Red Sea 4K (2016) - full transcript

[reel ticking]
[dramatic instrumental music]

[gentle instrumental music]

- [Narrator] The Red Sea. A
special idyll of the Orient.

A place of silence,
strength and diversity.

The Red Sea is famous
for its high salt content

which especially
contributes to clear water.

Algae can't spread easily here.

This is why its
broad coral reefs

can be considered a true
paradise for divers.

We can find lots of highlights
of marine life here.

There are a lot of
colorful shoals of fish,



popular anemone fish,

basses,

vigilant morays,

odd pufferfish,

and, of course,
elegant turtles.

The biggest attraction
is colorful coral reefs

shining in the sunlight.

From the Earth's orbit,

we can clearly spot
the elongated form

of the Red Sea.

It is a narrow sea,
2,240 kilometers long,

up to 2,604 meters deep,
that borders the Indian Ocean

and lies between
Northeast Africa and

the Arabian Peninsula.



The Red Sea contains

about 200,000 cubic
kilometers of water.

Its surface is spread over
438,000 square kilometers

and the water is on
average 538 meters deep.

A good question would be why
it is called the Red Sea.

There have already been
several interpretations

for it since antiquity.

On the one hand, blue algae
grows in this stretch of water.

It swims right under the
surface of the water.

In its flowering
season, it becomes red.

This is why the water
seems to be red,

if you look at it from above.

But this plant isn't widespread.

Another explanation for the
name could be the red rocks

at the Red Sea's coast.

They are red because
they contain ferric oxide

which causes that shade.

According to legend, those rocks

have been burned red by the sun.

The Red Sea could
also have got its name

from Iranian seafarers
who used colors

to name the four
points of the compass.

The color of the South was red.

The sea is geologically
very young.

It was created 25
million years ago

because of the
separation of the African

and Asian continental plates.

Then the crack was
filled with sea water

and the Red Sea was born.

Because of the constant drift
of those continental plates,

the Red Sea widens out 1.2
centimeters on average per year.

The South of the Red Sea is
especially interesting for us.

Over there, where Eritrea,
Djibouti and Yemen

border the sea, right in the
direction of the Indian Ocean.

There is a narrow
place in this area

where the sea is only
29 kilometers wide

and only 130 meters deep.

Because of this
natural bottleneck,

there is only a
sluggish water exchange

which causes a
high salt content.

In these conditions, plankton
and algae can't spread easily

and the water seems
to be crystal-clear

as we can already observe
from the shore here.

But also under the water,

the view is much
better than elsewhere,

as we are about to see now.

[peaceful instrumental music]

The most widespread
creature is,

as well, the most
important one: the coral.

The fire corals and Madre
pores, the stone corals,

are the main constructors
of the Red Sea's giant reef.

For thousands of years,

these animals have been
forming enormous constructs,

right up to whole islands,
all over the world.

The best known among them
are the Bahamas, Bermuda

and the Maldives.

That is possible because corals,

which belong to the
group of cnidarians,

perpetually excrete limestone.

The zooxanthella, a
microorganism that lives

inside the coral, helps
the corals to form lime.

They live in symbiosis,

which means that they provide
and care for each other.

These corals are really
sensitive to water temperature.

It always has to be between
20 and 29 degrees Centigrade.

Therefore, they mostly live

in shallow, tropical
and lighted waters.

Stone and fire corals

are actually just giant
colonies of polyps.

Every polyp is only
a few millimeters

up to one centimeter long.

Besides the sustenance through
their symbiotic partners,

corals mainly feed on
planktonic organisms

which they catch
with their tentacles.

Fire corals got their name
from their cnidocytes,

or stinging cells, with
which they can pierce

through human skin and
inject a painful poison.

The symptoms are
comparable to skin contact

with a stinging nettle.

But the pain can persist from
two days to up to two weeks.

The injuries can
even leave scars

that can be visible
for a lifetime.

That's why divers should
be really attentive

and careful not to
make the common mistake

of confusing fire
corals with seaweed.

As for distribution
between sessile animals,

fire corals are
really successful.

When fighting for
light and living space,

fire corals can effectively
overrun their rivals.

