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00:00:01,903 --> 00:00:03,402
A puzzling pattern
on the ocean floor...

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00:00:03,404 --> 00:00:06,205
It absolutely
did not look natural

3
00:00:06,207 --> 00:00:08,207
in any way,
shape or form.

4
00:00:08,209 --> 00:00:12,077
...a war time battle
against an unlikely foe...

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00:00:12,146 --> 00:00:16,749
The Navy was crippled by this
strange bacon frying sound.

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00:00:16,818 --> 00:00:18,484
[ popping and cracking ]

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00:00:18,553 --> 00:00:20,886
...and a terrifying tale
of a real life sea serpent.

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00:00:20,955 --> 00:00:24,022
They had never run into
a creature like this before.

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00:00:24,058 --> 00:00:27,894
These are
the Mysteries at the Museum.

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00:00:34,435 --> 00:00:35,701
Orlando, Florida, is home

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to the 400-foot-tall
Ferris wheel known

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as the Orlando Eye.

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This iconic structure offers
stunning views

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00:00:42,210 --> 00:00:45,177
of central Florida for as far
as 50 miles,

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00:00:45,246 --> 00:00:49,115
and not far away is Orlando's
most unusual attraction--

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Skeletons Museum of Osteology.

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Dedicated to the study of bones,

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this collection of more than
500 real animal skeletons

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includes a two-toed sloth
from South America,

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a Sumatran white rhinoceros,

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and the world's largest rodent,
the capybara.

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But among these exotic creatures

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that walked on land
is one specimen

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that plumbed the ocean's depths.

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(woman)
The artifact is about
11 feet tall.

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It is off-white color
made of calcified bone.

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It is smooth to the touch.

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(Don)
This extraordinary skull
recalls a mythical creature

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that tormented sailors
on the high seas.

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(Ting)
This is a story about
a sea captain,

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a legendary monster,

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and the debate left in its wake.

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00:01:48,576 --> 00:01:51,644
(Don)
August 6, 1848,

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00:01:51,646 --> 00:01:54,046
in the South Atlantic.

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00:01:54,115 --> 00:01:57,383
Captain Peter McQuhae
is the commander of
the HMS Daedalus .

36
00:01:57,452 --> 00:02:00,186
(Ting)
McQuhae was a sea captain
that had

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an impeccable reputation--
he ran a very tight ship,

38
00:02:03,591 --> 00:02:06,025
and he was a no-nonsense
type of guy.

39
00:02:08,696 --> 00:02:11,397
(Don)
McQuhae's ship is en route
from the East Indies

40
00:02:11,399 --> 00:02:13,532
to its home port in England.

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Three hundred miles off
the southern coast of Africa,

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00:02:16,571 --> 00:02:19,204
the captain is alerted
to something off

43
00:02:19,273 --> 00:02:21,507
the vessel's starboard side.

44
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There in the water is
a massive creature

45
00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,214
unlike anything
he has ever seen.

46
00:02:28,216 --> 00:02:30,483
The leviathan

47
00:02:30,485 --> 00:02:32,551
is more than 60 feet long,

48
00:02:32,587 --> 00:02:36,088
has a slender, serpentine body,
and is dark brown in color,

49
00:02:36,090 --> 00:02:39,291
but the most frightening
characteristic of all

50
00:02:39,293 --> 00:02:42,361
is the creature's massive head,

51
00:02:42,363 --> 00:02:46,098
which protrudes from the water
with its jaws agape.

52
00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:48,901
(Ting)
Captain McQuhae had seen
everything...

53
00:02:48,903 --> 00:02:52,037
but he hadn't seen this.

54
00:02:52,073 --> 00:02:55,640
(Don)
For centuries, sailors
have told stories

55
00:02:55,677 --> 00:02:59,244
of monstrous creatures
that lurk in the depths
of the ocean.

56
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,247
Some have even been said

57
00:03:02,316 --> 00:03:05,851
to sink entire ships
and devour their crews.

58
00:03:05,853 --> 00:03:08,587
Like many others,
Captain McQuhae has always

59
00:03:08,723 --> 00:03:12,191
assumed such tales to be
little more than myths,

60
00:03:12,326 --> 00:03:16,128
but now, with just such
a monster alongside his ship,

61
00:03:16,197 --> 00:03:18,864
the legends seem all too real.

62
00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,333
(Ting)
He had heard
about these stories,

63
00:03:21,335 --> 00:03:23,669
but he had never run into
a creature like this before.

64
00:03:23,804 --> 00:03:27,473
(Don)
Then, as suddenly
as it appeared,

65
00:03:27,475 --> 00:03:30,409
the creature vanishes
beneath the waves.

66
00:03:30,478 --> 00:03:33,945
When the Daedalus docks
in England,

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00:03:33,981 --> 00:03:36,548
the captain and crew
share the story

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00:03:36,617 --> 00:03:39,017
of their bizarre encounter.

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And soon, all of London
buzzes with speculation.

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The news was an absolute
sensation.

71
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,961
(Don)
The creature becomes known
as the Daedalus Sea Serpent.

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But as public fascination grows,

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00:03:52,934 --> 00:03:55,868
some doubt the veracity
of McQuhae's tale.

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00:03:58,673 --> 00:04:01,240
A fellow ship captain claims
the beast was nothing more

75
00:04:01,242 --> 00:04:03,976
than an enormous clump
of seaweed.

76
00:04:04,111 --> 00:04:06,979
but McQuhae insists
that what he saw

77
00:04:07,048 --> 00:04:09,448
was no tangle of plants.

78
00:04:09,583 --> 00:04:12,184
(Ting)
A seaweed didn't have
a defined body,

79
00:04:12,253 --> 00:04:14,586
a head, and eyes.

80
00:04:14,655 --> 00:04:18,057
(Don)
An English biologist suggests
that what the men saw

81
00:04:18,059 --> 00:04:20,859
was just a particularly large
elephant seal,

82
00:04:20,928 --> 00:04:23,996
a creature which has been known
to reach 15 feet in length,

83
00:04:24,131 --> 00:04:27,399
but McQuhae swears that what
he and his men witnessed

84
00:04:27,468 --> 00:04:30,536
was much larger
than a big seal.

85
00:04:30,671 --> 00:04:33,606
(Ting)
He knew by the sheer size
of the sea creature

86
00:04:33,741 --> 00:04:36,442
that there's no way it could
have been an elephant seal.

87
00:04:39,346 --> 00:04:41,280
(Don)
As the story spreads,

88
00:04:41,349 --> 00:04:43,415
artists and illustrators create
their own

89
00:04:43,484 --> 00:04:46,619
terrifying depictions
of the monstrous serpent,

90
00:04:46,621 --> 00:04:49,355
and McQuhae goes to his grave
insisting

91
00:04:49,490 --> 00:04:52,758
that he and his crew
had indeed encountered
a sea monster.

