- 9 hours ago
Pole to Pole with Will Smith - Season 1 - Episode 03: The Amazon: Dark Waters
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:08To be continued...
00:36So how are you going to try to kill me today, Brian?
00:40We're heading way upriver into the Ecuadorian rainforest
00:44where we will find the largest of all snakes, the anaconda.
00:52Maybe the anaconda will find us first.
00:58Oh, man.
01:06When they pull this camera out of an anaconda 100 years from now,
01:10I just want you to know it's his fault.
01:15Ha, ha, ha, ha.
01:37The Amazon has long been the home of the giant reptiles.
01:40In fact, it is rumored to be home to the biggest of all the anacondas.
01:53So really, like, how big do they get?
01:56A full-grown anaconda is about 15 to 18 feet.
01:59So you're not too big to be food.
02:03Well, hey, this is going to go all bad.
02:07Ha, ha, ha, ha.
02:23I've been inspired to explore the extremes of our planet
02:28because that's where we can find the answers
02:30to some of life's biggest mysteries.
02:36Now, I'm heading even deeper into the Amazon,
02:41the world's largest rainforest,
02:45to search for a snake the size of a school bus.
02:58I've only ever seen an anaconda
03:01in a Jennifer Lopez movie.
03:05And, I mean, J-Lo survived, but it wasn't fun.
03:10She didn't enjoy that.
03:13But I'm still trying to get my head around the idea
03:16of looking for anaconda and why we would do that.
03:22No, it's really important work
03:23because we're going to use the anaconda
03:25to study the health of the ecosystem.
03:33I've been fascinated by snakes since I was a little kid.
03:36So the opportunity to go after the world's biggest snake
03:40is, frankly, a dream come true.
03:48The reason I'm doing it is that there are fears
03:51that this part of the Amazon is becoming polluted.
03:55And the best indicator of the health of an ecosystem
03:59are its biggest predators.
04:07So how many people does it take to grab an anaconda?
04:12The anaconda is a big animal,
04:13but we are lucky because we are going to meet
04:17an indigenous group that lives in this deep jungle.
04:22They were running.
04:24They know how to track the anaconda,
04:26how to handle it, right?
04:27So we really need these people.
04:32They are the real experts of the jungle.
04:40So we got one of the world's best snake guys
04:44and a world-class expedition leader.
04:49And we still need help?
04:53Yeah.
04:54Nah.
05:05Okay.
05:05All right.
05:07All right.
05:08All right.
05:10Ah!
05:11Yeah!
05:12Wow.
05:15Hola!
05:16Guaponi!
05:19Okay, I come with you.
05:20Vamos, vamos, vamos.
05:25We'll get up this hill a lot easier than me.
05:28Yeah.
05:30Hold on, hold on.
05:33Wow.
05:42What's the proper greeting?
05:43Waponi.
05:44Waponi.
05:45Waponi.
05:46Waponi.
05:46Waponi.
05:46Waponi.
05:48Waponi.
05:50The Waurani call the jungle home,
05:53and they have been living there for thousands of years.
06:03I really hope that we'll can learn from these people.
06:13Because they have this deep connection with Mother Nature.
06:29Waponi.
06:30Waponi.
06:31Waponi.
06:32Waponi.
06:32Waponi.
06:32Waponi.
06:32Waponi.
06:33Waponi.
06:33Waponi.
06:34Waponi.
06:36Waponi.
06:39Waponi.
06:40Waponi.
06:41Waponi.
06:41Waponi.
06:42Waponi.
06:42This is Tenti, the leader of the community.
06:45Waponi.
06:45Waponi.
06:46Waponi.
06:47Waponi.
06:48Waponi.
06:48Waponi.
06:48Waponi.
06:50Okay.
06:51Let's go.
06:56Scientists rarely get to work with remote indigenous communities in the Amazon.
07:04Their vast understanding of these snakes,
07:07is going to be vital for the success of the expedition.
07:26I'm really looking forward to seeing an anaconda in person.
07:32El tepeña, mi hijo.
07:35Mm-hmm.
07:36El es bueno para agarrar y coger verra.
07:40El está buscando una ahora.
07:43Yeah, my son cannot catch an anaconda.
07:46Yeah.
07:46Yeah.
07:49Yeah.
07:49Yeah.
07:51How do you feel about working with people from outside of your family and community?
07:58Es importante de este proyecto.
08:01Tanta animal.
08:03Y el anaconda.
08:05Y nosotros también.
08:06Y compartimos de vida de esta selva.
08:09La tierra es donde da vida.
08:16Living in harmony with the animals, this seems like a difficult environment to do that in.
08:25No.