These corals also have
so-called defense polyps,

somewhat bigger polyps
than the usual ones,

which they use in their fight
for a spot on the reefs.

They use them to sting
their opponents' tissue

and thus, destroy
it by poisoning it.

But the fish that
you can see here

are not impressed by that.

The Anthiinae, a
special kind of bass.

Actually, with them
it's quite the contrary.

Living in groups of thousands,

they use the corals'
complex formations

to hide from their predators.

What's interesting
is that almost all

of these fish are females.

Usually, only one fiftieth
of the group are male.

At first, adult fish
are always females

that later turn into males.

But that mostly just
happens if a male fish dies.

If that is the case, the
strongest female of the group

transforms into a male fish
in just a couple of days,

to take its place.

Another resident of the
reef is the soft coral.

Even though it is related
to the stone and fire coral,

it has a totally
different structure.

It gets its stability
from inner water pressure.

Its limbs and strains are
not covered in polyps.

Those are located at
the ends of the arms.

The soft corals' colors are
usually brown, yellow or green.

If it lives in the shadows,

it has a bright red,
orange or purple color.

Mostly, they are located on
the edges of reefs, overhangs

or on the ceilings of caves.

Corals are really important
for a lot of fish.

They provide shelter for
small and normal sized ones.

That's why they are
almost always

surrounded by huge swarms.

If there's an enemy,
they can instantly hide

between the branchy corals

and are almost unreachable
for big predators.

The coral's ability to
emit stinging poison

is a huge advantage here, too.

Although, the fish
have to be careful not

to come into contact
with the defense polyps,

because otherwise they
themselves might be the victims.

Because of natural barriers

and because of the environment
influencing those animals

in a special way,
many unique species

which can't be found
anywhere but the Red Sea

have developed over
millions of years.

One of those creatures
is the popular clownfish.

This genus here is also
known as Red Sea anemonefish.

They eat plankton and algae
and are comparatively small.

15 centimeters is the maximum.

The clownfish lives closely

in a so-called
symbiosis with anemones.

That means, as we have just
learned about the corals,

that two different
species both profit

from living together.

Surprisingly, clownfish are
able to live with anemones

although its
cnidoblasts are toxic.

Why doesn't it
disturb the clownfish?

Very simple.

It possesses a slime
layer which protects it

from the deadly poison.

The anemonefish
protects the anemone,

driving out predators like,
for example, butterflyfish.

In return, the anemone

protects the anemonefish
from predators.

And those can even be

rather funny looking
creatures like cornetfish.

Some of them can become
much bigger than a meter.

Those sit-and-wait predators
drift inconspicuously

in the water to suddenly
snatch smaller fish.

This is why they
are often pretty shy

and take to their heels as
soon as they spot a diver.

Let's continue our way under
the surface of the water

in search of the most colorful
fish of the coral reef.

And here we see a
royal angelfish.

They grow a little bit
longer than anemonefish,

up to 60 centimeters.

The bluecheek
butterflyfish is one

of the most
eye-catching reef fish.

They can differentiate
their fellow species

and other butterflyfish
through their coloring.

Most of the time
they live in couples

and sometimes in
smaller groups, too.

A rather inconspicuous
inhabitant of the Red Sea

is the orbicular batfish.

It's pretty flat and high.

But the older it gets, the
more it becomes discus shaped.

Characteristic for its shade

are the vertical
and brown bands.

Thanks to this high
contrast some predators

can't recognize the
form of the fish easily

and assume them to be leaves
washing through the sea.

Older fish seem to be
more silver and gray

so that they look even
more inconspicuous.

In spite of their
inconspicuous appearance,

orbicular batfish are
very active and curious.

Divers often tell about
orbicular batfish nibbling

at diving equipment or
grabbing for rising bubbles.

Bannerfishes get their name

because of the large color
stripes on their flat bodies.

Mostly, the colors are
black, white and yellow.

The colors around his eye area
are also really distinctive,

comparable to a raccoon.

Here, we can see a yellow
margin triggerfish.

This species either lives
alone or in a partnership.