92
00:04:52,827 --> 00:04:56,896
It remains one of the strangest
mysteries of the high seas,

93
00:04:56,898 --> 00:05:00,966
but more than 160 years
after the sighting,

94
00:05:01,002 --> 00:05:03,903
new information emerges
that may finally

95
00:05:04,038 --> 00:05:05,971
shed light on the case.

96
00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,039
A distant connection
was about to change

97
00:05:08,075 --> 00:05:10,276
everything we knew
about this monster.

98
00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,579
It's 2015 in Chicago.

99
00:05:14,615 --> 00:05:17,917
Evolutionary biologist,
Dr. Gary J. Galbreath,

100
00:05:18,052 --> 00:05:22,120
has long been
captivated by the tale
of the Daedalus Sea Monster.

101
00:05:22,190 --> 00:05:25,257
(Ting)
He had heard this story
his entire life,

102
00:05:25,293 --> 00:05:27,826
so he's fascinated
with the stories.

103
00:05:27,862 --> 00:05:30,395
(Don)
One day, he is going
through the diary

104
00:05:30,464 --> 00:05:33,131
of a lieutenant stationed
on board the Daedalus

105
00:05:33,167 --> 00:05:36,268
when a sketch of the creature
catches his attention.

106
00:05:39,707 --> 00:05:41,874
Unlike other drawings
from the time,

107
00:05:41,876 --> 00:05:44,476
this one,
drawn by an actual eyewitness,

108
00:05:44,612 --> 00:05:48,214
depicts the serpent
with a distinct dorsal fin.

109
00:05:48,349 --> 00:05:51,417
The sketch showing
the dorsal fin

110
00:05:51,552 --> 00:05:54,620
pretty much ruled out
that it could be
any type of serpent.

111
00:05:54,755 --> 00:05:57,222
(Don)
The drawing shows the creature

112
00:05:57,291 --> 00:05:59,625
swimming on its side.

113
00:05:59,627 --> 00:06:02,561
Based on this information,
Galbreath theorizes

114
00:06:02,630 --> 00:06:05,230
the sea serpent
was actually a whale,

115
00:06:05,299 --> 00:06:09,434
but not just any whale--
he suggests this one

116
00:06:09,470 --> 00:06:11,970
was a rare and little known
species called

117
00:06:12,006 --> 00:06:13,972
the sei whale.

118
00:06:14,008 --> 00:06:15,774
(Ting)
The sei whales are known

119
00:06:15,843 --> 00:06:18,376
as the fastest whales
in the sea.

120
00:06:18,412 --> 00:06:20,779
(Don)
And their appearance is
strikingly different

121
00:06:20,915 --> 00:06:22,848
from other whales.

122
00:06:22,917 --> 00:06:25,050
Sei whales are dark brown

123
00:06:25,152 --> 00:06:27,386
with a distinct long,
slender body

124
00:06:27,455 --> 00:06:30,456
that can reach up to
55 feet in length,

125
00:06:30,458 --> 00:06:33,258
characteristics that match

126
00:06:33,294 --> 00:06:36,262
the descriptions of
the Daedalus Sea Serpent.

127
00:06:36,397 --> 00:06:39,131
Not only that,
sei whales are known

128
00:06:39,133 --> 00:06:42,601
to swim on their sides
as they feed on the surface.

129
00:06:42,670 --> 00:06:45,738
To Galbreath,
it's conclusive proof

130
00:06:45,873 --> 00:06:48,073
that what the men of
the Daedalus saw

131
00:06:48,142 --> 00:06:50,276
was no monster.

132
00:06:50,411 --> 00:06:52,678
(Ting)
With the sei whale
on its side swimming
with its mouth open

133
00:06:52,813 --> 00:06:56,749
and feeding, it looks like
an intimidating sea serpent!

134
00:06:56,751 --> 00:06:59,184
It was the perfect match.

135
00:07:01,522 --> 00:07:04,490
(Don)
Today, this preserved
skull of a sei whale

136
00:07:04,492 --> 00:07:07,892
is on display at Skeletons
Museum of Osteology

137
00:07:07,929 --> 00:07:10,095
in Orlando, Florida.

138
00:07:10,097 --> 00:07:12,765
It recalls the legendary
sea monster

139
00:07:12,767 --> 00:07:14,900
that turned out to be
nothing more

140
00:07:14,969 --> 00:07:16,635
than a gentle giant.

141
00:07:20,341 --> 00:07:21,774
Washington state's Puget Sound

142
00:07:21,909 --> 00:07:25,310
is known for its dramatic
inlets, rocky islands,

143
00:07:25,379 --> 00:07:26,912
and mountain views.

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00:07:26,981 --> 00:07:29,848
Every day, more than two million
gallons of fresh water

145
00:07:29,917 --> 00:07:32,117
flow through
this scenic estuary.

146
00:07:32,119 --> 00:07:34,519
And celebrating
an unusual aspect

147
00:07:34,588 --> 00:07:36,988
of the region's
maritime heritage

148
00:07:37,024 --> 00:07:39,358
is the U.S. Naval
Undersea Museum.

149
00:07:43,464 --> 00:07:44,930
The collection documents

150
00:07:44,932 --> 00:07:49,068
the history of the Navy's
undersea operations.

151
00:07:49,070 --> 00:07:51,870
On display is a re-creation
of the control room

152
00:07:51,939 --> 00:07:55,474
from the Cold War submarine
the USS Greenling,

153
00:07:55,543 --> 00:07:59,411
the Howell torpedo --
the first self-propelled torpedo

154
00:07:59,546 --> 00:08:02,748
to be mass-produced
by the U.S. military --

155
00:08:02,883 --> 00:08:05,817
and the Subhuman II,
which was once

156
00:08:05,853 --> 00:08:09,688
the fastest human-powered
submarine in the world.

157
00:08:09,823 --> 00:08:12,825
But among
these hulking artifacts

158
00:08:12,827 --> 00:08:17,029
is one tiny object
that tells an incredible story.

159
00:08:17,164 --> 00:08:19,098
MALLOY: It's about
4 1/2 inches in diameter,

160
00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:22,034
metallic, and round in shape.

161
00:08:22,103 --> 00:08:24,970
It has a hard-rubber
outer shell,

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00:08:25,039 --> 00:08:27,840
and two cords
coming out of one end.

163
00:08:27,975 --> 00:08:31,010
In its day, it was a highly
advanced piece of technology.

164
00:08:34,281 --> 00:08:36,281
WILDMAN:
This underwater microphone

165
00:08:36,283 --> 00:08:38,117
is linked
to an extraordinary tale

166
00:08:38,252 --> 00:08:41,719
of a miniscule creature
that played an oversized part

167
00:08:41,756 --> 00:08:44,456
in the world's
greatest conflict.

168
00:08:44,525 --> 00:08:48,560
In war, your biggest allies
might be practically invisible.

169
00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,466
WILDMAN: It's 1942.

