Nature's Strangest Mysteries: Solved (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 13 - Cuddly Shark - full transcript

Narrator: Why would a shark
give someone a hug?

Most sharks would never do that.

Riskin: If I saw a big
tiger shark coming toward me,

I would wet my wet suit.

Narrator: What's with these
piggies paddling in paradise?

Why, in an uninhabited island
in the bahamas,

Are pigs suddenly swimming?

Narrator:
And is this plastic pollution...

Seeing that on that big a scale
is amazing.

Narrator:
...Or something else?

These are living creatures.



Narrator:
Nature is awe-inspiring,

But, sometimes,
it just doesn't make sense.

I have never seen
anything like this!

Our team of experts investigate

The weirdest animal behavior...

That's amazing.

...And the most
unexpected events...

What is causing that?

...Ever caught on camera.

Man #2: My god!

These are nature's
strangest mysteries, solved.

♪

Grand bahama.

Known for
its abundant marine life,



This caribbean island
is a magnet for divers

Who visit to explore
its spectacular reefs.

♪

It's also home to one of the
ocean's most fearsome killers,

A tiger shark.

Sharks are scary,
and for good reason.

They're giant fish
with huge teeth

That can really take
a bite out of you.

Narrator:
With a reputation

For eating almost anything
in its path,

The tiger shark is among the
largest and deadliest predators

In the ocean,

Second only to the great white
in fatal attacks on humans.

♪

November 2014.

A diving tour guide,
jim abernethy,

Gets an unexpected visit
from a female tiger shark.

What happens next
is extraordinary.

The predator comes in...

...For a snuggle.

♪

I've been diving
with large predatory sharks...

Tigers, great hammerheads,
bulls, oceanic whitetips...

For decades.

I had no idea of the things
that I would discover.

Narrator: Our experts
are equally surprised.

This is very strange because
most sharks would never do that.

♪

This is weird.

I mean, if I saw
a big tiger shark like that

Coming toward me
out of the depths,

I would wet my wet suit.

But it's not aggressive,
and it's swimming up to this guy

And letting him rub its nose,

And then going away
for a minute,

And then coming back
and getting more nose rubs.

What is going on?

Narrator:
This shark returned six times

For more rubbing.

She chases me down,
as you can see,

In anticipation
of getting her head rubbed.

Conley: Why would the shark
want to do this?

Why would it interact in such
a friendly, playful manner

With this human?

Narrator: What could be
behind this bizarre behavior

From one of the ocean's
most dangerous predators?

Does the shark think the diver
could provide

Some personal maintenance?

So, there are
a few different reasons

That this might be happening.

One is that the shark might be
just getting clean.

Fish have these things called
"cleaner stations,"

Where a big fish swims
into an area

And a bunch of little fish
come and clean it off.

Nosal: So, sometimes,

A shark may come to
one of these cleaning stations,

Stay there,
maybe even open its mouth,

And allow fish to pick little
parasites out of its gums.

Riskin: Basically, the big fish
promises not to bite anybody,

And the little fish,
you know, clean off the gills

And then go away,
and then the big fish swims on.

So there's a theory that maybe
the shark is using the diver

As some sort
of cleaning station,

Thinking that he's going to come
and rub off

Any kind of parasite
on his nose.

The cleaning theory I like
and I want to believe it,

But I don't think
that's what's happening.

Nosal: Typically,
a big shark would just wait

While the fish
or the little shrimp

Do their cleaning job.

Riskin:
The shark keeps moving,

And that's not what big fish do.

This fish is coming up,

It's rubbing against the guy,
it's interacting,

And then it's swimming off
and then coming back.

It's acting like a dog
at a dog park.

It's not acting like a fish
at a cleaner station.

[ Beeps ]

Narrator: If the tiger shark
isn't coming to get groomed,

Could it be stimulating
one of its unique senses?

Riskin: Sharks can sense
the electrical signals

That come out
of the muscles of fish,

So the nose of a shark

Has all these
crazy little holes in it

Filled with gel,

And they're electroreceptors.

♪

Conley: They can actually
sense heartbeats

Since the heartbeat creates
a current of electricity,

And rubbing the nose
where these organs are found

Can be stimulant
to those organs.