For their eggs, they
build big hollows

of sometimes up to
two meters diameter,

in which the female can
lay up to 500,000 eggs.

The bale of eggs, about
the size of a fist,

is weighed down by the
parents using coral branches

and watched over by
them until they hatch.

There are a lot of
different kinds of filefish.

Optically, there are
numerous variations

in colors and patterns.

But still, there are
a lot of parallels

regarding their body structure.

Just like their relative,
the triggerfish,

they have strong teeth.

And there are kinds that
feed on corals, too.

This coral actually looks kind
of gnawed-off at some places.

Maybe that was one
of the many relatives

of the orange filefish.

Many inhabitants of the
reef also feed on algae

or other floating plants,

if there's an opportunity
like this one.

There are a lot of kinds
of silvery shining fishes,

for example, the rabbitfish.

The Giant Grouper
is a true giant.

Up to three meters long,

he is he biggest bony
fish in the coral reef.

The young are black
and white-colored

and have yellowish fins,

whereas the adult
fish are grey-brown

with some brighter
spots on them.

Striking about them as
well, is their grim face,

especially their mouth.

The Giant Groupers' territory

lays 50 to 100
meters underwater,

sometimes in caves or wrecks.

They usually only
leave it when searching

for a partner or for hunting.

They feed on critters,
langoustes,

and small sea
turtles,

and sometimes,
even small sharks.

However, in heavily
fished areas,

there aren't many
Giant Groupers anymore.

This predatory fish can
be really intimidating

because of his size.

And even though they
do not look like it,

because of their size and
their very slow way of moving,

they are really aggressive.

Sometimes, they
even attack humans.

35 meters deep down, we can
find the black triggerfish.

This fish is the
biggest of its kind

and reaches up to 40
centimeters in length.

The name of the triggerfish
refers to a mechanism

which protects it from
being eaten by predators.

It uses its strong fins to
cling on to the coral reef

so that it cannot be pulled
out against its will.

The great diversity of
different kinds of fish

is really impressive.

Here under the sea, it is
a true paradise for fish.

But there are also a lot
of things to discover

above the water surface,
even for humans.

The long beaches,

directly bordering on
green bushes and forests,

provide a great mix
of the atmospheres

of beaches and bathing lakes.

The long sandy beaches
along the shore invite you

for relaxing walks in
the salty humid air.

Not only divers enjoy the
great bodies of water,

it is inviting for everybody
to either take part

in some sporting activities

or just to simply
relax and enjoy it.

[lively instrumental music]

If you are interested in sailing

or water motorsport activities,
you can discover all kinds

of yachts, motor
boats or jet skis.

Even so, you should not deny
the fact that the nature

of the Red Sea suffers
from human influences, too.

Especially, polluting the
water with dirty sewage,

or wild fishing, really
damage the ecosystem.

Another harmful impact of
tourism is wild anchoring.

The anchors rip out
parts of the coral reef

and thus, destroy it.

Diving tourism has also taken
on an overburdening dimension.

However, initiatives
for nature conservancy,

protected areas, and
other restrictions

have already made a
significant difference.

But people need to
make more of an effort

to live in communion
with nature,

because some species of the
Red Sea are already endangered.

One of them, the
beautiful sea turtle.

One of the Red Sea's
largest inhabitants

is passing us right
here, the sea turtle.

Even though it is
longer than 1.5 meters

and weighs more than 200 kg,

it manages to daintily
float through the water.

Here, it truly is
in its element.

The sea turtle seems to
glide through the water

like a bird glides in the air.

Even though it can move onshore,

it spends almost its
entire life underwater.

Sea turtles are not
faithful to a habitat,

meaning that they do not have
one specific place to live.

Every year, it travels
enormous distances in the sea.

When sea turtles
are still young,

they feed on crayfish,
jellyfish and fish eggs.

But when they get older,
they become vegetarians.

Sea turtles can
live up to 50 years.

As I said, the sea turtles
are an endangered species.

The main reason: in a
lot of Asian countries,

they are known to be a delicacy

and their shells are
often manufactured

into jewelry and lucky charms.

Since 1979, hunting and dealing

with sea turtles
has been illegal.

