- 1 day ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:09In the heart of Southeast Asia is an ancient kingdom, with over 3,000 kilometers of coastline.
00:23But beyond its golden shores, there are secret worms, home to mysterious creatures and forest giants.
00:50This is a fast-changing country, where East and West collide.
01:04People and animals must work together to survive, forming unique relationships.
01:18A spiritual land, full of magic and wonder.
01:30This is Thailand.
01:52A wild paradise of limestone casts, golden beaches, and dense forests.
02:03Along this rugged coast are some close-knit families.
02:10A troop of 30 long-tailed macaques has made this their home.
02:29This youngster has relied on his mother for the last six months.
02:34But he's now at an age where he needs a more varied diet.
02:42Trouble is, this is one of Thailand's most extreme locations.
02:55A vertical rock face, 50 meters high.
03:03Up here, good food is scarce.
03:08Bark and leaves provide little energy.
03:15Macaques are the most resourceful and wide-ranging monkeys on Earth.
03:20And have learned to take advantage of every opportunity.
03:28But this one involves a precarious commute.
03:42It's especially risky for a mother carrying an infant.
04:03For a young macaque still learning the ropes,
04:06having a tail longer than your body gives you the edge.
04:10It can both grip and act as a counterbalance.
04:19This daily descent is well worth the effort.
04:29Across Thailand, there are thousands of Buddhist temples.
04:34And families like this get a surprisingly warm welcome.
04:49Thai Buddhists have a unique relationship with nature.
05:06For them, every living thing contributes something to the world
05:10and deserves respect.
05:22This compassionate relationship is the perfect example of a spiritual connection so special
05:29in southern Thailand, where humans are not set apart from nature, but live within it.
05:44There are other welcome benefits for the macaques who visit this temple.
05:49A chance to cool off and have some fun in the heat of the day.
06:05Southern Thailand is a natural paradise for people and animals alike.
06:12Hidden coves and scattered islands give it a total of 3,000 kilometres of coastline.
06:20Its western shores have been carved and shaped by the Andaman Sea.
06:29Here, astonishing limestone casts have been created, towering stacks of ancient shell and coral.
06:42This one stands 50 metres tall.
06:47Once part of the seabed, it was thrust up by extreme geological forces.
06:56The power of the sea and seasonal rains continue to sculpt this dramatic landscape.
07:13Every year, millions of people are drawn here.
07:18Most come to relax.
07:22Others are here for an adrenaline rush.
07:27Aonang Tower stands nearly 100 metres high.
07:35The ultimate challenge for thrill-seekers.
07:45People come from all over the world to climb these extraordinary cliffs.
07:56But the locals have been scaling them for centuries.
08:05And it's not thrills they seek.
08:09It's natural treasure.
08:17These men have their sights set on a cave, hundreds of metres up a vertical cliff face.
08:30Inside, there's a hidden prize.
08:33But reaching it is fraught with danger.
08:44There's no high-tech climbing gear here.
08:46Just old ropes and local knowledge.
08:57They must also navigate a treacherous interior.
09:07A ten-metre drop into total darkness.
09:21This is what they're after.
09:28Tiny, almost translucent, birds' nests.
09:33They may not look much, but in Asia, they're a highly sought-after delicacy.
09:42Eating birds' nest soup is thought to boost the immune system, improve skin complexion, and fight ageing.
09:51It's no wonder one kilogram of nests is worth over $2,000.
10:01Wild nest collecting has been going on for over 500 years.
10:07Recently, the safety and sustainability has been brought into question.
10:13But an unexpected answer was found.
10:22Thousands of loudspeakers in the town of Pakpenang play birdsong at full blast.
10:33Tweeted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
10:42What was once a traditional fishing town is now at the heart of a brand new industry.
10:50Bird nest farming.
10:56Windows have been sealed up.
10:59The darker inside, the better.
11:06All to accommodate a very particular resident.
11:14The edible nest swiftlet.
11:19During the breeding season, the salivary glands of the swifts expand and produce extra thick saliva.