170
00:08:54,468 --> 00:08:57,469
The U.S. has just
entered World War II,

171
00:08:57,505 --> 00:09:00,138
and the military
is on high alert.

172
00:09:00,174 --> 00:09:02,207
Submarines patrol the Pacific

173
00:09:02,276 --> 00:09:05,610
to protect the American fleet
in the vast ocean.

174
00:09:05,646 --> 00:09:08,547
And to listen
for Japanese ships and subs,

175
00:09:08,682 --> 00:09:11,350
the U.S. relies heavily
upon a new technology...

176
00:09:11,485 --> 00:09:14,352
[ Sonar pinging ]
...sound navigation and ranging,

177
00:09:14,422 --> 00:09:16,688
better known as sonar.

178
00:09:16,724 --> 00:09:18,423
The system can pick up

179
00:09:18,459 --> 00:09:20,159
the propeller sounds
of enemy vessels

180
00:09:20,294 --> 00:09:22,293
from miles away.

181
00:09:22,329 --> 00:09:24,829
MALLOY: Sonar was used to see
and find things underwater.

182
00:09:24,865 --> 00:09:26,565
And, in the world's
largest oceans,

183
00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:28,233
sonar is
basically the difference

184
00:09:28,302 --> 00:09:32,071
between being blindfolded
or having night-vision goggles.

185
00:09:35,810 --> 00:09:37,843
WILDMAN: One day,
the crew of a submarine

186
00:09:37,845 --> 00:09:40,512
submerged off the coast
of the Dutch East Indies

187
00:09:40,581 --> 00:09:42,580
detects something peculiar.

188
00:09:42,616 --> 00:09:44,116
[ Crackling ]

189
00:09:44,118 --> 00:09:45,917
A constant, crackling hum

190
00:09:45,953 --> 00:09:49,254
that drowns out
all of the other sonar sounds,

191
00:09:49,290 --> 00:09:53,092
making it impossible
to detect enemy vessels.

192
00:09:54,061 --> 00:09:56,594
Soon, submarines
across the Pacific

193
00:09:56,630 --> 00:09:59,130
report encountering
the same noise.

194
00:09:59,166 --> 00:10:02,668
And crews say it sounds like
the crackling of a frying pan,

195
00:10:02,670 --> 00:10:07,739
and it's rendering
their sonar useless.

196
00:10:07,808 --> 00:10:10,542
WILDMAN: Examination of
the submarines' sonar systems

197
00:10:10,611 --> 00:10:13,144
reveals the noise is not
a technical glitch.

198
00:10:13,180 --> 00:10:15,814
But the Navy cannot figure out
what the sound is

199
00:10:15,949 --> 00:10:17,583
or where it's coming from.

200
00:10:20,888 --> 00:10:24,022
So they call in a marine
biologist from California

201
00:10:24,024 --> 00:10:26,558
named Dr. Martin W. Johnson.

202
00:10:26,627 --> 00:10:29,895
He was the top scientist
in oceanography at the time.

203
00:10:29,964 --> 00:10:34,933
He was a passionate guy
and very respected.

204
00:10:35,068 --> 00:10:37,102
WILDMAN: And when Johnson
first hears the sound,

205
00:10:37,171 --> 00:10:39,504
he's also baffled.

206
00:10:39,573 --> 00:10:42,040
MALLOY: This odd noise
was as mysterious to Johnson

207
00:10:42,109 --> 00:10:43,508
as it was to the Navy.

208
00:10:43,577 --> 00:10:48,246
So his number-one goal was to
figure out what this sound was

209
00:10:48,282 --> 00:10:50,282
and where it was coming from.

210
00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,186
WILDMAN: Johnson examines
survey reports

211
00:10:55,222 --> 00:10:57,322
of where these disturbances
occurred,

212
00:10:57,457 --> 00:11:00,525
and he comes
to an unexpected conclusion.

213
00:11:00,561 --> 00:11:02,728
The spots match known locations

214
00:11:02,730 --> 00:11:05,997
of massive colonies
of pistol shrimp.

215
00:11:06,033 --> 00:11:09,334
Dr. Johnson cannot believe
what he just discovered.

216
00:11:09,469 --> 00:11:12,638
The culprit
was measly, little shrimp.

217
00:11:15,009 --> 00:11:17,742
WILDMAN: Though they are only
an inch or two in size,

218
00:11:17,778 --> 00:11:22,146
thousands of pistol shrimp
can live together in colonies.

219
00:11:22,183 --> 00:11:24,950
Each tiny shrimp
has an oversized claw

220
00:11:25,085 --> 00:11:26,684
it uses to catch food.

221
00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,820
When it clacks
its claw together,

222
00:11:28,956 --> 00:11:31,089
it creates a loud popping sound.

223
00:11:31,125 --> 00:11:34,626
But if an entire colony
does this at the same time,

224
00:11:34,695 --> 00:11:36,561
the noise is so deafening,

225
00:11:36,597 --> 00:11:41,366
it can disrupt
even the most advanced sonar.

226
00:11:41,501 --> 00:11:44,102
So it was thousands
of these small pistol shrimp

227
00:11:44,104 --> 00:11:45,304
snapping their claws.

228
00:11:45,306 --> 00:11:47,572
It was quite amazing.

229
00:11:47,575 --> 00:11:50,375
WILDMAN: But identifying
the source of the problem

230
00:11:50,377 --> 00:11:51,176
is one thing.

231
00:11:51,245 --> 00:11:53,178
Solving it is another.

232
00:11:53,247 --> 00:11:55,714
MALLOY: It was impossible
to silence the shrimp.

233
00:11:55,783 --> 00:11:58,083
They couldn't rightly eliminate
all the shrimp in the ocean.

234
00:12:01,788 --> 00:12:04,256
WILDMAN: And until
Johnson figures out a solution

235
00:12:04,325 --> 00:12:06,124
to this fishy predicament,

236
00:12:06,126 --> 00:12:09,328
American ships in the Pacific
remain at risk.

237
00:12:09,330 --> 00:12:11,062
MALLOY: There was an extreme
amount of pressure on Johnson.

238
00:12:11,131 --> 00:12:12,331
Winning the war

239
00:12:12,466 --> 00:12:15,400
was based on how effective
their sonar system was.

240
00:12:15,436 --> 00:12:17,669
And, basically,
the Navy was back to square one

241
00:12:17,705 --> 00:12:21,006
with their problem --
how to fix the sonar.

242
00:12:21,141 --> 00:12:23,575
WILDMAN: What will it take to
defeat these noisy crustaceans?

243
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:31,074
Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE
www.osdb.link/lm

244
00:12:36,557 --> 00:12:40,492
It's 1942.
War is raging in the Pacific.

245
00:12:40,627 --> 00:12:43,228
U.S. Naval commanders
have a problem --

246
00:12:43,230 --> 00:12:45,497
Their sophisticated
sonar systems

247
00:12:45,499 --> 00:12:47,165
have been rendered useless

248
00:12:47,201 --> 00:12:50,835
by the popping sounds produced
by tiny pistol shrimp

249
00:12:50,904 --> 00:12:53,505
all clapping their claws
in unison.

