide food


540
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,600
and shelter for more than
25% of all marine species.


541
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:54,520
These awesome coral structures are
made by tiny animals called polyps.


542
00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,640
Reefs are a crucial habitat
for hundreds of unique fish


543
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,400
and marine invertebrates.


544
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:06,920
They are also a nursery
for many young fish


545
00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:08,720
from the rest of the ocean.


546
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:17,360
It is amazing down there.


547
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,880
I mean, the colours of the coral


548
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,200
are like the colours
on a paint chart, really.


549
00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:31,000
And the size of the coral reefs,
just from these tiny little corals


550
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,520
the size of my small finger right up
to great dining tables of coral.


551
00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:40,040
Amazing.
It's an amazing place to visit.


552
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,400
Coral has created
this stunning seascape.


553
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,480
The reefs form protective
barriers around the islands,


554
00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,360
creating atolls with stunning
turquoise lagoons.


555
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,680
This is the Indian Ocean
at its most glorious.


556
00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:03,280
I had a poster on my wall
when I was a kid


557
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,560
growing up in London.


558
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:09,760
A poster of a tropical island.
And this...This looks like it.


559
00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,920
It's just staggering.


560
00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,720
Climate change threatens
to raise sea levels,


561
00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:21,720
which could put the Maldives
underwater.


562
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,440
But scientists fear
it is also causing


563
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:29,480
the temperature
of the sea to rise.


564
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:36,920
That's a catastrophe for coral


565
00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,840
because both here
and around the world,


566
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:42,320
coral reefs are incredibly
vulnerable to change.


567
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:51,200
Wow. That's a nice piece of coral.
Why is this coral white?


568
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:55,920
When the temperature rises even
one centigrade above the usual


569
00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:01,280
average, and stays like that for a
while, the coral polyps get upset.


570
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,600
Then it dies and this is what
becomes of the coral.


571
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:08,200
We're not talking about the
temperature plummeting to freezing


572
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:12,160
or rocketing to boiling, are we?
No, not at all. A slight change.


573
00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:14,080
In what ways is the coral reef


574
00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:17,000
so important to people here
in the Maldives?


575
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,680
The coral reef keeps the rest
of the ecosystems in balance.


576
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,320
They are like the rainforests.


577
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:24,120
And like many of our great
rainforests,


578
00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,840
coral reefs around the world
are now being devastated.


579
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,240
There's reef just over here,
maybe only 20 metres away from us,


580
00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:36,720
which Marie was saying was vibrant
and healthy just 18 months ago.


581
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,800
Sea temperatures are now
at an all-time high.


582
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,960
Around the world, coral reefs
are dying at an unprecedented rate.


583
00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:52,720
It's called coral bleaching.


584
00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:58,600
Coral is also threatened
by pollution and fishing.


585
00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,160
Even here in paradise,


586
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,520
a great swathe of reef
was a barren wasteland.


587
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:19,840
It's all dead.
It really is all dead.


588
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:25,960
It's a devastated,
and a devastating site as well.


589
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:29,880
Like a forest that's been logged.


590
00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:34,960
The figures are really frightening.


591
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:39,040
Three quarters of the world 's
coral reefs are now at risk


592
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:42,400
of a severe decline
because of climate change,


593
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:46,160
because of pollution,
and because of overfishing.


594
00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:49,840
And if we lose them,
which is possible - some scientists
think we could lose coral reefs


595
00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:53,760
within a single generation - we're
not just losing something that's


596
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:57,400
pretty for tourists to come and
look at, we're losing an absolutely


597
00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:02,160
fundamental part of our seas, of our
oceans, of the marine environment.


598
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:08,360
Marie has started a groundbreaking
coral regeneration project


599
00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,400
to try to stem the tide
of destruction.


600
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:16,520
You sure you know the way? Goodness.


601
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:24,200
The salvation of the coral...
starts here, does it?


602
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:29,040
The team here are welding
hundreds of special frames


603
00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:32,320
to literally build new coral reef.


604
00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,240
Do you think I could have a go?


605
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,120
I love the idea that this
is actually going to be used


606
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:48,840
to save coral!


607
00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:53,200
I don't think he's very
impressed with my work.


608
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,000
Happy with that?