11:29Layer upon layer, over 40 days, the birds craft it into a cup-like nest.
11:42These new nesting sites are helping this bird make a good recovery after years of decline.
11:54Each day, as the swiftlets are out feeding, farmers like Mr. Moo check the nests.
12:06He waits until pears have bred successfully and the chicks have fledged before collecting their precious nests.
12:27The people of Pakpenang have a risk-free, sustainable way to harvest the nests.
12:35And the swiftlets have a new network of nesting sites.
12:45Across southern Thailand, people and animals are finding new ways to live together.
12:52And that sometimes requires a bit of ingenuity.
13:00Over 50 kilometres off the mainland, lie two of the remotest groups of Thai islands.
13:08Similan and Surin.
13:13With crystal clear waters.
13:17And golden beaches.
13:23This place might look like paradise.
13:28But dragons roam these shores.
13:37A giant monitor lizard.
13:42Two metres long.
13:46Looking for food.
13:59It tastes and smells the air with its 30 centimetre tongue.
14:04Sensing even the slightest hint of a meal.
14:23Hermit crabs protect themselves by hiding their soft bodies in the abandoned shells of other creatures.
14:38They live up to 30 years.
14:41They live up to 30 years.
14:41So as they grow, they need to upsize their homes.
14:49But there's something of a housing crisis on this island.
14:56These idyllic hideaways are a magnet for tourists, who find it hard to resist taking the occasional souvenir.
15:09Every time a shell is removed, a crab loses a potential new home.
15:19So these canny crabs have found another source of housing.
15:29Each evening, the rangers clear the beaches, piling up the litter.
15:35And now, the crabs do something extraordinary.
15:51This hermit has found herself a more modern home.
15:57In a mackerel tin.
16:03With so few shells around, it's an ingenious solution.
16:15And she's not alone.
16:17This is a fast-growing trend.
16:33An aluminium fizzy drink can makes a lightweight home that's worth fighting for.
16:49Life in the mackerel tin isn't ideal.
16:53And the local rangers know it.
16:59So they leave seashells near the rubbish piles to help the homeless crustaceans.
17:07The crab normally winds its body into the spiral of a shell.
17:14It's far harder to grip a straight and slippery can.
17:25There are plenty of options.
17:27It's all about finding a snug fit.
17:41So, it's a super-core-inned start-up.
17:41Well, she can be picky if she wants.
17:44Moving house is an important decision.
18:03At last, the perfect home.
18:17It might look like paradise, but living along this coastline requires great resourcefulness.
18:27In southern Thailand, long-tailed macaques are sometimes known as Ling Tha Lei, sea monkeys.
18:40And it's not hard to see why.
19:01But this isn't just about having a good time.
19:09Like their temple-visiting cousins, they've got a clever plan.
19:14They've adapted their lives to the rhythm of the sea.
19:20And twice a day, low tide reveals a feast – nutritious shellfish.
19:30Trouble is, shells are tough to crack.
19:37But ever resourceful, these macaques have found a smart solution.
19:46They've worked out that rocks make perfect shellfish hammers.
20:03Although clearly some macaques are a little smarter than others.
20:15Either way, low tide provides a seafood bounty.
20:26Stone-tall use is a rare skill among monkeys.
20:30But these macaques can only benefit from it by being completely in tune with the cycles
20:37of nature, something many of Thailand's human residents aspire to.
20:55The south of the country is rich in Buddhist temples and shrines.
21:07sacred places where monks seek to understand themselves and the world in which they live.
21:19Buddhist principles place human life in the context of a series of cycles, like those in the natural world.
21:35For more than 2,000 years, the full moon has been celebrated as an embodiment of this idea.
21:47This celebration of the full moon is embraced by visitors to Thailand, but their version is rather more exuberant.
21:56Buddhist principles.
22:00Buddhist principles.
22:04Buddhist principles.
22:05Buddhist principles.
22:05Khopan Yang's famous beach party is a rite of passage for backpackers passing through southern Thailand.