250
00:12:53,574 --> 00:12:57,308
The result is that the Navy
can't detect enemy subs,

251
00:12:57,344 --> 00:13:00,512
leaving American sailors
vulnerable to attack.

252
00:13:00,647 --> 00:13:06,385
So is the U.S. Navy
about to be defeated by shrimp?

253
00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,587
Tasked with solving
the prawny problem

254
00:13:09,623 --> 00:13:12,858
is marine biologist
Dr. Martin Johnson.

255
00:13:12,860 --> 00:13:15,060
Johnson knows
the Navy can't kill off

256
00:13:15,195 --> 00:13:17,061
these colonies of shrimp,

257
00:13:17,097 --> 00:13:20,666
but the Navy could use
the situation to its advantage.

258
00:13:20,801 --> 00:13:23,402
MALLOY: Dr. Johnson knew
that the Japanese sonar

259
00:13:23,404 --> 00:13:25,537
was a lot weaker
than the U.S. sonar.

260
00:13:25,539 --> 00:13:28,206
So if the shrimp affected
the U.S. sonar equipment,

261
00:13:28,275 --> 00:13:30,608
it was definitely gonna
affect the enemy's.

262
00:13:30,678 --> 00:13:32,477
WILDMAN: Johnson reasons

263
00:13:32,546 --> 00:13:36,548
that if U.S. subs hide
near colonies of pistol shrimp,

264
00:13:36,683 --> 00:13:39,083
the Japanese will never
be able to detect them

265
00:13:39,119 --> 00:13:40,818
through the noise.

266
00:13:40,854 --> 00:13:42,754
MALLOY:
Dr. Johnson recommended

267
00:13:42,756 --> 00:13:44,756
they use the shrimp
as camouflage

268
00:13:44,758 --> 00:13:46,491
against the Japanese sonar.

269
00:13:46,493 --> 00:13:49,561
The Navy thought Johnson's idea
was absolutely brilliant.

270
00:13:54,301 --> 00:13:55,367
WILDMAN: With Johnson's help,

271
00:13:55,469 --> 00:13:58,436
the Navy distributes maps
of pistol shrimp colonies

272
00:13:58,472 --> 00:14:01,039
to submarines
throughout the Pacific.

273
00:14:01,041 --> 00:14:04,576
These maps provide a network
of acoustic hiding places

274
00:14:04,711 --> 00:14:07,779
all along
Japanese supply routes.

275
00:14:07,914 --> 00:14:10,581
[ Crackling ]

276
00:14:10,617 --> 00:14:14,452
By camouflaging their fleet
in these underwater havens,

277
00:14:14,488 --> 00:14:18,123
the U.S. Navy gains
a decisive advantage in the war.

278
00:14:18,192 --> 00:14:21,793
MALLOY:
With all the technology that
the U.S. had in World War II,

279
00:14:21,829 --> 00:14:24,662
the pistol shrimp were
America's little secret weapon.

280
00:14:24,732 --> 00:14:27,566
[ Clacking ]

281
00:14:27,668 --> 00:14:29,400
WILDMAN: Today, this hydrophone,

282
00:14:29,436 --> 00:14:32,870
an underwater microphone used
to listen to pistol shrimp,

283
00:14:32,906 --> 00:14:35,674
is at the U.S. Naval
Undersea Museum.

284
00:14:35,809 --> 00:14:37,943
It recalls the tiny crustaceans

285
00:14:38,078 --> 00:14:41,546
that almost torpedoed
America's chance at victory.

286
00:14:46,086 --> 00:14:48,420
California's Pacific Coast
Highway

287
00:14:48,422 --> 00:14:51,890
is one of the most scenic
driving routes in the world.

288
00:14:51,959 --> 00:14:53,958
At 790 miles long,

289
00:14:53,994 --> 00:14:56,928
it offers views of such
breathtaking shorelines

290
00:14:56,964 --> 00:15:00,165
as Monterey Bay, Big Sur,

291
00:15:00,234 --> 00:15:02,968
and Point Mugu State Park.

292
00:15:02,970 --> 00:15:05,637
And along this historic
motorway,

293
00:15:05,639 --> 00:15:08,773
in the picturesque community
of La Jolla

294
00:15:08,809 --> 00:15:12,444
is the nation's preeminent
marine research facility--

295
00:15:12,446 --> 00:15:15,580
the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography.

296
00:15:18,652 --> 00:15:22,187
The collection includes
a cusk-eel,

297
00:15:22,256 --> 00:15:25,723
which lives two miles beneath
the ocean's surface,

298
00:15:25,759 --> 00:15:28,993
a rare deep sea predator called
a goblin shark,

299
00:15:29,062 --> 00:15:32,663
and an endangered
prehistoric fish

300
00:15:32,699 --> 00:15:36,534
known as a coelacanth.

301
00:15:36,570 --> 00:15:40,071
But among these extraordinary
creatures of the deep

302
00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:44,142
is a tiny specimen with
the strangest story to tell.

303
00:15:44,277 --> 00:15:47,278
(man)
The artifact is about
7 and 1/2 inches long,

304
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:49,881
and it weighs about
1/4 of a pound.

305
00:15:50,016 --> 00:15:51,816
It is brownish-yellow.

306
00:15:51,819 --> 00:15:54,285
It was preserved in a glass jar

307
00:15:54,321 --> 00:15:57,422
with a white plastic lid.

308
00:15:57,424 --> 00:16:01,292
(Don)
This organism played
a starring role

309
00:16:01,361 --> 00:16:04,095
in an underwater enigma
that bamboozled

310
00:16:04,164 --> 00:16:06,364
the world of science.

311
00:16:06,433 --> 00:16:09,234
(Paul)
This is a story of
passion, discovery,

312
00:16:09,369 --> 00:16:12,037
and unexplored mysteries
of the deep ocean.

313
00:16:16,643 --> 00:16:20,111
(Don)
Japan, 2012.

314
00:16:20,113 --> 00:16:23,781
Yoji Okata is an avid
scuba diver

315
00:16:23,817 --> 00:16:26,651
and successful underwater
photographer.

316
00:16:26,653 --> 00:16:29,854
Yoji was an adventurous
person with a passion

317
00:16:29,923 --> 00:16:32,224
for the natural world.

318
00:16:34,261 --> 00:16:35,660
(Don)
One day in September,

319
00:16:35,795 --> 00:16:38,063
Yoji is diving off
the southern coast of Japan

320
00:16:38,198 --> 00:16:42,300
when he sees something
unusual on the seabed.

321
00:16:45,439 --> 00:16:47,205
Etched into the sand
below him

322
00:16:47,274 --> 00:16:49,608
is an intricate design.