609
00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,760
You got in eight out of ten!
Eight?! Thank you, sir!


610
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,760
You must have been bribing him!


611
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,440
How dare you? This was natural
welding skill, I'll have you know!


612
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:10,920
'The frames are given
a rustproof coating.


613
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:14,640
'Then carefully selected live
coral cuttings are attached.


614
00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:16,840
'Marie's husband, Tom,
showed me how to do it.'


615
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,280
I was expecting it
to be more complicated.


616
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,920
You're basically just attaching
the coral with cable ties.


617
00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,440
Yes, basically, that is
what it is. Fantastic.


618
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:31,120
'Over time, this will
grow into a new reef.'


619
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:38,240
How many of these frames have you
put into the water so far?


620
00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:42,080
Over 1,000 structures.
More than 1,000? Yes.


621
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:46,520
'This project is run at a resort
and largely funded by tourists.


622
00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,960
'People who contribute get to
have their own name on the reef.'


623
00:42:56,600 --> 00:43:00,160
We're in a bit of a rush now
because this is a live coral


624
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:03,640
and it's out of the water.
We need to get it back into the sea.


625
00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:15,960
This innovative project
has been a huge success.


626
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,000
Marie and Tom's reefs
are flourishing


627
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:22,000
and the technique is being
used elsewhere in the Maldives


628
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,920
and around the world to help save
and regenerate endangered coral.


629
00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:38,040
There's more to the Maldives
than just tourism.


630
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:40,240
More than 300,000 people live here


631
00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:43,760
and half the workforce are
employed in the fishing industry.


632
00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:47,640
This is the locals' fish market?


633
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:52,640
Yes, it's where the local boats
bring their catch.


634
00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:03,200
They must have had a load
just come in.


635
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,240
'The main catch here is tuna.


636
00:44:05,240 --> 00:44:08,600
'Some is eaten locally, but much
of this is exported to the UK.'


637
00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:12,920
Does this look familiar?


638
00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,640
That is some yellowfin.


639
00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:21,280
This is yellowfin tuna? Little...
They're tiny. Baby yellowfin.


640
00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,440
'Tuna is one of the main fish
taken from our seas.


641
00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:29,600
'In the Indian Ocean alone, it is
a multibillion pound industry.'


642
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:33,480
Skipper, can I ask, how long have
you been fishing?


643
00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:35,760
TRANSLATION: 33 years.


644
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:37,680
How has the fishing changed


645
00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:40,640
in the three decades
that you have been fishing?


646
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:44,200
TRANSLATION:
Before, we used to get big fish.


647
00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,120
Nowadays, we get very small fish.


648
00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:49,200
These are the fish left


649
00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:51,920
after the big boats have
caught the fish in the nets.


650
00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:58,600
Ten years ago, they started using big
nets to catch large amounts of fish.


651
00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,760
That's when the changes started.


652
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:06,600
After overfishing our other oceans,
in the last ten years


653
00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,760
the giant industrial trawling
fleets from Europe and Asia


654
00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,000
have begun targeting
the Indian Ocean with vast nets


655
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:15,200
that scoop up entire
shoals of tuna.


656
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:23,440
Do you ever see the giant fishing
trawlers with the really big nets?


657
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,960
Do you ever see them
when you're out at sea?


658
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:29,320
TRANSLATION: We do see those boats.


659
00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:32,760
Mostly we see the nets
which are left after fishing,


660
00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:34,920
which we see drifting in the sea.


661
00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:37,360
They're so huge,
they can weigh tonnes.


662
00:45:41,800 --> 00:45:45,360
Here, they don't fish using
those obscenely big nets.


663
00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,560
They fish in a much more
traditional, sustainable way.


664
00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:52,520
Tomorrow, I'll get up at the crack
of dawn and head out on a boat


665
00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:55,000
and see how they do it.


666
00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:05,480
Fishermen in the Maldives have
pioneered sustainable tuna fishing.


667
00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:08,160
But out of sight over the horizon,
huge foreign trawlers


668
00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:10,720
pull hundreds of thousands
of tonnes of fish


669
00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:12,120
from the Indian Ocean.


670
00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:16,680
Yasir Wahid has witnessed
the industrial nature


671
00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:18,760
of their trawling operation.