So it's possible that this is
some sort of enjoyment

That it's getting
from being petted.

Narrator: But there's
something fishy about this idea.

The theory that this shark
is trying to get its nose rubbed

So that it, you know, sets off
the electrical receptors...

It doesn't smell right.

I mean, if that were something
that sharks were into,

You would see sharks
doing this more often.

You would see sharks doing it
to each other.

You would definitely see sharks
rubbing up against other people.

Narrator: So why is the shark
behaving this way?

It turns out jim had met
this fearsome fish before.

Abernethy:
I named the shark "tarantino"

Because it had stolen
one of my friend's cameras.

Whoa! That's crazy.

These two know each other.

♪

Narrator: Two years earlier,

The pair had
their first encounter.

Abernethy:
I was underwater with 10 divers.

When tarantino first swam
into my area,

I noticed that she had
this huge hook

Going through the top
of her jaw.

Oh, god, I just felt so sad
for this poor shark

That I thought,
"I've got to try to help her."

I was able to remove that hook.

She actually left, and I didn't
see her for quite some time.

Narrator: Then, in 2014,
something amazing happens...

They meet up again.

Abernethy: Suddenly,
a tiger shark was coming in,

And I quickly realized
that this is my friend

That I hadn't seen in two years,
tarantino.

♪

With tarantino, if you look
at very closely at her scars,

It's very easy
to recognize this shark.

I rubbed her head,
smothering her with affection.

Riskin: This shark remembers

That something good
happened there,

And... Whatever's going on
and its shark brain

Tells it to come over and rub
this guy's hands with its nose.

Narrator: The very fact that
tarantino remembers abernethy

Brings up all kinds
of new questions.

Riskin: That means the shark
recognizes not a diver,

But it recognizes him.

Do the electroreceptors
pick up something about him

That's different
from other people?

Nosal: There could actually be
some sensory signature

That they're cueing into.

It could actually be using
the combination

Of electrical signals,
smells, and sight

To recognize individual people.

Riskin:
It brings up the whole question

Of how sharks perceive
the world,

Which I think is a really
neat thing to think about.

Narrator: Sharks are often
thought to have tiny brains.

The truth is,
for a fish of their size,

They have one of the biggest
brain-to-body ratios.

♪

Sharks are certainly smarter

Than most humans
would give them credit for.

And it's not beyond reason that,
in the wild,

They could make
certain connections.

Narrator:
So, should this encounter

Change the way we interact
with sharks?

Abernethy:
By making friends with the shark

And actually allowing the shark
to gain a sense of trust,

They swim right up to me.

People think of them
as these killing machines,

And that's just not the case.

Narrator: However...

Experts agree it pays
to remain extremely cautious.

I would never recommend
touching a shark.

Riskin:
They don't want to bite people,

But, sometimes,
they make mistakes.

And the problem is that
that little bite it took

Leaves you bleeding terribly,
and you die from your wounds.

That's why they're
kind of dangerous.

[ Beeping ]

Narrator:
Elsewhere in the bahamas,

In exuma cays...

♪

...There's a creature
swimming in the turquoise water

That seems better suited to the
farmyard than the caribbean sea.

[ Snorts ]

♪

Schreiber: So,
we all know that pigs can fly.

Citation needed.

But why, in an uninhabited
island in the bahamas,

Are pigs suddenly swimming?

I mean, what is going on there?

Why on earth
are they doing this?

♪

Narrator: In exuma cays,

There are dozens
of paddling pigs.

But swine are not
usually seen swimming.

♪

So, what's going on?

♪

Wildlife biologist

And host of animal planet's
"extinct or alive?"

Forrest galante

Has seen these porcine wonders
firsthand

And thinks he knows
how they ended up here.

♪

These pigs were dropped off
on this one particular cay

In the exumas for food,

And the idea was sailors
would come by

And go on the island,
hunt a pig,

Throw it on the ship,
and eat it.

Narrator:
Over time, legend has it

The pigs were forgotten
by the sailors

And began swimming
on the island.

This piggy paradise
charmed forrest so much,

He brought his future wife,
jessica, here to say "I do."