But still, every year
thousands of them die

because they are
being hunted illegally

or if they accidentally swim
into the shrimp fishing nets.

Among the sea turtle and
the large variety of fish,

the moray eel calls the
Red Sea its home, as well.

They look really
similar to eels.

If you compare them
to the snake eel,

it is hard to see a difference.

Both of them have
long stretched bodies

that are flattened to the sides.

The moray's colors are
usually brown to black-purple.

But species that are living

in tropical regions are really
colorful and noticeable.

Unlike other fish, the
moray does not have pelvic

or pectoral fins, not
even in the larva stage.

They move by meandering.

Due to the structure
of its gills,

the moray eel has to
actively breathe under water.

For this process, it has to
open its mouth, close it again

and then push out the collected
water through its gills.

This behavior often
gets misunderstood

as a threatening gesture
by inexperienced divers,

who may start panicking.

Even though they might look
scary, morays are calm animals.

They sometimes even
allow people to pet them.

One still has to pay attention

to not hold on to them or
make them feel cornered.

In that case they may bite,

which can cause a
painful infection.

In the worst case scenario,

it's even possible
to lose a finger.

Moray eels living in corals

that attract a lot of
tourists often get fed.

This, however,
effects their behavior

and only makes them more
obtrusive and aggressive.

The Red Sea with
its huge coral reef

offers a lot of great
possible hideouts.

Depending on the size
of the moray eel,

it can have several hideouts,

with up to 200 meters
from one another.

Smaller moray species
rarely leave their shelter

and only hunt in
their own caves.

To not cut themselves on the
sharp edges of the corals,

their skin is covered in
a thick layer of mucus.

Moray eels are very
faithful to their home

and only leave it to
hunt and to reproduce.

Something particularly
interesting is the fact

that the moray eel is nocturnal.

This means the moray
can cover itself

in the darkness of the night.

In addition to that,

most of its prey is
resting around this time.

But do fish actually sleep?

For us humans it
might be unimaginable

but most fish don't
possess eyelids

and therefore can't
close their eyes.

Nonetheless they must
rest at night to relax

and restore their energy.

Especially coral reefs with
their countless hideouts

are often used as a shelter,

where the fish can switch
into a kind of stand-by mode

which lowers their
awareness and reaction time.

Here we caught a nocturnal
porcupinefish who was looking

for a shady place he
could rest during the day.

It's really difficult
to say how awake

he must feel right now.

Something we definitely
know, however,

is that fish never really fall
into a state of deep sleep.

They are always
prepared to react

in case of a sudden threat.

That's also why this
porcupinefish flees

as soon as he notices us.

Some species have developed
different kinds of abilities

to reduce the threat
of potential predators.

The porcupinefish is,

just like the puffer
fish, a slow swimmer.

He therefore needs a different
option to protect himself.

Regarding protection,
the puffer fish,

as well as this
white-spotted puffer,

have a truly unique technique.

They can inflate themselves
like a water balloon,

becoming so big that
they don't even fit

in the mouth of many predators.

The bluespotted ribbon tail ray,

who prefers hunting during
the night time or high tide,

covers himself with some sand,

if he wants to rest
well sheltered.

When the sun starts
setting over the Red Sea,

the time for all nocturnal
animals has come.

That means their day begins
when calm time starts

for most other living beings.

Slowly but surely the sun
disappears beyond the horizon

and induces an
idyllic atmosphere.

Even from the
orbit of our Earth,

the region of the Red
Sea looks simply magic.

Beneath the water
surface as well,

we can experience a
completely different world.

The moray eel now starts
its search for prey.

Its big maw and sharp teeth
give it a big advantage

during the hunt, since it's
easier to keep hold of its prey.

If the victim is too big
to be swallowed whole,

the moray can form a knot
around it with its body.

By doing so, the moray can
hold on tight to its meal,

while ripping it into small
pieces with its mouth.

Morays have a great
sense of smell,

which helps them
to track down prey.

They have four nostrils that
are located over their mouth.

These are the best features
to help tell them apart

from the similar-looking eels.