08:27No.
08:27Vivir.
08:28Selva es orgullo de vivir.
08:34I'm really humbled to be here to spend this time with you.
08:40And you talked about living with the forest.
08:45Can you show me around and give me a sense of what you mean by that?
08:57Absolutely.
08:58Yes, please.
09:12This is the community.
09:14We have lived closer to this selva.
09:17We have more presence of animals.
09:20Our land is living.
09:27Wow.
09:29That's what we call it.
09:30Tito.
09:31Tito, Tito, Tito.
09:32Tito, Tito.
09:34Tito.
09:35Tito.
09:36Tito.
09:37Tito.
09:37Tito.
09:39Tito.
09:53Tito.
10:07Tito.
10:16Ah, and it turns into this.
10:22That's fantastic.
10:25I notice there's some things that you let in from the outside world.
10:38I keep maintaining this work, this culture, that's where now it's very different.
10:50My first memory of when I was a kid, I felt happy.
10:58I live in this wonderful place.
11:03We lived without knowing the world.
11:07We didn't know the world.
11:10After four or five years, they contacted me.
11:27The world was more quickly.
11:29But after four years, I wanted to change.
11:33In Guaurani we lived on two worlds.
11:37The colonization was deeper and deeper.
11:45So I noticed some people have t-shirts and shorts, then some people are, you know, more
11:53traditional.
12:07Does the, because, you know, that, that thing looks
12:10like it might hurt.
12:11Like, does that, does that hurt at all to have it on?
12:17I'm going to want one of those when, before I go.
12:29I think I understand panty a little better.
12:35I started off, I was going to say nervous, but I was scared.
12:38You know, it's really beautiful to be out here.
12:53But for me is like outside of my comfort zone.
12:59It's such an extreme environment.
13:10Brian, what are you doing?
13:15I leave you alone for five minutes and you find a snake.
13:19See it right there?
13:20It's hidden.
13:22It's called a vine snake.
13:23And if you're walking on by and it doesn't move, you won't see that.
13:26You will not see that.
13:30Whoa.
13:31I'm looking at that and I see I'm really uncomfortable with snakes.
13:35I just got really clear, like, the snake thing.
13:38Which is good.
13:38You know, it's good to know your comfort zone so we can shatter them.
13:42Hey, hey, hey buddy.
13:45It's Brian.
13:49So, if you remain calm, they remain calm.
13:57Whoa.
13:58So look how attuned to motion he is.
14:01So he's a visual hunter.
14:02Mm-hmm.
14:03Mm-hmm.
14:04He's looking at me, Brian.
14:06Hey, Brian.
14:07Like I said, remain calm.
14:13Brian just showed me the snake.
14:15I didn't like it.
14:16I didn't want to touch it.
14:21We're about to go on an anaconda hunt with a snake that'll be like 10,000 times the size of
14:26that one.
14:29Yeah, I feel thoroughly unprepared.
14:56All jungle.
15:03This is insane.
15:06You feel safe?
15:17Okay.
15:18Let's go.
15:20Let's go.
15:22Let's go.
15:38Let's go.
15:40Let's go.
15:44Let's go.
16:01it is dense dense jungle you can't see more than 30 feet in either direction
16:11i have no idea how pent he knows where he's going he's got no compass no gps nothing
16:22yo estoy ahora me
16:26cuando yo siempre en la selva
16:30es donde diciendo libremente
16:35nuestro antepasado los espÃritus camina esta tierra
16:41y a mà más vivir seguro en la selva
16:50willie a venga a conocer
16:55esta parte
16:56uh-huh
16:58whoa
17:03it's ants
17:09mmm
17:17i guess it's lemon lime
17:20bueno bueno
17:22me gusta me gusta
17:26yo estoy enseñando ahora al willie como enseñamos nuestros niños guaurani
17:31como camina en la selva
17:37los guaurani formas de vivir
17:40aprendimos asà miles de años
17:45i'm too tall for this forest
17:47y esta voy a llamar el tucán
17:55i can do that
18:06i'm chasing them away
18:08oh
18:10You're a Ruhani beatbox.
18:15That's crazy.
18:16Mama win.
18:19Wow.
18:20No mas practicar.
18:23Carla, you want to try it?
18:25Yeah, what do you mean?
18:26Oh, yeah.
18:28Oh, you got it.
18:31Yeah, all right, that's it.
18:32Maybe we work as a team.
18:34Yeah.
18:36Lower, lower.
18:37Lower?
18:38Lower.
18:39Hey!
18:42Okay, you went through my arrow.
18:45Wow.
18:46Let's go!
18:54It is amazing to me that they are here barefoot.