♪

[ laughs ]

[ Camera shutter clicks ]

I mean, to go to the perfect
tropical island destination

And have swimming pigs and
men and speedos at your wedding

Is a pretty good...
[ laughs ]

...That's
a pretty good way to start.

It's pretty cool
that we got to go

Swim with pigs
on our wedding day.

[ Both laugh ]

♪

I think the thing
that kind of struck me

Is pigs are typically
farm animals...

That's how you think of them.

[ Pigs squealing ]

So, to see these pigs
running along the beach

Is strange enough.

Then, actually, to see them
venture in the water,

It's just...
It's kind of mind-blowing.

You don't really expect it.

♪

Narrator: So, why are the pigs
taking to the water?

Maybe these hogs
can't take the heat.

Cooke:
Could it be to cool down?

Well, this is the bahamas.

It does get extremely hot.

While they're walking on the
sand,

Their trotters might be boiling,

The sun might be blasting down
on them...

Jump in the ocean,
and you can cool down.

[ Snorting ]

Narrator: With an average
annual temperature

Of almost 80 degrees fahrenheit,

Swimming sounds like
an ideal way to cool off.

So, is that what they're doing?

Schreiber:
That's a very plausible theory,

Except for the fact that that
particular island in the bahamas

Is packed with puddles of mud,
lots of shade.

There are plenty of places to go
if they're boiling.

Cooke: So they don't have to go
into the salty sea

In order to stay cool.

♪

Narrator: Maybe they're swimming
in search of supper.

Could the pigs be scavenging
for food or even fishing?

Well, pigs are
opportunistic omnivores.

[ Snorting ]

They will eat

Pretty much anything they
can fit into their mouths...

Vegetable roots, fruits,
seeds, berries, vegetation...

More or less,
anything digestible.

Narrator:
And, of course, being pigs,

They aren't picky.

Insects, seaweed,
and even snakes

Will all serve
as mealtime munchies.

[ Pig snorts ]

So, could fresh seafood be
behind these aquatic adventures?

That's a particular
favorite theory of mine

Because it would suggest that
they're scuba-diving pigs.

But can they catch live fish?

♪

They've never been observed
doing that,

So, unh-unh... I don't think so.

So we're gonna have to knock
that theory out, as well.

♪

Narrator: Maybe they're swimming
to pastures new.

Well, they're not the only
surprising animal to do it.

Kangaroos are also in the act.

They've been seen
crossing water.

♪

Interesting fact... they swim
using doggy-paddle style.

And that's true.
[ chuckles ]

Narrator: Well, kind of.

They also used their long tail
to propel themselves forward,

All in an effort
to find new terrain.

♪

♪

♪

So, are these pigs swimming
to another island?

It seems farfetched,
but it could happen.

That's a very exciting theory
because, contrary to belief,

Pigs are actually really good
at swimming.

You don't think it,

But they have the ability
to go quite far.

Narrator: It turns out
their close relatives,

The wild boar,
are olympic swimmers

And can land up
in the most unexpected places.

♪

In July 2016,
one emerged from the baltic sea.

Much to the surprise
of beachgoers.

♪

Boar are also seen swimming
in the ionian islands in greece

Between the islands to get food.

Cooke: So it's possible that
a pig could swim the distance

From one island to another.

But what would be
the motivation?

Narrator: Well, for a pig,

There's only ever
one motivation.

So the solution, it turns out,
actually is food,

But not quite
how we've been thinking.

There's a food source that's a
lot closer than another island.

Narrator: In exuma cays,
these pigs are in hog heaven.

But swine
aren't often seen swimming.

So, what's the reason
for this behavior?

Turns out, these piggies
have figured out

A little water aerobics

Will lead to
their favorite reward...

Food.

♪

Cooke: Tourists, you see,
come up to the island on boats

And like to feed the pigs.

Schreiber:
What they've, in fact, done

Is they've turned themselves

Into an incredible
tourist attraction

'cause they go into the water

And all the tourists
come around,

Going, "oh, my god!
A swimming pig!"

Cooke:
Pigs are extremely smart,

And they've learnt
the behavior of the tourists.