22:17Party-goers are bathed in ultraviolet light, and their fluorescent body paint glows.
22:26But hidden from view, just below the water's surface, there's an equally vibrant display.
22:34By shining the same ultraviolet light underwater, an unexpected wonder is revealed.
22:47These tropical waters are home to an abundance of coral reefs.
22:53A protein within them absorbs the ultraviolet light, emitting back a whole new spectrum.
23:04These corals are all fluorescing.
23:11First discovered in the 1930s, scientists are still debating why this happens.
23:20One theory is that fluorescent proteins might act as a type of sunblock, protecting the coral
23:28from the sun's intense rays.
23:50But it isn't just corals that glow under ultraviolet.
24:00It's possible that other creatures are able to see this show too, and use it to their advantage.
24:11One reef resident's behaviour seems to support this theory.
24:21The scorpionfish is an ambush predator.
24:26So camouflage is key.
24:38Passing fish need to beware.
24:41Come too close, and his cavernous mouth will suck them up in a split second.
24:59For this scorpionfish, red-fluorescing algae appears to be the perfect disguise.
25:17Southern Thailand's secret worlds go far beyond its dazzling coastline.
25:39In the very centre of the peninsula is a freshwater lake called Chu Lan, surrounded by great mountains.
25:55Limestone peaks intercept moisture-laden clouds, producing much-needed water for this rainforest.
26:073,000 square kilometres of it.
26:17It is home to an exceptional diversity of plants and animals.
26:24For 12 million years, the forest has echoed to strange and haunting sounds.
26:36The wingbeats of a giant.
26:41The great hornbill.
27:01For this male, it's an important time of year.
27:07Inside this nest hole is his lifelong partner.
27:12There's a slit, just wide enough for a bill.
27:16But she's sealed in and won't come out until her chicks fledge in four months' time.
27:24For now, she's completely reliant on him to find food for them all.
27:47A long bill makes fruit easier to reach.
28:03It's tossed to the back of the throat and stored in a pouch.
28:15Remarkably, hornbills can carry over 250 berries at a time.
28:31Delicately regurgitating one at a time, he eases his beak through the narrow hole.
28:45This devoted couple have raised chicks in this tree for over a decade.
28:52And because they might live to the age of 40, they should be back here for many more years to
28:59come.
29:17On the east coast of southern Thailand, there's another secret world, far from the tourist trails, teeming with wildlife.
29:28Flat coastal plains are home to four expansive lagoons, covering over 8,000 square kilometres.
29:42In Thailand's largest lake, local people are finding unique ways to make a living.
29:51Somjai is a farmer. He's raising the only large animals to be found here.
30:02Somewhere amongst this expanse is his herd of water buffalo.
30:12Although their wild ancestors are native to Thailand, these are domesticated buffalo.
30:21Somjai lets them live a mostly wild life.
30:28But in the evening, he tracks them down.
30:38In the shallowest parts of the lake, punting is the only option.
30:45The buffalo spend the day feeding on the rich aquatic plants.
31:13In the 40-degree heat, a mud bath cools them off and repels insects.
31:22The buffalo's splayed hooves stop them sinking into the soft ground.
31:30But the constant exposure to water can be damaging.
31:36So he must round them up and steer them into a dry pen for the night.
31:40Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!
31:49Come on! Come on! Come on!
31:52For Somjai, this work is about much more than making a living.
32:07The dry pen not only protects their feet, but gives them a chance to rest for the night.
32:18This free-range partnership also has unexpected benefits for the wider ecosystem.
32:28Ploughing their way through the wetlands, spreading seeds as they go,
32:32the buffalo, the buffalo, help important plants to regenerate.
32:42Carpets of lotus flowers create a haven for over a million birds,
32:49making this a wetland of global importance.
33:02It's the perfect place for specialists.
33:06Those with a light step and fast reactions.
33:17This purple swamp hen may look ungainly, but he's got a secret weapon.
33:26Huge feet to spread his body weight over the floating foliage.
33:35This helps a lot when stealth is not your style.