323
00:16:49,610 --> 00:16:53,010
Yoji observed a strange,
circular pattern

324
00:16:53,046 --> 00:16:56,948
about six feet wide with
sort of sand ridges and hills

325
00:16:57,017 --> 00:16:59,351
throughout the circle.

326
00:16:59,353 --> 00:17:02,087
In his years of
underwater photography,

327
00:17:02,222 --> 00:17:05,156
Yoji had never seen anything
like this.

328
00:17:07,494 --> 00:17:09,694
(Don)
The pattern seems
too perfect to have

329
00:17:09,829 --> 00:17:12,697
any natural explanation.

330
00:17:12,766 --> 00:17:15,166
He was determined to try
and figure out

331
00:17:15,302 --> 00:17:18,537
what actually was the cause
of these underwater circles.

332
00:17:22,376 --> 00:17:23,775
(Don)
Later, when he examines
his photos,

333
00:17:23,844 --> 00:17:27,245
Yoji discovers that he is not
the first

334
00:17:27,247 --> 00:17:30,315
to come across these complex
underwater designs.

335
00:17:30,384 --> 00:17:34,385
These undersea circles were
first documented by divers

336
00:17:34,421 --> 00:17:37,522
in the Pacific Ocean
in 1995,

337
00:17:37,524 --> 00:17:40,926
but since then, their origin
has remained a mystery.

338
00:17:41,061 --> 00:17:45,330
Some speculate that
they're made by ocean currents

339
00:17:45,465 --> 00:17:48,199
forming patterns
in the seabed.

340
00:17:48,201 --> 00:17:51,869
But this made no sense
to anyone that understood
physics of water.

341
00:17:51,905 --> 00:17:56,141
Sand ripples ought to occur
in a typical linear fashion.

342
00:17:56,276 --> 00:17:58,877
This was a circle.

343
00:18:01,248 --> 00:18:03,548
(Don)
Others believe the designs
are merely a hoax

344
00:18:03,550 --> 00:18:06,217
created by mischievous divers,

345
00:18:06,286 --> 00:18:09,087
but this hypothesis doesn't
hold water, either,

346
00:18:09,222 --> 00:18:12,223
as the circles have been found
across a wide swath

347
00:18:12,225 --> 00:18:14,692
of the Pacific Ocean.

348
00:18:14,728 --> 00:18:17,095
No single diver or group
of divers could possibly

349
00:18:17,230 --> 00:18:19,497
have made all of these strange
formations

350
00:18:19,533 --> 00:18:22,834
on the bottom of the ocean in
all of these different places.

351
00:18:25,372 --> 00:18:28,106
(Don)
With no obvious
explanation at hand,

352
00:18:28,175 --> 00:18:31,309
some note that these strange
patterns on the seabed

353
00:18:31,311 --> 00:18:34,312
bear a striking resemblance
to another bizarre,

354
00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:36,714
land-based phenomenon--

355
00:18:36,750 --> 00:18:39,317
crop circles.

356
00:18:39,386 --> 00:18:41,786
In the 1970s and '80s,

357
00:18:41,822 --> 00:18:45,523
large, unexplained circular
patterns began appearing

358
00:18:45,659 --> 00:18:48,326
in corn fields in
the United States and Europe,

359
00:18:48,461 --> 00:18:51,129
leading many to suggest
that the crop circles

360
00:18:51,264 --> 00:18:53,932
were the work of
extraterrestrials.

361
00:18:54,067 --> 00:18:56,267
And if that theory is correct,

362
00:18:56,336 --> 00:18:59,270
then perhaps who, or whatever,
made the crop circles

363
00:18:59,406 --> 00:19:03,174
also created these intricate
patterns on the ocean floor.

364
00:19:06,546 --> 00:19:09,146
But none of these theories
satisfy Yoji.

365
00:19:09,182 --> 00:19:12,016
Yoji did not feel that
any of those explanations

366
00:19:12,085 --> 00:19:15,887
were rational,
but he wanted to know

367
00:19:15,889 --> 00:19:19,357
what was causing these unusual,
crop-like

368
00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,093
circular formations in the sand.

369
00:19:22,228 --> 00:19:24,295
(Don)
So what's really behind

370
00:19:24,297 --> 00:19:26,931
these curious deep sea
creations?

371
00:19:38,545 --> 00:19:40,712
Underwater photographer,
Yoji Okata,

372
00:19:40,714 --> 00:19:43,581
has discovered something unusual
while diving

373
00:19:43,617 --> 00:19:47,052
off the coast of Japan--
large, intricate patterns

374
00:19:47,187 --> 00:19:49,253
etched into the sand
on the ocean floor.

375
00:19:49,322 --> 00:19:51,856
So what or who is responsible

376
00:19:51,892 --> 00:19:53,825
for these deep sea designs?

377
00:19:57,063 --> 00:19:59,397
To crack the enigma,
Yoji Okata

378
00:19:59,399 --> 00:20:02,000
returns to the deep,
along with an investigative

379
00:20:02,135 --> 00:20:03,768
team of divers.

380
00:20:06,039 --> 00:20:08,072
After days of searching,
they find

381
00:20:08,141 --> 00:20:10,808
another ornate circular design.

382
00:20:10,844 --> 00:20:13,745
It's then that the divers
see something moving

383
00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,980
in the middle of the circle--

384
00:20:18,485 --> 00:20:21,018
a tiny fish.

385
00:20:21,088 --> 00:20:24,689
(Paul)
The divers observe the small
pufferfish flapping

386
00:20:24,824 --> 00:20:27,625
its fins frantically as it swam
back and forth.

387
00:20:27,761 --> 00:20:30,361
(Don)
The team watches

388
00:20:30,363 --> 00:20:33,231
as the fish uses its fins
to create

389
00:20:33,366 --> 00:20:36,167
a circular pattern
on the ocean floor.

390
00:20:36,302 --> 00:20:39,303
(Paul)
It didn't take long for
the divers to recognize

391
00:20:39,372 --> 00:20:41,906
that the artist of
these strange sand formations

392
00:20:42,041 --> 00:20:44,441
was, in fact,
a small pufferfish.

393
00:20:44,478 --> 00:20:47,512
(Don)
The creature is identified
as a member of

394
00:20:47,647 --> 00:20:51,216
a newly discovered species
called the white spotted
pufferfish.

395
00:20:54,921 --> 00:20:56,921
But the question remains--

396
00:20:56,923 --> 00:20:59,123
why do they make
these intricate patterns?

397
00:20:59,159 --> 00:21:01,793
After careful observation,

398
00:21:01,928 --> 00:21:04,329
scientists conclude
that the work is done

399
00:21:04,464 --> 00:21:08,333
by the male of the species as
an elaborate courtship ritual.

