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00:00:41,792 --> 00:00:42,960
- West Papua.
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Nowhere else does the sea
pulse with so much life.
3
00:03:47,728 --> 00:03:49,271
- In West Papua,
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a unique boat
visits many islands,
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bringing something
wonderful to each.
6
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The Kalabia is a
floating school,
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where children of the
islands learn about the reefs
8
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they all depend on.
9
00:04:49,498 --> 00:04:53,001
A 13-year-old boy,
Jawi, has been chosen
10
00:04:53,043 --> 00:04:54,753
to spend the summer
on this boat.
11
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- Tomorrow we'll
start classes on the Kalabia.
12
00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:02,469
But today we sing.
13
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- Jawi, welcome back.
14
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- My uncle Menas is
a teacher on the Kalabia.
15
00:05:16,399 --> 00:05:20,445
- Everywhere we go,
the children get so excited.
16
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We use songs and games to teach
students about the oceans.
17
00:05:34,334 --> 00:05:37,379
- My dad brings
the old days back to life.
18
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He makes it fun.
19
00:05:44,511 --> 00:05:47,472
When he runs out of
paint he uses toothpaste.
20
00:05:50,475 --> 00:05:52,185
- Jawi's father
died when he was two,
21
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so we took him in.
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He's a foster child, but
I love him like my own.
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I teach him about our heritage.
24
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The past seems strange
to kids like me.
25
00:06:16,251 --> 00:06:19,379
But my dad says there's
wisdom in the old ways.
26
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- In our village
we all depend on each other.
27
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We belong together.
28
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Just like these villagers.
29
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- Jawi's uncle Menas
takes the Kalabia students
30
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on field trips.
31
00:06:55,248 --> 00:06:57,751
He tries to teach these
children of the reef
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00:06:57,792 --> 00:07:00,253
something new about
their own back yard.
33
00:07:17,354 --> 00:07:21,566
There's a great diversity
of healthy corals here.
34
00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:24,361
But Menas shows the
class that the big fish
35
00:07:24,402 --> 00:07:27,364
they depend on for
food are almost gone.
36
00:07:34,746 --> 00:07:37,415
- Corals eat
tiny plants and animals
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called plankton.
38
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They're like an
upside-down octopus,
39
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grabbing food as it passes by.
40
00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:53,807
- I love this game.
41
00:07:53,848 --> 00:07:55,934
It shows my friends
how corals eat.
42
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They reach out like coral
polyps and get peanuts.
43
00:08:03,566 --> 00:08:04,651
Plankton peanuts.
44
00:08:27,424 --> 00:08:29,926
Tomorrow I'll be leaving
on a long journey.
45
00:08:33,138 --> 00:08:36,349
But I want one last day
with my two best friends.
46
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We plan our day around
the tides and currents
47
00:08:59,414 --> 00:09:01,624
because we can only get
through here at low tide,
48
00:09:02,584 --> 00:09:03,501
like right now.
49
00:09:07,672 --> 00:09:10,258
Sometimes this cave
fills up with water.
50
00:09:25,607 --> 00:09:27,275
I don't say this to anyone,
51
00:09:29,569 --> 00:09:32,697
but maybe I'm just a little
bit afraid to leave home.
52
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I'm the oldest, and
kind of the leader.
53
00:09:41,873 --> 00:09:44,584
The youngest is Jacob.
54
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He's not afraid of anything.
55
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And Gibson?
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Everything we do
makes him laugh.
57
00:09:54,594 --> 00:09:57,514
Clams and snails live
here in the mangroves.
58
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That's what we're after.
59
00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,783
We roast the clams and
snails inside a bamboo stick.
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It's good.
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- Fishing
keeps us alive,
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00:11:08,251 --> 00:11:11,629
but the big fish are
disappearing fast.
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00:11:11,671 --> 00:11:15,633
Outsiders are sneaking in
and poaching our reefs.
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And development is coming.
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00:11:18,845 --> 00:11:22,098
So Jawi needs to find new
ways to protect our reefs.
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00:11:28,688 --> 00:11:31,357
- I've never been
away from home before.
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00:11:33,526 --> 00:11:35,445
Two months is a long time.
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00:11:55,924 --> 00:11:57,634
- The
Kalabia will take Jawi
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00:11:57,675 --> 00:11:59,385
to nine islands in West Papua.
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00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:05,433
This island chain
forms a narrow funnel
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00:12:05,475 --> 00:12:07,810
between the Indian
and Pacific Oceans.
72
00:12:11,189 --> 00:12:13,775
Tidal currents sweep
back and forth,
73
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bearing a rich source of food.