33:46He also has a particular taste in food, unwittingly helping to protect his habitat.
33:58Golden apple snails aren't native to Thailand and can harm natural habitats when numbers boom.
34:07Luckily, swamp hens love them.
34:16If they can find them...
34:29A secure footing is vital when you're trying to haul in your catch.
34:40Long toes mean a foot can act as a hand.
34:51Purple swamp hens are perfectly adapted to this environment.
34:55And in a small way, these accidental conservationists are helping to preserve it.
35:08These aren't the only animals helping to conserve the natural beauty of southern Thailand.
35:21This is Kui Buri National Park.
35:27Formerly thick forest, it was cleared for farmland and the wildlife forced out.
35:32In the 1990s, public support for Buddhist-inspired environmental principles started to grow.
35:42Respecting the natural world was not simply a spiritual notion.
35:47It had to become a reality.
35:53In 1999, the government gave this area back to nature.
36:07These native elephants reclaim the land and have had a remarkable impact on the ecosystem.
36:21Asian elephants need to eat 150 kilograms of food each day.
36:33They eat over 50 different plant types, spreading seeds far and wide in their dung, replanting Kui Buri's forest.
36:52And by pushing through the undergrowth, they create pathways for smaller animals, like Samba deer.
37:03They also give birds an opportunity to pick off scattering insects.
37:19Elephants were allowed to rebuild the ecosystem.
37:23And they have done just that.
37:26Creating a wild paradise.
37:35Turning this forest back over to the animals has restored the balance.
37:42But in other habitats, sometimes only human intervention will do.
37:57These boards are called Kradantip Lane.
38:01Although here they're being used for a bit of fun, the Thai people invented them long before the wakeboard.
38:09And when used in the traditional way, they are a vital form of transport.
38:15And the best way to get safely around a mangrove swamp at low tide.
38:28These men are here on urgent business.
38:40Mangroves once covered much of Thailand's coastline.
38:46But since the 1960s, half have been uprooted to make way for shrimp farms.
38:53When people began to realise the devastating impact of shrimp farming on the landscape,
38:58they started looking more closely at this vitally important ecosystem.
39:10Decomposing leaves provide valuable nutrients, which support a rich biodiversity.
39:21Mangroves also act as a barrier between the land and the sea,
39:26protecting low-lying communities from storms and coastal flooding.
39:31They produce seeds that are buoyant, floating away and germinating in faraway places.
39:41As their roots grow outwards, they trap sediment,
39:45under one of the few habitats that can actually build up the coastline.
39:55Cutting down the trees is now illegal.
39:58And over the last 30 years, volunteers from all over the south have been replanting the mangrove forests.
40:08Little by little, this crucial habitat is reclaiming the land.
40:16And mudskippers are moving in.
40:18A tangible sign of recovery.
40:29Seeing them here means there is a healthy supply of food.
40:35And a good tidal flow, creating lots of fresh puddles to keep their skin wet.
40:44For ecologists, seeing them living in a new forest is a sign the ecosystem is functioning once again.
40:55And this mangrove restoration has far-reaching effects.
41:07The coral reef owes its clear waters to the mangrove's natural filtering of silt and pollutants.
41:20Southeast Asia has more coral reef than any other region of the world.
41:30Lying at the heart of this area, Thai waters are home to more than 2,000 types of fish.
41:40Such as the moray eel, clownfish and cuttlefish.
41:50When the reef is in balance, every individual plays a crucial role.
41:58The crown of thorned starfish grazes on the fastest-growing coral, giving the slower-growing corals a chance to catch
42:06up.
42:11Long-spined sea urchins feed on algae, clearing the way for coral growth.
42:25But the reef is a delicate ecosystem that can easily be knocked out of balance.
42:35Pollution and a loss of natural predators can cause starfish and urchin numbers to explode.
42:47Both are covered in venomous spines.
42:58But there is one renowned reef resident able to take them on.
43:07The Titan triggerfish.
43:12They've got a fearsome reputation.
43:22Aggressively defending their patch of reef.