18:58And not only barefoot.
19:00Oh, yeah.
19:01Bare skin.
19:02I got boots on and long sleeves and long pants.
19:05Everything in the right.
19:06It's like they're as comfortable out here
19:08as I am in my living world.
19:10Yeah, that's right.
19:12They are at home.
19:27So I guess this is our last supper
19:29before we go for an anaconda.
19:33So you all seem very, very comfortable out here.
19:39Um, what scares you?
19:51What the heck is that?
19:55What the heck is that?
19:59What the heck is that?
20:04Oh God.
20:04Oh God, look.
20:09What the heck is that?
20:09But I'm not sure about the Yasemin.
20:11It's a petroler.
20:19Wow.
20:31This selva someone will destroy?
20:37We're not going to live.
20:43It gives us life.
20:51Everyone wants to remove this culture,
20:55this language,
20:59this land.
21:05What I'm fighting is because it's my house,
21:10because it's our family,
21:15and also that...
21:48It's important for me to be out here,
21:50and to feel it, and to understand.
21:54There's such a different way to relate to the forest,
21:58and that's the first time
22:00that I've ever heard it that way.
22:06It's almost like someone's trying to burn his house down.
22:11And what would you do
22:13if you felt like someone was trying to destroy your home?
22:17It's not easy.
22:20But I want this land.
22:24I have to communicate
22:26but how can you stop living?
22:32It was a very strong struggle,
22:34but I went to fight.
22:40I was trying to fight.
22:41I had to travel from very far from this community.
22:48It's where this abogado
22:49contraté
22:50to leave me.
22:52To international
22:55to make me understand
22:56this territory
22:57is going to happen.
23:02That's why Brian will do
23:04an analysis
23:05to see
23:07if Anaconda
23:08is not caused
23:09or affected by oil.
23:12What I'm working
23:14is to stop this petrolera.
23:22It's interesting to me that, you know,
23:25you're reaching out to the outside world
23:30and the very thing that threatens you.
23:49We are in a critical moment
23:52in the history of our country.
23:55Ecuador has lost
23:57around one-third of the whole forest.
24:02So, Pente is fighting for his family,
24:05for his community, of course,
24:07but also he's fighting for all of us.
24:13I really admire
24:14the way you're defending your family
24:16and your land.
24:18I think that's very brave.
24:32This is my first time
24:35sleeping outside
24:36in the jungle.
24:39Hey, hold up.
24:40Something's on my neck.
24:41Something's on my neck.
24:45Sorry.
24:47Okay.
24:47I'm getting in.
24:50Can't find a zipper.
24:54This is me.
24:55I'm halfway in my tent.
24:56Jumping in.
24:57I hope it'll hold my weight.
25:00I'll show you.
25:01Get in my tent.
25:03All right.
25:04Ah.
25:06Shoot. Sorry.
25:07Disney.
25:09All right.
25:10Okay.
25:12Okay.
25:12All right.
25:14Okay.
25:16I'm thinking about this anaconda tomorrow.
25:20And I'm definitely nervous.
25:23You find the truth about yourself in the jungle.
25:26You can, you can have illusions about yourself in Manhattan.
25:35The jungle's the great equalizer.
25:38I know who I am today.
25:43I'm a jungle punk.
25:44mmm and a dog Hearing miles
25:53Oh, darn it.
25:56Man.
25:57All right it's late
25:58and I gotta pee.
26:02I'm scared to take my thing out,
26:05even though the
26:06Will Ronnie keep they things out all the time?
26:10I'm gonna give it a shot.
26:16I'll be in the morning.
26:34Okay.
26:37I just got dressed inside of a tent.
26:42I think that makes me an explorer.
26:47I was a little scared last night.
26:52You do start to get more comfortable. I'm getting comfortable.
26:57I would love a cinnamon bun, though.
27:02Penty probably doesn't have those, though.
27:28I'm so happy to be here with you.
27:33I love you.
27:38I love you.
27:40I love you.
27:43I love you.
27:45I love you.
28:03I love you.
28:15I love you.
28:16I love you.
28:16I love you.
28:16I love you.
28:18I love you.
28:23No, man. I'm not that ready.
28:50You have a sense of the kind of places the Anaconda would be in.
28:55hopefully it'll be in the shallows.
28:57And that's our only chance of finding an Anaconda.
29:01An Anaconda is an ambush predator.
29:05It'll take up station and just wait.
29:09In deep water, they're a formidable predator.
29:13They'll pull the prey into the water, wrap coils around them, and then squeeze them so hard that literally, in
29:21some cases, the eyes will pop straight out.