400
00:21:10,771 --> 00:21:13,137
(Paul)
The sand formations
attracted females,

401
00:21:13,173 --> 00:21:15,206
who swam down the grooves,

402
00:21:15,275 --> 00:21:18,209
where the male was waiting--
the females deposited

403
00:21:18,245 --> 00:21:20,478
their eggs, and the male
fertilized them,

404
00:21:20,614 --> 00:21:23,114
and then the male protected
those eggs until they hatched.

405
00:21:26,486 --> 00:21:28,919
(Don)
Yoji Okata and his team
are the first to witness

406
00:21:28,955 --> 00:21:31,489
one of the most unusual
mating rituals

407
00:21:31,558 --> 00:21:33,624
in the natural world.

408
00:21:33,693 --> 00:21:36,427
Yoji was elated that he finally
had discovered

409
00:21:36,429 --> 00:21:39,931
the culprit, the artist, of
these strange sand formations.

410
00:21:43,470 --> 00:21:46,503
(Don)
Today, this pufferfish,
like the one responsible

411
00:21:46,540 --> 00:21:49,841
for making these underwater
creations, is on display

412
00:21:49,976 --> 00:21:52,577
at the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography

413
00:21:52,646 --> 00:21:54,913
in San Diego, California.

414
00:21:55,048 --> 00:21:57,482
It recalls a remarkable quest

415
00:21:57,584 --> 00:22:01,385
to reveal the puzzling patterns
of ocean life.

416
00:22:05,592 --> 00:22:08,259
Wooden Polynesian effigies,

417
00:22:08,394 --> 00:22:11,729
hand-carved
Native American masks...

418
00:22:11,865 --> 00:22:16,200
and the 10,000 year old bones
of the Mastodon.

419
00:22:16,203 --> 00:22:19,870
These and other wonders
of the Pacific northwest

420
00:22:19,906 --> 00:22:21,872
are on display
at the Burke Museum

421
00:22:21,908 --> 00:22:23,407
of Natural History
and Culture

422
00:22:23,476 --> 00:22:25,143
in Seattle, Washington

423
00:22:29,216 --> 00:22:31,549
But amidst these earthly relics
is one item

424
00:22:31,618 --> 00:22:34,752
that has no place on dry land.

425
00:22:34,821 --> 00:22:38,222
MASLENIKOV:
It is about 6 inches long,
about 3 1/2 inches wide.

426
00:22:38,291 --> 00:22:40,958
There is a rod coming
out of the forehead

427
00:22:40,994 --> 00:22:45,029
with this glowing object
at the end of it.

428
00:22:45,098 --> 00:22:47,866
And it has
some very large teeth.

429
00:22:50,737 --> 00:22:53,371
WILDMAN: These frightening
creatures once roamed unseen

430
00:22:53,506 --> 00:22:56,307
in the darkest depths
of the ocean

431
00:22:56,442 --> 00:22:58,376
until they were brought
into the light

432
00:22:58,445 --> 00:23:02,380
by one of the most incredible
and dangerous expeditions

433
00:23:02,449 --> 00:23:05,115
the world has ever witnessed.

434
00:23:05,151 --> 00:23:07,651
This story tells us about
the amazing impossibilities

435
00:23:07,687 --> 00:23:09,587
when we explore the unknown.

436
00:23:12,759 --> 00:23:16,127
WILDMAN:
1925 -- Bermuda.

437
00:23:16,196 --> 00:23:18,997
48-year-old explorer
William Beebe is

438
00:23:19,132 --> 00:23:22,734
one of the world's most
highly respected biologists.

439
00:23:22,869 --> 00:23:24,736
Throughout his career,
he has discovered

440
00:23:24,871 --> 00:23:28,806
countless rare
and exotic bird species.

441
00:23:28,808 --> 00:23:30,607
But now
the scientist is planning

442
00:23:30,644 --> 00:23:33,277
his greatest adventure yet.

443
00:23:33,313 --> 00:23:35,546
He wants to unlock
the secrets held

444
00:23:35,682 --> 00:23:39,083
in the darkest depths
of the earth's oceans.

445
00:23:39,152 --> 00:23:42,219
The ocean is this vast,
undiscovered frontier.

446
00:23:42,255 --> 00:23:44,155
And for Beebe,
here was the chance

447
00:23:44,157 --> 00:23:48,892
to really make his mark
in a whole new way.

448
00:23:48,929 --> 00:23:52,029
WILDMAN: But that's easier
said than done.

449
00:23:52,098 --> 00:23:55,766
The most advanced
diving suits of the day

450
00:23:55,835 --> 00:23:58,770
can only reach a depth
of 500 feet.

451
00:23:58,905 --> 00:24:01,906
Anything below that,
and the diver inside

452
00:24:01,908 --> 00:24:03,974
would be crushed
by the pressure of the water.

453
00:24:04,010 --> 00:24:06,911
But Beebe is undeterred.

454
00:24:07,046 --> 00:24:09,380
MASLENIKOV: He wanted
to get deeper and deeper.

455
00:24:09,382 --> 00:24:10,915
So Beebe decides
that the only way

456
00:24:11,050 --> 00:24:14,051
he's going to get down there
is if he builds a vessel.

457
00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:15,586
WILDMAN: So Beebe teams up

458
00:24:15,722 --> 00:24:18,656
with an engineer named
Otis Barton.

459
00:24:18,791 --> 00:24:21,659
Barton is
this young engineering student.

460
00:24:21,661 --> 00:24:25,063
For him, it was all about going
down as deep as they could.

461
00:24:25,198 --> 00:24:27,131
WILDMAN: Together,
they come up with a simple

462
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,667
yet brilliant design.

463
00:24:29,669 --> 00:24:31,469
MASLENIKOV: They knew
that it had to be a sphere

464
00:24:31,604 --> 00:24:36,340
because a sphere will distribute
the pressure evenly.

465
00:24:36,409 --> 00:24:38,409
WILDMAN: For years,
the men worked tirelessly

466
00:24:38,544 --> 00:24:41,479
to build their vessel.

467
00:24:41,614 --> 00:24:45,449
In 1930, it's finally ready.

468
00:24:45,485 --> 00:24:49,086
The craft is made of more
than two tons of cast steel

469
00:24:49,122 --> 00:24:51,755
and features
two solid-quartz windows,

470
00:24:51,791 --> 00:24:57,028
oxygen tanks, and a spotlight
to illuminate the murky water.

471
00:24:57,097 --> 00:25:00,898
It's been carefully welded
together so it won't leak.

472
00:25:00,967 --> 00:25:05,169
And it's only opening is
a 400-pound door.

473
00:25:05,171 --> 00:25:07,104
If all goes well,
it should be able

474
00:25:07,140 --> 00:25:11,108
to withstand depths
of up to 4,000 feet.

475
00:25:11,144 --> 00:25:13,711
Beebe and Barton name it
the bathysphere,

476
00:25:13,713 --> 00:25:15,713
Greek for "deep sphere."

477
00:25:15,782 --> 00:25:17,715
It was surprisingly small.

478
00:25:17,784 --> 00:25:20,284
It was only 4 1/2 feet across.