672
00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:23,000
It's quite hard for people
to get a sense of the scale


673
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,160
of the fishing nets used by
the big industrial trawlers.


674
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:30,200
Can you try to describe
to us how big they are?


675
00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:36,120
Six of them could even cover
the entire Maldives archipelago.


676
00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:38,760
If you square the islands... Wow!


677
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:40,560
Yes, to the area.


678
00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:44,240
They would be able to spread
their nets all over our archipelago.


679
00:46:44,240 --> 00:46:45,760
Around the country? Yes.


680
00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:48,960
'Using nets more than seven miles
long, the foreign trawlers


681
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:51,360
'indiscriminately scoop up
marine life,


682
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:54,760
'including huge quantities of
fish they cannot sell


683
00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:57,120
'and dolphins and turtles.


684
00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:00,000
'Often this unwanted bycatch,
as it is called,


685
00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,960
'is just dumped back
into the sea, dead.'


686
00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:07,080
Every bit of life that was in that
part of the sea will be taken out


687
00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:08,400
and put into a boat.


688
00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:11,120
It's an incredibly
destructive form of fishing


689
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:15,600
and I think it's contributing
to killing life in our oceans.


690
00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:18,200
The method used by these
Maldivian fishermen


691
00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:20,840
could not be more different.


692
00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,560
First step is to try to spot
the tiny fish


693
00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:26,760
they use as bait for the tuna.


694
00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:31,480
They've seen bait.


695
00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:34,800
He's given the signal and now
they want to get the nets in,


696
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,240
catch the bait... Oh, it's all go!


697
00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:42,160
MAN SINGS


698
00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:47,040
Let's get the net in.


699
00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:55,560
The fishermen surround
a small shoal of live bait


700
00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:57,480
and haul it to the surface.


701
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:14,680
This here, fishing like this,
they use everything.


702
00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:17,200
And they don't end up
with dolphins in the net.


703
00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:23,840
In they go, thousands and
thousands of them.


704
00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,360
Is that a good haul?
Are they happy with this? Yes.


705
00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,320
With the bait in the boat, all eyes
were peeled for signs of tuna.


706
00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,560
They're getting ready, they've
seen some activity in the water.


707
00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:47,280
We might be about to start fishing.
Tuna? Here we go.


708
00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:49,920
The live bait goes in
and the tuna start flying out.


709
00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,440
Be careful. Wow!


710
00:48:55,240 --> 00:48:59,040
This is pole and line tuna fishing.
It's fast and furious.


711
00:49:01,720 --> 00:49:03,320
Blinking heck!


712
00:49:03,320 --> 00:49:06,080
It's a skipjack!


713
00:49:07,240 --> 00:49:09,920
A skipjack!


714
00:49:09,920 --> 00:49:14,360
This is a skipjack tuna
that Yasir has just caught.


715
00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:18,840
This is what we eat masses of
in tins, in the UK.


716
00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:22,840
So much of it comes from here
in the Indian Ocean.


717
00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:26,800
Catching fish like this leaves
most of the shoal alive


718
00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:29,760
so they can reproduce -
they're not annihilated.


719
00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:32,000
Tuna caught this way
is now available in Britain.


720
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,960
It's sold as pole and line tuna
but it costs just a little more


721
00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:37,760
than tuna caught by
the industrial fishing fleets.


722
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,920
I haven't caught a single one yet.


723
00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:45,800
Yeah! Here's a big one.


724
00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:51,880
How many have you got now?
Ten. Ten? Ten?!


725
00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:56,000
Yes! This is why we need to pay
a premium for this fish,


726
00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:58,600
it's bloody impossible to catch!


727
00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:02,120
Come on!


728
00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:04,840
Yes! I caught a tuna!


729
00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:09,760
In the Indian Ocean!
Sustainably! Pole and line!


730
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:14,240
Sustainably! You are so right!


731
00:50:14,240 --> 00:50:16,240
Oh, I feel like a proper fisherman.


732
00:50:16,240 --> 00:50:20,880
You've got to believe
in fishing sustainably.


733
00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:23,120
We have to fish sustainably,


734
00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:27,200
otherwise we're going to wipe out
life in our oceans.


735
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,640
Fishing this way means that
there's very little bycatch.