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00:12:21,824 --> 00:12:24,744
- In the old days,
a boy went on a long voyage
75
00:12:24,786 --> 00:12:25,536
to become a man.
76
00:12:27,455 --> 00:12:31,584
I hope this trip will teach
Jawi to think for himself.
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Poachers once used the
Kalabia to fish illegally.
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It was impounded and repainted,
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and now helps young islanders
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understand how to
care for their reefs.
81
00:12:57,110 --> 00:12:59,904
- My dad says,
dive every reef,
82
00:12:59,946 --> 00:13:01,823
because each one is different.
83
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A seahorse.
84
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My first.
85
00:13:20,425 --> 00:13:22,010
- The last
time I dove this reef
86
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there were more fish.
87
00:13:27,682 --> 00:13:33,146
In all the oceans the number
of big fish has dropped 90%.
88
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And it's almost as
bad for sea turtles.
89
00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:41,237
So we were lucky to see one.
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00:13:49,454 --> 00:13:51,247
- Like any village,
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00:13:51,289 --> 00:13:53,958
a coral reef has its
fair share of characters.
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This hawksbill turtle
is just passing through
93
00:14:00,048 --> 00:14:03,009
on her way to the
island of Kalimantan,
94
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a thousand miles away.
95
00:14:10,933 --> 00:14:12,977
All her life she
remains a nomad.
96
00:14:15,563 --> 00:14:18,399
A hungry nomad,
who avoids crowds.
97
00:14:25,406 --> 00:14:28,284
Certain other characters,
like the lined sweetlips,
98
00:14:29,911 --> 00:14:30,870
prefer company.
99
00:14:47,470 --> 00:14:49,639
Hawksbill turtles have no teeth,
100
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just a horny beak.
101
00:14:54,894 --> 00:14:56,479
But they will eat
almost anything.
102
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They never stop.
103
00:15:12,245 --> 00:15:14,997
- Sea turtles
are disappearing,
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00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:19,001
but I told Jawi there are
things we can do to save them.
105
00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:22,505
- The
scientist on board,
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00:15:22,547 --> 00:15:25,341
Ferdiel Ballamu, is an
expert on sea turtles.
107
00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:32,432
Even though turtles
bury their eggs in sand,
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00:15:32,473 --> 00:15:34,976
wild animals dig
them up and eat them.
109
00:15:36,769 --> 00:15:39,480
- Sometimes,
the only way
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to protect the turtle eggs
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is to move them to a safe place.
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- The
next island, Arborek,
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is vulnerable to
storms and high tides.
114
00:15:57,957 --> 00:16:02,170
Its highest point is only
six feet above sea level.
115
00:16:31,908 --> 00:16:34,160
The people here
love their island,
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and don't want to
live anywhere else.
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00:16:38,748 --> 00:16:41,167
Mangroves protect
beaches from storms.
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That's why the Islanders
plant saplings.
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00:16:47,632 --> 00:16:50,218
But even mangroves
cannot protect Arborek
120
00:16:50,259 --> 00:16:52,053
against rising sea levels.
121
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- The mangrove
roots clean the waters.
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Young fish hide here
so they can grow.
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The more mangroves,
the more fish.
124
00:17:12,198 --> 00:17:13,366
- The currents
that nourish the mangroves
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00:17:13,407 --> 00:17:15,701
also attract
extraordinary creatures
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from many miles around.
127
00:17:45,064 --> 00:17:47,525
Manta rays hang in the
currents like gliders
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so the cleaner fish
can groom them.
129
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The rays get rid of
parasites on their skin
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00:17:57,868 --> 00:18:00,079
and the fish get a tasty snack.
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00:18:20,099 --> 00:18:24,020
This ray has a big chunk
missing, from a shark bite.
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00:18:24,061 --> 00:18:26,147
She lets her groomers
clean the wound.
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00:18:29,609 --> 00:18:33,613
One helper even nibbles
on the manta's eyeball.
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00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:46,459
In West Papua the rhythm of life
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is driven by the currents.
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In tight spots
between the islands
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00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:56,052
the sea flows
fast, like a river.
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00:19:02,391 --> 00:19:03,225
And at full moon,
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00:19:04,769 --> 00:19:06,771
that's when the
currents run strongest.
140
00:19:16,947 --> 00:19:21,911
These strong currents turn the
seawater into plankton soup.
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00:19:22,787 --> 00:19:23,663
A real feast for the mantas.
142
00:19:42,056 --> 00:19:45,893
Here, at the convergence
of two great oceans,
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00:19:45,935 --> 00:19:49,730
schools of anchovies grow in
size when it's time to spawn.