479
00:25:23,690 --> 00:25:27,058
WILDMAN: On June 6, 10 miles
off the coast of Bermuda,

480
00:25:27,060 --> 00:25:30,994
Beebe and Barton squeeze
into the bathysphere.

481
00:25:31,031 --> 00:25:33,263
The vessel is lowered
into the ocean

482
00:25:33,299 --> 00:25:37,135
via a cable attached to a barge.

483
00:25:37,270 --> 00:25:39,870
A telephone line keeps them
in constant communication

484
00:25:39,939 --> 00:25:41,706
with the ship's crew.

485
00:25:43,943 --> 00:25:46,611
They were so excited
and so scared.

486
00:25:46,746 --> 00:25:50,281
They were alone
in this steel sphere

487
00:25:50,350 --> 00:25:53,885
lowered where no one had
ever been.

488
00:25:53,887 --> 00:25:55,419
WILDMAN:
Inside the bathysphere,

489
00:25:55,455 --> 00:25:58,489
Beebe and Barton begin
their descent.

490
00:25:58,525 --> 00:26:03,694
To their relief, the design
appears to be working perfectly.

491
00:26:03,830 --> 00:26:06,230
But when they reach 300 feet,

492
00:26:06,266 --> 00:26:09,700
something goes terribly wrong.

493
00:26:09,836 --> 00:26:12,437
The door suddenly starts
to leak.

494
00:26:14,841 --> 00:26:18,509
Trapped inside this sphere,
the men could drown.

495
00:26:18,644 --> 00:26:22,313
If this situation is not solved,
they will die.

496
00:26:32,659 --> 00:26:35,659
It's 1930
off the coast of Bermuda.

497
00:26:35,728 --> 00:26:38,863
Explorers William Beebe
and Otis Barton are attempting

498
00:26:38,932 --> 00:26:41,331
an unprecedented journey
beneath the sea

499
00:26:41,367 --> 00:26:43,267
in a new type of submersible.

500
00:26:43,336 --> 00:26:46,404
But when they reach
the depth of 300 feet,

501
00:26:46,539 --> 00:26:48,139
disaster strikes.

502
00:26:48,274 --> 00:26:51,275
Water is suddenly seeping
into the craft.

503
00:26:51,344 --> 00:26:54,745
So, can they survive
this deadly breach?

504
00:26:57,550 --> 00:26:59,750
As the water pours in
from the door,

505
00:26:59,886 --> 00:27:03,354
Beebe proposes
an unbelievable solution.

506
00:27:03,489 --> 00:27:06,357
Beebe decides that, rather
than go back up to surface

507
00:27:06,426 --> 00:27:11,629
and try and solve the problem,
they should go down and fast.

508
00:27:11,764 --> 00:27:13,497
He believes
that at a greater depth,

509
00:27:13,533 --> 00:27:15,899
the increased water pressure
will actually

510
00:27:15,935 --> 00:27:19,837
push the door tight enough
to stop the leak.

511
00:27:19,906 --> 00:27:23,841
It's a bit counterintuitive.
You'd think you need to go up.

512
00:27:23,910 --> 00:27:26,911
But if you go down,
the pressure will actually

513
00:27:26,913 --> 00:27:29,647
then compress
where that problem is

514
00:27:29,782 --> 00:27:33,317
and seal the crack for you.

515
00:27:33,319 --> 00:27:36,120
WILDMAN: Beebe and Barton wait
with baited breath

516
00:27:36,122 --> 00:27:39,457
as they descend deeper
into the ocean.

517
00:27:39,459 --> 00:27:43,794
To their relief, the leak stops.

518
00:27:43,830 --> 00:27:45,263
With the crisis averted,

519
00:27:45,398 --> 00:27:49,399
Beebe and Barton are able
to reach a record depth.

520
00:27:49,435 --> 00:27:51,402
MASLENIKOV:
They made it down to 800 feet.

521
00:27:51,537 --> 00:27:53,137
And that was the deepest

522
00:27:53,272 --> 00:27:56,807
that any human
had ever been alive.

523
00:27:56,876 --> 00:28:00,077
WILDMAN: The explorers spend
an hour below the surface

524
00:28:00,113 --> 00:28:02,747
before being pulled safely
back up to the ship.

525
00:28:05,952 --> 00:28:09,153
Over the next several years,
Beebe and Barton complete

526
00:28:09,288 --> 00:28:12,623
a series of deeper
and deeper dives.

527
00:28:12,758 --> 00:28:15,158
They eventually reach
the staggering depth

528
00:28:15,195 --> 00:28:18,229
of 3,028 feet.

529
00:28:18,364 --> 00:28:21,098
Far beneath the surface,
Beebe is able to observe

530
00:28:21,167 --> 00:28:24,568
deep-sea creatures
in their natural environment,

531
00:28:24,637 --> 00:28:27,371
including
the extraordinary anglerfish.

532
00:28:27,373 --> 00:28:31,842
He was so excited
when he looked out that window

533
00:28:31,878 --> 00:28:34,645
and, for the first time,
saw the anglerfish.

534
00:28:39,185 --> 00:28:41,719
WILDMAN: Today, this anglerfish
remains preserved

535
00:28:41,854 --> 00:28:44,989
at the Burke Museum
of Natural History in Seattle.

536
00:28:45,024 --> 00:28:47,992
It recalls a historic journey
beneath the sea

537
00:28:48,127 --> 00:28:52,096
and the two daring men
who exposed a brand-new world.

538
00:28:56,269 --> 00:28:58,336
New Bedford, Massachusetts.

539
00:28:58,338 --> 00:29:00,871
In 1841,
author Herman Melville

540
00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:03,274
sailed from this port city
on the expedition

541
00:29:03,276 --> 00:29:05,676
that inspired
his great American novel,

542
00:29:05,678 --> 00:29:07,345
Moby-Dick .

543
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,081
Today, the area's nautical
history is showcased

544
00:29:10,083 --> 00:29:12,250
at the New Bedford
Whaling Museum.

545
00:29:16,956 --> 00:29:19,156
Here, visitors can view
scrimshaw carvings

546
00:29:19,158 --> 00:29:21,359
from the 18th century,

547
00:29:21,494 --> 00:29:24,161
the skeleton of
a baby blue whale,

548
00:29:24,297 --> 00:29:26,163
and the world's largest
model whaling ship.

549
00:29:28,701 --> 00:29:30,768
But one item here
looks like it belongs

550
00:29:30,770 --> 00:29:34,905
not in a maritime museum
but in a science fiction movie.

551
00:29:34,974 --> 00:29:37,441
It's a metallic cylinder.

552
00:29:37,443 --> 00:29:39,776
It's very thin.

553
00:29:39,812 --> 00:29:42,179
It's about
two and a half feet high,

554
00:29:42,315 --> 00:29:44,448
and it almost looks
like a big bullet.