736
00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:32,720
There's very little wasted fish,


737
00:50:32,720 --> 00:50:36,040
and we're not pulling dolphins
or turtles out of the water.


738
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:41,720
The Maldives is in many ways
a unique country.


739
00:50:41,720 --> 00:50:45,160
They've pioneered eco-friendly
tourism


740
00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:47,200
as well as sustainable fishing.


741
00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:49,000
But there are contradictions here.


742
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,720
Despite concerns
about climate change,


743
00:50:51,720 --> 00:50:55,440
the only way tourists can get here
is on long-haul flights


744
00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:58,080
with a huge carbon footprint.


745
00:50:58,080 --> 00:51:00,520
And of course,
tourism has other by-products.


746
00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:06,960
It's easy to forget
that these are populated islands,


747
00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,080
with lots of tourists as well.


748
00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:11,840
They produce a lot of muck.


749
00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:19,320
This is really behind the scenes
in the Maldives, eh? Oh, my God.


750
00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:24,960
What a sight! There's a
stinking smoke hanging in the air.


751
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:33,440
It's actually cascading off the edge
there into the water.


752
00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:37,200
My God.


753
00:51:37,200 --> 00:51:40,400
There's flies everywhere.


754
00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:43,960
Are you OK? I don't know
if we can get through here.


755
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:50,480
This is where the Maldives
dumps its rubbish.


756
00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:57,440
Just 20 years ago, this was another
unspoiled coral island.


757
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:03,080
Bloody hell!


758
00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:07,760
The stink, and the dust!


759
00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:13,120
'Since then, up to 300 tonnes
of waste every day


760
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:16,360
'has been shipped here.'


761
00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:18,800
I just swallowed another bloody fly,


762
00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:21,400
there are so many around here.


763
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:25,400
Look at this! Oil drums.


764
00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:28,840
This is quite a gobsmacking sight.


765
00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:32,960
These drums here
are rupturing and leaking.


766
00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,840
Do you think the toxins
will hit the sea?


767
00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:40,440
I think so, because it
is quite porous, the sand,


768
00:52:40,440 --> 00:52:44,040
here in the Maldives, so then it
would seep into the sea from here.


769
00:52:44,040 --> 00:52:45,800
It's not very far.


770
00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:49,120
You can just about make out
the water there,


771
00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:52,080
through the haze
from the burning of the rubbish


772
00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:55,120
which appears to be going on.


773
00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:01,880
FLIES BUZZ


774
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:05,560
It's sort of apocalyptic here.


775
00:53:08,080 --> 00:53:10,600
I don't mind the dust,
natural dust, at all.


776
00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:12,720
But the smoke that is
coming off here,


777
00:53:12,720 --> 00:53:18,120
and the dust that's being
blown up is really toxic.


778
00:53:21,400 --> 00:53:23,320
Bloody hell!


779
00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:33,480
The scenes here are
gobsmacking. Gobsmacking.


780
00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:35,480
Really upsetting as well.


781
00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:39,600
More flies than I have ever seen
anywhere in the world.


782
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:46,320
This is a poisoned environment.


783
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,840
It shouldn't be happening anywhere,
least of all here.


784
00:53:54,240 --> 00:53:58,800
This feels about as far removed
from my images of the Maldives


785
00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:01,200
as I think it's possible to get.


786
00:54:01,200 --> 00:54:04,840
For all of us, it is. Even for
the Maldivian, this is not real.


787
00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:09,360
You don't often see this.
No, we don't. We don't.


788
00:54:09,360 --> 00:54:12,280
On the islands, you see little
heaps that are being burned,


789
00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,520
but not at this scale.


790
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:18,560
You've got such
a fabulous environment


791
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:24,240
and you've got such an
amazing patch of Planet Earth.


792
00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:29,960
It's desperately sad to see this
bit of it being poisoned like this.


793
00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:33,880
It is. But at the moment,
this is the only solution,


794
00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:36,600
just dumping it here and burning it.


795
00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:39,720
We need to find proper solutions
to manage the waste.


796
00:54:39,720 --> 00:54:42,160
For me, this is not
waste management,


797
00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:43,880
this is just dumping and burning.