43:36A sea urchin's spines are no protection against teeth like these.
43:51Although the crown of thorns is well protected on top, it has a soft underside.
44:04Titan triggerfish play an important role in keeping numbers at healthy levels.
44:13And with this much food around, it's a great place to start a family.
44:25This couple have a little bundle of eggs to care for.
44:36While the female blows water over the eggs to oxygenate them, the male is on guard patrol.
44:47This sort of parental care may be surprising.
44:51But it's vitally important they protect the next generation of reef helpers.
45:06All the creatures here play their part.
45:09And this has a direct influence on the open ocean.
45:19When the coral and other reef animals spawn, it helps to feed the plankton.
45:29Some of this is swept up by large filter-feeding animals.
45:36Like the manta ray.
45:41And whale shark.
45:53The rest can drift far away, forming a floating food supply.
46:02This not only supports life under the sea, but also above it.
46:12Fish is the most important source of protein in southern Thailand.
46:21Almost two million Thai people keep the country supplied with this staple.
46:32In Nankham village on the east coast of Thailand, Bang, his wife Patima, and their son Tong Chai rely on
46:41a good daily catch.
46:53Early every morning, they head out to sea.
47:19Before they cast their nets, there's a sign from nature they always hope to see.
47:26Something that helps guide them to the biggest shoals of fish.
47:37Something that helps guide them to the biggest shoals of fish.
47:42It's a beautiful fish.
47:43I think it's the most important thing.
47:45I think the fish will be the most important thing.
47:46I think it's the most important thing.
47:47I think I think it's even better.
47:48I think it's a big fish.
47:58I think it's a big fish.
48:01a species found in coastal waters from India to Australia.
48:08It's sometimes called the pink dolphin.
48:13Grey in their juvenile years,
48:16they slowly lose this colour in blotches,
48:20turning bright pink when they fully mature.
48:28These unusual looking dolphins scour the coastline in search of the small fish that feed on plankton.
48:37Anchovies are a favourite for dolphin and fishermen alike.
48:52And today, it's a good haul.
49:06There's one more thing they want to do before heading back to shore.
49:23Across their range, pink dolphins often forge special relationships with people.
49:39Southern Thailand is a natural paradise, where people and nature are deeply connected.
49:49For many Thai people, their existence is no more important than those creatures with whom they share their world.
50:02Habitat to habitat, surprising connections and partnerships run deep.
50:09This is a place that draws people from all over the world to enjoy its beauty.
50:16It's a wild wonderland, full of unexpected surprises.
50:37The coral reefs of Southern Thailand are world-renowned.
50:43But there's an animal that lives on the reef that strikes fear in all who enter the water.
50:57It's definitely the fish that everyone is scared of.
51:01Like, we have some sharks, no problem.
51:06I don't want to get on the wrong side of it.
51:09This woman got bitten or rammed on her head or something.
51:13And there was just blood pouring down her head.
51:16The Titan Triggerfish.
51:20It may be only 60 centimetres long, but its huge teeth are built to bite through coral and shell.
51:30During the breeding season, they're particularly aggressive when caring for their eggs.
51:36And this is what the BBC crew were here to film.
51:43Producer, Lara Bickerton, has just one week to get what she needs.
51:49Seeing a Triggerfish at all would be a start on this shoot.
51:53But cameraman Johnny Rogers and Simon Enderby are highly skilled underwater cinematographers.
52:03The waters surrounding Thailand are famous for their incredible clarity.
52:10But not today.
52:14No triggers?
52:15No Titans?
52:17No Titans.
52:17Visibility about no more than five metres.
52:21Apparently the visibility is better on the other side of the island, so should we go and give that a
52:26go?
52:26Yeah.
52:27It's a good plan, but the crew don't get far.
52:37We're just on our way to another dive site and found our boat was broken down.
52:41The ironic result is the boat that is now towing us is actually towing us faster than what this boat
52:47was doing under its own power.
52:52At last, Simon gets a second dive in.
52:56Alrighty.