All these abilities and traits

make the moray a very
effective hunter.

And its menu is long.

Because there is no such thing

as a food specialist among them,

morays actually eat
pretty much everything

that consists of meat,
even rotting carcasses.

But still, bigger
morays are pretty modest

about the search for food

and so only go hunting once
every two or three nights.

Other animals deal
with the darkness

in a totally different way.

These triggerfish, for example,

hide in caves and
crevices at dusk.

There, they can use
their trigger mechanism

to clip on to the underground

and not drift in
the water current.

Sea turtles as well, sometimes
use the technique of wedging

to get some rest somewhere
without getting disturbed.

This is mostly what they do

when they feel molested
by other big creatures.

For example, pushy divers
that swim after them

for a long time,
trying to film them.

Well, at least the turtle's
look tells us very clearly,

and we obviously
want to respect that.

Sea turtles also do not
have the special luxury

of being able to
rest in the dark.

Especially for turtles
living in open waters,

the night is a peculiar matter.

During the breeding season,
they only swim by night

and travel around 2,000
kilometers eastwards.

They are heading to the
beach of their birth,

using the Earth's magnetic
field to orientate.

When they have
reached that target,

they dig a hole in which
they lay their eggs,

all in the darkness
of the night.

Optically, their eggs
look really similar

to birds' and chicken eggs.

During breeding time, countless
turtles lay their eggs

on the same beach,

where they can then
be hatched by the sun.

Interestingly, this is the point

when the sex of the
offspring is determined.

If temperatures are lower

than 29.9 degrees
Centigrade, it's male.

If they're hotter, it is female.

Because all the eggs have been
laid at about the same time,

there are a lot of
baby turtles hatching

at the end of the
breeding season.

[gentle instrumental music]

This means that more
of them have the chance

to survive their difficult
and exhausting first journey

into the ocean, because
on their way there,

they can get eaten
by other animals.

Seagulls especially,
but also ravens

and various land animals,
for example, raccoons.

The small and soft turtle
babies are a tempting snack

for those animals.

But when all of
them hatch at once,

even hungry predators
get replete quickly

because, obviously,

they can only eat what
fits in their stomachs.

In that way, these
small sea turtles

hopefully go
successfully on their way

and contribute to the raising

of the sea turtle's
decreasing population.

When looking at the
turtle swimming,

we can truly only wish to
have these glorious creatures

on our planet forever.

[gentle instrumental music]

Back to the night
in the Red Sea.

The nocturnal predators
are coming out.

One of them is the
bluespotted ribbontail ray.

On the menu today: shellfish,
crayfish and starfish.

Rays feel very comfortable

on the soft seafloor
40 meters deep.

Stingrays have the habit of
burying themselves in the sand,

so they cannot be seen while
they are waiting for prey.

Sometimes they
just do it to rest.

The bluespotted ribbontail
ray is easily distinguishable

from other ray species by his
color and special blue dots.

He can change their intensity
if he wants to hide.

Buried and with low
color intensity,

he is almost impossible to spot.

What's good for the stingray

can easily ruin a nice vacation.

The ray reacts
within a split second

with a sting using
his venomous thorn.

The poison is not deadly,

but the thorn can
injure internal organs.

Visitors should be
very careful in places

with high a stingray population.

Big relatives of the stingray

behave a little bit differently.

For example, the
spotted eagleray.

He has more similarities
with the good old manta ray.

Both like to swim in deeper
water, especially at night.

During the day, they can
be seen near the surface,

also closer to the coast.

Mostly just to warm up.

He has a blackish,
dark blue color,

with a white stain pattern on
the top of his rhomboid body.

His belly is white with
some random dark stains.

Measuring from tail to head,

they can reach over 3.3 meters
long and three meters wide.

On their tail is a sting
with barbs placed on it

to defend themselves
against enemies.

Let's hope that he does not
have to use it on his way down

into the darker
and deeper water.

Also, we get to meet
the porcupinefish again.

Finally he is moving.

Now we can see his
special way of swimming.

He is not using his
tail as a drive.

He is using it for steering.

For thrust he is
using his breastfins.