29:25And if you try to fight back, they've got a pretty vicious bite, too.
29:32It's all good.
29:34Brian gave me some big gloves.
29:55Talk me through that thing.
29:59It's a big radio receiver.
30:01While Ron had been tracking the Anacondas, we've got one that they've radio tagged.
30:09And if he moves it this way and the signal drops, or moves it this way and it goes stronger,
30:13we can orient ourselves and navigate towards it.
30:17The old ways and the new ways working together, I like that.
30:39All right.
30:39I want to get this gear.
30:40I want to get this gear, I want to go.
30:40I got something.
30:51all right so the beeping means we're getting closer to the anaconda and i'm assuming when
30:59they see it those guys are going to go toward it and i'm gonna go to other direction when i
31:07see the
31:08anaconda you know you got to stay out of professional's way
31:19it's starting to go a little faster
31:28we're definitely on the right area but it just gets really tricky because if it's under the
31:33water the intensity is going to be a little bit dampened
31:50oh hey over on the right there it is
31:59jeez and that's just pure muscle
32:04let them try to control this
32:08that's gigantic i'm guessing 16 17 feet
32:27well that was scary even from the boat
32:33oh
32:33totally yeah totally assi
32:43the anaconda pueden enojar a morder
32:48it's on de siembre hay que mantener como hay que tratar un animal y después para que pueda
32:54Queda Tranquilo
33:25All right
33:27From here you could lift it up. Lift it up. Yeah, that'll work
33:35This is a big girl. I got it. Let's keep going keep going
33:44All right, perfect
33:45All right, so if you could please wipe away any little mud and debris we'll still clean this wipe away
33:52Yeah, let's go for these ones here where the skins aren't even shed off. I just let it hold. Yeah,
33:57hold it at that little bit ratio
34:01Hold on
34:05Nice and clean jeez
34:08All right
34:12No, I'm just gonna cut along where you are. Hold on
34:22Oh
34:25There you go. There's our sample. There's our sample. We can do all the research on this animal with just
34:31that one tiny little piece
34:33That's fantastic
34:34Yeah, I'm sorry
34:45Okay
34:47For me, it's important to understand that the human and the Anaconda are living in this
34:53selva.
34:54It's ours.
34:55That's why we take care of it.
35:22I've heard about Anacondas, and I've always been shook.
35:29But putting my hands on an actual Anaconda, it was such a beautiful moment.
36:02That is a magnificent, gorgeous creature.
36:10A once-in-a-lifetime experience, because I'm never doing that again.
36:23Hey!
36:29Hey!
36:32Hey!
36:32Hi!
36:33Hi!
36:34Hi!
36:35Hi!
36:36Hi!
36:37Hi!
36:38Yeah.
36:39No way!
36:43Oh, that's for me?
36:44Gracias, gracias.
37:10Me encanta su vida.
37:19This is as good as it gets.
37:25I wanted to follow scientists to the extremes
37:29to see what we could discover.
37:33But staying in the village was wild.
37:38I mean, Penti is one of the most extraordinary humans
37:42I've ever met.
37:44Just how he feels the jungle.
37:48You know, I've really opened my eyes
37:49to a different way of understanding
37:53and seeing the world.
38:04Hold up, look.
38:10I would have loved to do a flip in the mud
38:15when I was six years old.
38:18Just to be totally naked outside
38:21and do a flip in the mud.
38:23I certainly would have been that kid.
38:25Yeah.
38:27Yeah, it's funny to think about 50 years ago
38:31when Penti was their age.
38:33Oh yeah, imagine.
38:34There was no contact with the outside world.
38:39And he lived like this.
38:43And we just have to, we have to make sure it exists 50 years from now.
38:48Yeah.
38:52I would never want to lose this.
39:09Looking at the results, we did detect heavy metals in the scales of the Anaconda,
39:15consistent with oil spills.
39:19These are forever chemicals.
39:22They don't break down.
39:24And anything that could threaten the health of the Anaconda
39:28could also threaten the entire ecosystem.
39:35So the stakes are very, very high.
39:44We hope that I finish my work, my struggle, my history.
39:52Because this is the land, man.
39:54Every person is from this and to protect.
40:00So my children will be in the future.
40:03They will be there.
40:33You don't know what else will.
40:41I've come to the Himalayas, the highest mountain range on earth, in search of the thing we're
40:52all looking for, the secret to happiness.
41:13I tasted the top of fame, money, success, and then watch it fall apart.
41:25In order to find ultimate happiness, we must experience death.
42:02We must experience death.
42:17We must experience death.
42:18We must experience death.
42:19We must experience death.
42:22We must experience death.
Comments