53:02Although the visibility is still poor, he catches the odd glimpse of a Titan.
53:13They're certainly around.
53:16They're there, but we just can't see them.
53:19Visibility is too bad.
53:22The crew are told normal weather patterns are running three weeks late and that could be what's reducing the visibility.
53:33Things only get worse.
53:40Lara is increasingly concerned.
53:45High winds, heavy rain and rough seas.
53:50The team need their luck to change.
53:57Three days later, the storm passes.
54:02The crew hope the water visibility has improved too.
54:08The challenge now is not finding more trigger fish, but filming a complete behavioural sequence.
54:16So the crew focus their attention at a site where the triggerfish's prey, the crown-of-thorn starfish, is most
54:22abundant.
54:27It's a place that marine biologist Spencer Arnold knows well.
54:37Sometimes starfish numbers can explode and damage the reef.
54:41So Spencer and the volunteers from New Heaven Dive School work hard to remove them.
54:49But there are still plenty left for the triggerfish.
54:52The Titan triggerfish will eat a crown-of-thorn seastark.
54:56So, obviously, very, very important keystone species on the island in terms of controlling these pest species.
55:06The challenge for the crew now is finding and filming the triggerfish.
55:10With so little time left, Lara decides to form a tag team, with both Johnny and Simon working back-to
55:17-back, maximising their time underwater.
55:21Johnny Rogers is also using a rebreather diving system, allowing him to spend over two hours at a time underwater.
55:32And as soon as Simon comes out, Johnny gets in.
55:40This allows them eight hours a day of uninterrupted filming.
55:48With the visibility much better, the team make progress.
55:53Johnny captures footage of a triggerfish attacking the soft underside of a crown-of-thorn starfish.
56:02It's a great start to the sequence.
56:08We got on a crown-of-thorns?
56:10Did you? Yeah.
56:11Awesome.
56:12Great news.
56:14And Johnny's seen a triggerfish.
56:16Well, I've seen one before, but not on this trip.
56:19It's only taken four days.
56:22The team are soon back underwater, making the most of the time they have left.
56:28And Johnny gets a remarkable bit of behaviour no-one expected.
56:42The triggerfish bites each individual spine off the sea urchin, before devouring the whole thing.
56:51Finally, we're actually getting somewhere.
56:56Simon captures the final bit of the puzzle.
57:02It's when the Titans are guarding their nests they get most aggressive.
57:07But this couple are surprisingly chilled, letting Simon get an intimate view of the female aerating her eggs.
57:19Well, patience finally paid off.
57:22That's the closest I've ever come to a nesting Titan triggerfish in my entire life.
57:28Male and female.
57:30Male, we found the male first, defending his territory and stuff.
57:33Yeah.
57:33Oh, okay.
57:34And then she swam over the female, looking at the male, didn't even notice that.
57:37I went, oh, hello.
57:38So I was basically this much from her, puffing away on her eggs.
57:44Sunshine, blue water, target animals.
57:48Amazing, amazing news.
57:50I am so chuffed that today has paid off.
57:56The team finally had the conclusion they needed.
58:00And along the way, learnt that if you catch this notorious fish on a good day, they're remarkably easy going.
58:14Next time, we head to Thailand's bustling capital.
58:20Here, spirituality can be found in human and animal relationships, both likely and unlikely.
58:29This is the very heart of Thailand, home to mysterious giants and striking beauty.
58:43Cows find refuge from the cold, a sanctuary for swans, moods of the seas in three UK areas.
58:49A wild year streaming on iPlayer.
58:52David Niven and Brigitte Bardot, Monte Carlo, Jumbo Jets.
58:56Time shift jet set, next.
59:07Time change, next.
59:07Time change to the world.
59:07VALAVERY.
59:07If you have an Ollie I try to encourage you to may be all the way that you can't be
59:08theline of the world like that.
59:08In the meantime, we each have a new one.
59:08And in the meantime, we talk about how you are in an доброты.
59:09And you also have an excellent episode.
59:09So where we want people to make it together.
59:10.
59:10.