To defend himsel, mother
nature gave him, besides

little spikes on his body, a,
for fish, deadly poison.

Even humans who eat
parts of the fish

that have traces of poison
are in danger of dying.

Contact can lead to
paralysis, or even death.

Good for the porcupine fish
that we are not here to eat him.

Let's leave him alone
because the night is short.

The calm night and beautiful
silence is truly romantic.

Even the moray eels
realize and appreciate it.

They go out at night to
look for possible partners.

But how do corals reproduce?

Most soft corals
are male or female.

But a small number of
them is hermaphrodite.

Depending on the species,

there are two different
ways of reproduction.

The first method
is the ejaculation

of the ova and
sperms into the water

where they both meet.

The chance for the successful
pollination is very low.

That's why everything has

to be perfectly timed
and coordinated.

In the case of success,

the larvae then float in
the water and drift away.

If they land on free
reefs or stones,

they will transform
to normal polyps

and start spreading
into a big colony.

The second method is a
little bit different.

The coral only ejaculates
the sperms which float

in the water until they
hit the ova on other coral,

which never left the coral.

The fertilized ovum
evolves into a ready polyp.

It will not be repelled

in the water until
it is fully evolved.

The time of day does not
play a role for the coral.

While the sun is rising, lots
of inhabitants of the reef

get into their regular
day-to-day rhythm.

The Moray eel now
has time to relax

after filling his stomach and
getting back to his home cave.

Already waiting:
a cleaner wrasse.

The fish climbs
in the eels mouth

and eats the remaining
food off its teeth.

It is an advantage for both.

The moray eel has clean teeth
and the cleaner wrasse is fed.

Most fish that live in this reef

are getting really active now.

In this environment, as a fish,

you have a strategic advantage

if you stay in groups or swarms.

Not only birds
live in big groups.

Fish do it as well.

But not every swarm
stays the whole year.

Some fish only group up
for a couple of months,

some only if the
situation requires it.

Swarms can be separated
into two different types.

The proper and the irregular.

The jack mackerel, butterflyfish

and the bigeyes belong
to the proper type.

The pure swarm
includes mostly fish

of the same species and age

and always has the
same number of members.

If one member is left alone,

they seem stressed,
confused and disorientated.

Quite the contrary if
they are in the company

of the rest of the group.

Everything is well coordinated.

They stay organized
due to communication

between each other.

That's why the distance
between the fish

and the speed always
stays the same.

Proper swarms can be
found in salty waters.

They live under the constant
pressure of predators.

The coloring is perfectly
adapted to the swarm life

and a big advantage
for the fish.

It's supposed to
confuse enemies.

Besides the proper swarm there
is also the irregular swarm,

which has several similarities
to the first type.

They are also known as
groupfish because of their habit

of only gathering if
predators are nearby.

Fish of various different
species and age can be found

in such a swarm.

Even if the fish are left
alone they can get along

as well as they
did in the group.

Irregular swarms live
mostly in freshwater.

Swimming in groups or
swarms holds the advantage

that it is more likely to
survive an attack by a predator.

It is much harder for one fish
alone to escape the enemy,

because for predators,
focusing on only one is easier

than on all of them at once.

In addition, the high
number of members

in the swarm helps
spot offenders faster.

But ironically, this
vast amount of fish

also attracts enemies
and predators.

Swarm formation is
actually only profitable

when the habitat is large,

food portions are widely spread

and big enough to provide
for the whole group.

But swarms are useful
for hunting, though.

When using techniques like
encircling or pushing,

prey can be caught much
more easily and faster.

For us as observers,

these totally mixed swarms
obviously provide one kind

of selfish advantage.

They are just incredibly
beautiful to look at.

It is amazing how many abilities
and strategies you can find

in the reef's creatures that
are all sharing one habitat

but are using it in
totally different ways.

Through diversity, a giant
kind of organism is created

in which the smallest component
adds its part to the puzzle,

which is even more than just
the sum of its component parts.

Our trip through the
reef is over now.

But the Red Sea is
always worth a visit.

In the variety of
its inhabitants,

there's always something
new to discover.

On that note, good
bye and see you.