798
00:54:46,600 --> 00:54:49,680
Yeah, I have to admire
the Maldives as well,


799
00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:53,680
because we're not being
stopped from being here.


800
00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:57,720
For a country that depends so
heavily on tourism,


801
00:54:57,720 --> 00:55:01,240
there hasn't been
any attempt to muzzle us,


802
00:55:01,240 --> 00:55:04,200
or prevent us from seeing this site.


803
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:07,600
Partly, I think, because people
here in the Maldives


804
00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:10,040
face the same challenges
as we all do.


805
00:55:10,040 --> 00:55:13,640
The entire world is creating
this sort of rubbish


806
00:55:13,640 --> 00:55:16,800
and nobody really knows
what to do with it.


807
00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:23,400
The government here says that it
will sort out the rubbish island.


808
00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:26,480
I hope that they're true
to their word.


809
00:55:26,480 --> 00:55:28,960
These islands lie at the very
heart of the Indian Ocean


810
00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:31,640
and the environmental stakes
couldn't be higher.


811
00:55:31,640 --> 00:55:35,880
Industrial fishing,
pollution, rising sea levels


812
00:55:35,880 --> 00:55:40,280
and the warming of these coral
waters are all insistent threats.


813
00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:43,920
Before I left, I was hoping to see
one of the wonders of the seas


814
00:55:43,920 --> 00:55:46,000
that make this place
so worth preserving.


815
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:52,520
You see the black blanket that pops
up? Just where the bird is now?


816
00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:54,960
If you keep looking there...


817
00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:59,040
'Every new moon, this area receives
some very special visitors


818
00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:04,080
'who come in great numbers
to feed on clouds of plankton.'


819
00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:09,000
These are manta rays.


820
00:56:15,240 --> 00:56:21,400
Measuring up to seven metres across,
they're the largest rays in the sea.


821
00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:31,640
They travel hundreds of miles
from other parts of the Indian Ocean


822
00:56:31,640 --> 00:56:34,400
to mate among the coral reefs here.


823
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:42,800
The mantas seem playful
and inquisitive,


824
00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:46,760
and, despite their huge size,
were completely unthreatening.


825
00:56:59,560 --> 00:57:01,240
That was amazing!


826
00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:07,320
Actually quite moving.
Those are huge creatures!


827
00:57:09,280 --> 00:57:13,520
Yet they're so...
they're so graceful in the water.


828
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:21,080
They sort of fly. They fly through
the water with these giant wings.


829
00:57:21,080 --> 00:57:25,080
The mantas are one of
the most spectacular examples


830
00:57:25,080 --> 00:57:27,680
of the riches of the Indian Ocean.


831
00:57:27,680 --> 00:57:30,240
We still don't know
much about them.


832
00:57:30,240 --> 00:57:33,160
And yet, like the rest
of the environment here,


833
00:57:33,160 --> 00:57:35,360
we're threatening
their very survival.


834
00:57:36,920 --> 00:57:40,320
I found the Maldives one of
the most breathtaking countries


835
00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:43,120
I've ever visited,
but what had really surprised me


836
00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:45,680
about my short visit
was just how much I'd learnt here


837
00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:48,560
about the challenges facing
the whole Indian Ocean


838
00:57:48,560 --> 00:57:49,720
and our global seas.


839
00:57:49,720 --> 00:57:53,160
This is the end of this
part of my journey.


840
00:57:53,160 --> 00:57:56,480
I've spent so much time
in boats, my legs are still wobbling


841
00:57:56,480 --> 00:57:58,560
now I'm back on dry land.


842
00:57:58,560 --> 00:58:02,240
But in the next leg, I'll start in
Sri Lanka. I'm going to head around


843
00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:07,520
the Bay of Bengal, and then down the
eastern edge of the Indian Ocean.


844
00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:12,160
Next time: I'll be helping
Indian fishermen


845
00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:13,880
fighting to save our seas.


846
00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:16,400
I don't think it's good
to be the tallest person!


847
00:58:20,640 --> 00:58:23,280
And in Bangladesh,
I'll see the graveyard


848
00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:25,080
where the world's ships go to die.


849
00:58:25,080 --> 00:58:30,640
Giant ships with great,
huge chunks ripped off them.


850
00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:53,240
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