Narrator: Once these hogs hear
the noise of the motorboats,

They hit the water.
[ engine rumbling ]

[ Pigs squealing ]

Cooke: So the pigs know that,

If they do their little
doggy paddle out to the boats

They're gonna get rewarded
with a tasty treat,

And that's what's
encouraging them to swim.

Narrator: The question is,
have we trained the pigs,

Or have they trained us?

It looks like the pigs
are in charge.

So, they've totally cracked it.

These are very,
very clever pigs.

♪

[ Beeping ]

Narrator:
April 12, 2017, oregon.

There's a mysterious sighting

On the
pacific northwest shoreline.

At first, it looks like
another pollution catastrophe.

Daly: These look like
pieces of plastic.

Seeing that on that big a scale
is amazing.

But when you take a closer look,

It's clear that
these are living creatures.

Narrator: Thousands
of these strange organisms

Have washed ashore.

The question is, what were they,

And why were they stranding
en masse like this?

♪

Narrator: Oregon...
April 12, 2017.

What looks like plastic,
the plague of the seas,

Has washed ashore
in massive amounts.

But, on closer inspection,

They turn out to be
living creatures.

What are
these mysterious blue blobs?

Something that does regularly
wash up on beaches

Is the mermaid's purse.

♪

So, this is the common name
for rays' and skates' egg cases.

They're strong and flexible
because the mermaid purse

Is made up of a combination
of keratin and collagen,

Providing protection
for that single embryo.

The eggs case can rest or drift
on the ocean floor

For up to a year
before it hatches.

Narrator:
But the physical characteristics

Of these egg cases

Don't match what turned up
on the beach in oregon.

Burke: Mermaid's purses

Are thick,
leathery-like structures.

They look nothing like
the blue blobs

That were washed up onshore.

So it's clearly
not what these things are.

Narrator: Mermaid's purses are
just not the same shape or color

As the blue blobs.

But there is something else

That's a dead ringer
for this mysterious organism.

♪

Burke: They look a lot like
a portuguese man-of-war,

Which are also known to strand
en masse on beaches like this.

Daly: And they're unable to move
by themselves,

But, instead, they drift using
the winds and the currents,

And they can be found
in groups of a thousand or more

As they float through the warm
waters in our world's oceans.

So a mass stranding like this
absolutely could be possible.

Narrator:
If this is what these are,

Beachgoers best beware.

Daly: The portuguese man-of-war
have long tentacles,

Which can cause a painful sting,

And it can even be fatal
to humans.

It's a common mistake
for people to think

That portuguese man-of-war
are jellyfish.

But, actually, it's made up of
a colony of individual animals

Known as hydrozoans.

♪

Narrator:
And just like a blue blob,

The portuguese man-of-war

Has an anatomy that floats
on the surface of the water.

They have
this gas-failed bladder.

That helps
a portuguese man-of-war

Sail through the seas.

Narrator:
But there's a key feature

Of this deadly stinger

That doesn't fit
with what washed up in oregon.

Burke:
Portuguese man-of-war

Have much,
much longer tentacles...

So when you take a closer look,

It's a really unlikely solution
to what's going on here.

Narrator: So, what is
the mysterious creature

That showed up in oregon
by the thousands?

Burke: The answer is
that this mass stranding

Is of a species
called "velella velella."

♪

And they're commonly known
as by-the-wind sailors

Because these creatures
are perfectly designed

To sail on the ocean surface

With these beautiful,
transparent structures.

Daly: And amazingly, the angle
at which their sail is bent

Determines which side
of the ocean they live on.

Narrator: This is because

Velella velella
have evolved a shape

That ensures
they are always at sea,

Except when nature
throws a curve ball.

It was el niño.

Narrator:
El niño is the intensifying

Of temperatures in the pacific

That happens
every couple of years,

Which also changes the direction
of wind at the ocean's surface.

2016 was the end
of an el niño cycle,

But its effects were still
being felt months later,

As the winds pushed these
sailing jellies off-course.

This resulted in millions
of these velella velella

Washing up on the beaches

Simply because the wind
caught their sails

In the wrong direction.

Which meant
that they were blown ashore,

Rather than out to sea,
where they really wanted to be.

♪