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Attracting hungry predators.
145
00:21:36,378 --> 00:21:40,424
Scientists are mapping the many
deep canyons of West Papua,
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00:21:40,466 --> 00:21:44,136
where upwelling currents carry
vast quantities of plankton.
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00:21:46,222 --> 00:21:47,264
All these nutrients
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00:21:47,306 --> 00:21:51,185
sustain an amazing
diversity of sea life.
149
00:21:51,227 --> 00:21:54,522
Over 500 different
kinds of corals
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00:21:54,563 --> 00:21:57,191
and nearly 2,000
species of fish.
151
00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,069
More than anywhere
else on earth.
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- I'm seeing some
animals I've never seen before.
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Like an orangutan crab.
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It makes me laugh.
155
00:22:31,559 --> 00:22:33,227
The seahorse is tiny.
156
00:22:34,436 --> 00:22:36,480
There's a second seahorse,
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00:22:36,522 --> 00:22:37,898
which I almost didn't spot.
158
00:22:49,535 --> 00:22:51,036
Not all sharks are dangerous.
159
00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:54,498
The wobbegong shark
just wants to hide.
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This one's pregnant, and
she is as gentle as a puppy.
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- The Kalabia
sets course for Wermon,
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a nesting ground
for sea turtles.
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- I showed
Jawi one turtle,
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but now he'll see some big ones.
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20 times bigger.
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00:23:27,489 --> 00:23:30,492
- Because of his
success saving sea turtles,
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00:23:30,534 --> 00:23:33,704
Ferdiel has been invited to
Wermon to share his know-how.
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00:23:35,247 --> 00:23:37,708
- The turtles
that nest here are huge.
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00:23:39,001 --> 00:23:41,503
So it takes a large
scale to weigh them.
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00:23:41,545 --> 00:23:44,590
And it takes a large
man to test the scale.
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- Scientists
call this beach
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00:24:01,231 --> 00:24:04,109
the last stand of the
Pacific leatherback turtle.
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00:24:16,789 --> 00:24:20,084
This mother swam all the
way from North America,
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6,000 miles, to the
beach where she was born.
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She will not nest anywhere else.
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- Red lights
don't disturb her.
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She can't see red.
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00:24:40,521 --> 00:24:43,983
In the past four years
she has really grown,
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and now weighs 500 pounds.
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The mother digs a
hole two feet deep,
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and lays about a hundred eggs.
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The newborns can walk
as soon as they hatch.
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They somehow imprint
on this exact beach,
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like setting their internal GPS.
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Then they begin a
dangerous journey.
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Only one in 10
makes it to the sea.
187
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- Birds and lizards
eat almost every baby turtle.
188
00:25:48,297 --> 00:25:50,674
But sometimes you get lucky.
189
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- Despite
their struggles,
190
00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:03,645
sea turtles still have a chance.
191
00:26:04,980 --> 00:26:08,776
New fishing equipment,
like the circle hook,
192
00:26:08,817 --> 00:26:11,028
is saving them by the thousands.
193
00:26:21,538 --> 00:26:24,208
- The Kalabia
moves to the island of Misool.
194
00:26:26,460 --> 00:26:29,004
Years ago, when Andy
and Merit Miners
195
00:26:29,046 --> 00:26:31,090
came here for the first time,
196
00:26:31,131 --> 00:26:33,509
they saw big reefs all around.
197
00:26:36,261 --> 00:26:37,554
But where were the fish?
198
00:26:41,308 --> 00:26:43,060
The villagers were overfishing,
199
00:26:44,770 --> 00:26:47,689
and the outsiders were getting
their catch the easy way.
200
00:26:53,237 --> 00:26:53,946
With dynamite.
201
00:26:56,824 --> 00:26:58,659
To bring the big fish back,
202
00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:01,328
Andy and Merit made the
fisherman an offer of help.
203
00:27:02,830 --> 00:27:04,873
Get the outsiders
to stop dynamiting.
204
00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:08,043
Limit your fishing.
205
00:27:08,085 --> 00:27:11,338
And establish a permanent
marine protected area.
206
00:27:17,803 --> 00:27:20,097
If you work with us,
your reefs will thrive.
207
00:27:21,306 --> 00:27:22,808
And so will your families.
208
00:27:28,272 --> 00:27:31,316
The villagers
agreed, and steadily,
209
00:27:31,358 --> 00:27:34,987
over the next five years,
the big fish came back.
210
00:27:59,845 --> 00:28:01,972
- Here there
are plenty of big fish.
211
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,644
I saw that this no-take
zone was working so well
212
00:28:07,686 --> 00:28:08,812
because they patrol it.
213
00:28:23,076 --> 00:28:26,121
- Here, the fishermen
who once broke the rules
214
00:28:26,163 --> 00:28:28,290
now enforce them
in patrol boats.
215
00:28:29,791 --> 00:28:31,460
They put a stop to
illegal fishing.
216
00:28:32,794 --> 00:28:34,504
And on the very spot
that the poachers
217
00:28:34,546 --> 00:28:35,797
once pitched their camp,
218
00:28:36,757 --> 00:28:38,759
Andy and Merit
build their dream.
219
00:28:40,886 --> 00:28:44,640
A resort to sustain both
the reefs and the islanders.
220
00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:49,519
The villagers now
make a better living
221
00:28:49,561 --> 00:28:50,979
working with tourists
who come here
222
00:28:51,021 --> 00:28:53,273
to dive these revitalized reefs.
223
00:29:05,535 --> 00:29:07,829
- I saw how a marine
protected area works,
224
00:29:07,871 --> 00:29:08,997
and how to guard it.
225
00:29:14,294 --> 00:29:16,922
I understood why the big
fish were disappearing
226
00:29:17,881 --> 00:29:18,715
from our reef at home.
227
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:22,594
And I finally knew what
we could do about it.
228
00:29:27,891 --> 00:29:30,644
My dad says there's
wisdom in the old ways.
229
00:29:34,273 --> 00:29:35,983
And a wise fisherman
230
00:29:36,024 --> 00:29:38,777
always leaves some
fish for another day.
231
00:29:38,819 --> 00:29:41,363
That's the old way.
232
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,218
The stone fish.
233
00:30:03,260 --> 00:30:05,012
You don't want to
touch one of those.
234
00:30:07,389 --> 00:30:08,807
His venom can kill you.
235
00:30:15,647 --> 00:30:19,776
I learned this: protect the
reef and it'll sing to you.
236
00:30:58,648 --> 00:31:00,942
- This colorful
chorus has shown Jawi
237
00:31:00,984 --> 00:31:03,236
how a well-managed
reef can thrive.
238
00:31:23,465 --> 00:31:25,509
- Just before
we left Misool,
239
00:31:25,550 --> 00:31:27,344
I got a letter from home.
240
00:31:29,638 --> 00:31:32,641
- Learn all you
can, never hold back.
241
00:31:32,682 --> 00:31:34,017
We all miss you.
242
00:31:34,976 --> 00:31:36,311
Love, your father.
243
00:31:41,733 --> 00:31:44,444
- The final stop
will be Cenderawasih Bay,
244
00:31:46,029 --> 00:31:47,572
where the whale sharks gather.
245
00:31:57,874 --> 00:32:01,586
In all the oceans, these
are the biggest sharks.
246
00:32:01,628 --> 00:32:03,171
Well over 40 feet long.
247
00:32:06,007 --> 00:32:08,969
There are even
reports of 60-footers.
248
00:32:16,893 --> 00:32:18,103
- Here I'll
have the chance
249
00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:19,229
to dive with whale sharks.
250
00:32:22,566 --> 00:32:23,525
I've never seen one.
251
00:32:27,070 --> 00:32:28,238
I think they must be scary.
252
00:32:41,042 --> 00:32:45,464
The harder I try not to
think about whale sharks,
253
00:32:45,505 --> 00:32:48,467
the more I think
about whale sharks.
254
00:32:54,097 --> 00:32:57,851
Uncle Menas says whale
sharks won't hurt me.
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I don't know.
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00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:15,577
- The commercial
fishermen feed the whale sharks
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some of their catch to
keep them hanging around.
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They're considered good luck.
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- I wonder if they
could swallow me by mistake.
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Now I wonder why I was ever
afraid of whale sharks.
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00:36:12,962 --> 00:36:14,673
- Jawi's
journey is nearly over.
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00:36:15,924 --> 00:36:18,176
But the Kalabia's
work continues.
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Inspiring a
generation of children
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to care for the ocean.
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In just two months Jawi has seen
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how a revitalized
reef sustains itself.
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00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:35,628
And he has learned that the
more you understand a reef
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the better you can protect it.
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00:37:48,475 --> 00:37:51,436
- We have concerns,
but scientists tell us
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there's no other place like
this anywhere on earth.
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00:37:57,275 --> 00:38:00,403
I'm thankful that the
future of our islands
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belongs to the
children of the reef.
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00:38:10,371 --> 00:38:12,624
- pretty soon
it will be up to me,
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00:38:13,458 --> 00:38:15,460
and Gibson, and Jacob.
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And that's why my dad
sent me on this journey.