555
00:29:47,053 --> 00:29:50,187
(Don)
This strange instrument
recalls a wondrous tale

556
00:29:50,223 --> 00:29:53,590
of adventure, exploration,
and creatures from the deep.

557
00:29:53,660 --> 00:29:57,261
This is a story
of the incredible
possibilities

558
00:29:57,396 --> 00:29:59,263
beneath the Earth's oceans.

559
00:29:59,398 --> 00:30:01,365
[growling noises]

560
00:30:03,403 --> 00:30:06,203
(Don)
1997, Newport, Oregon.

561
00:30:06,339 --> 00:30:09,140
Dr. Christopher Fox
is a veteran researcher

562
00:30:09,275 --> 00:30:12,209
for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration,

563
00:30:12,345 --> 00:30:14,412
or NOAA.

564
00:30:14,414 --> 00:30:17,682
Their role is to monitor
and do scientific study

565
00:30:17,817 --> 00:30:20,484
of the oceans and atmosphere.

566
00:30:20,619 --> 00:30:23,621
(Don)
One of NOAA's most
powerful tools

567
00:30:23,623 --> 00:30:26,757
is a scientific instrument
called the hydrophone.

568
00:30:26,793 --> 00:30:30,427
The listening device,
like this one in the collection

569
00:30:30,496 --> 00:30:32,763
of the New Bedford
Whaling Museum,

570
00:30:32,799 --> 00:30:35,566
is a microphone designed
for recording or monitoring

571
00:30:35,668 --> 00:30:37,834
sound underwater.

572
00:30:37,870 --> 00:30:40,171
Most of the time,
Fox and his fellow scientists

573
00:30:40,173 --> 00:30:42,840
pick up sounds of
sea life or ships.

574
00:30:42,909 --> 00:30:45,710
But one day,

575
00:30:45,845 --> 00:30:47,978
they hear something
louder and stranger

576
00:30:48,114 --> 00:30:50,247
than anything
they've heard before.

577
00:30:50,283 --> 00:30:53,918
[deep whooshing noises]

578
00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:55,919
(Christina)
They couldn't figure out
what these sounds were.

579
00:30:56,021 --> 00:30:57,921
It had not previously
been recorded.

580
00:30:57,990 --> 00:31:00,190
It actually sounded
like a "bloop!"

581
00:31:00,259 --> 00:31:03,728
[deep whooshing noises]

582
00:31:03,863 --> 00:31:07,732
(Don)
Fittingly, the scientists
nickname the unusual sound

583
00:31:07,867 --> 00:31:10,868
the Bloop,
and according to their data,

584
00:31:10,870 --> 00:31:14,404
it appears to originate
from over 3,000 miles away.

585
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,141
Fox is astonished.

586
00:31:17,143 --> 00:31:19,944
For a sound to travel
such a distance,

587
00:31:19,946 --> 00:31:22,813
its source must be
deafeningly loud.

588
00:31:22,948 --> 00:31:25,750
When you find something
so abnormal,

589
00:31:25,885 --> 00:31:29,153
it really gave people a lot
of pause of what that

590
00:31:29,222 --> 00:31:31,354
could actually be.

591
00:31:31,391 --> 00:31:34,625
(Don)
The short, seemingly
random sound pattern

592
00:31:34,627 --> 00:31:38,495
bears no similarities
to the long, steady
hum of submarines

593
00:31:38,564 --> 00:31:41,165
or other man-made machines,

594
00:31:41,234 --> 00:31:43,967
and it doesn't match the pattern
that would be expected

595
00:31:44,036 --> 00:31:46,370
from an underwater
earthquake, volcano,

596
00:31:46,372 --> 00:31:48,972
or other geological phenomena.

597
00:31:49,008 --> 00:31:51,609
It was unknown where
the sound was coming from.

598
00:31:54,514 --> 00:31:57,314
(Don)
With these simple
explanations ruled out,

599
00:31:57,383 --> 00:32:01,051
a more remote, even outlandish
possibility, emerges--

600
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,654
that the sound
could be emanating

601
00:32:03,789 --> 00:32:06,390
from some kind of
unknown sea creature.

602
00:32:06,459 --> 00:32:08,525
[growling noises]

603
00:32:08,594 --> 00:32:10,794
We know more about the surface
of Mars and the moon

604
00:32:10,863 --> 00:32:13,130
than we know
about the floors of the sea.

605
00:32:13,265 --> 00:32:16,199
There is life down there,
and we don't necessarily

606
00:32:16,235 --> 00:32:19,002
know what it is.

607
00:32:19,038 --> 00:32:21,806
(Don)
But for a marine animal
to make a noise

608
00:32:21,941 --> 00:32:25,542
as powerful as the Bloop,
it would have to be
gargantuan in size.

609
00:32:25,578 --> 00:32:27,678
A blue whale,

610
00:32:27,813 --> 00:32:30,147
the largest known
living creature on the planet,

611
00:32:30,249 --> 00:32:33,751
emits a call that's more
deafening than a jet plane.

612
00:32:33,753 --> 00:32:37,154
And based on his calculations,

613
00:32:37,289 --> 00:32:41,157
Fox estimates that the Bloop
is three times as loud.

614
00:32:41,194 --> 00:32:43,560
If we were to consider
that this monster's

615
00:32:43,596 --> 00:32:45,963
about three times the size
of a blue whale,

616
00:32:46,098 --> 00:32:49,500
it probably would've been
the length of about eight
to nine school buses.

617
00:32:49,569 --> 00:32:52,903
(Don)
So is this thunderous
sound really coming

618
00:32:52,939 --> 00:32:55,239
from a giant,
undiscovered sea creature?

619
00:32:55,308 --> 00:32:57,208
[growling noises]

620
00:33:06,786 --> 00:33:08,719
It's 1997.

621
00:33:08,788 --> 00:33:11,322
Dr. Christopher Fox
and a team of researchers

622
00:33:11,457 --> 00:33:14,658
have recorded an underwater
sound in the Pacific Ocean.

623
00:33:14,793 --> 00:33:17,394
They've named it the Bloop.

624
00:33:17,463 --> 00:33:21,197
The sound is one of the loudest
and most powerful ever recorded,

625
00:33:21,234 --> 00:33:24,001
leading some to suspect
the source may be

626
00:33:24,136 --> 00:33:27,071
a giant marine creature
that's never been seen before.

627
00:33:27,206 --> 00:33:31,008
So is there some massive,
mysterious beast

628
00:33:31,077 --> 00:33:33,944
lurking in the deep?

629
00:33:33,946 --> 00:33:38,882
(Don)
Fox and his fellow researchers
continue to monitor
the Bloop for weeks,

630
00:33:38,951 --> 00:33:42,819
but they cannot determine what
is making the thunderous sound.

631
00:33:42,855 --> 00:33:45,756
Then, suddenly,

632
00:33:45,891 --> 00:33:48,291
it stops.

633
00:33:48,327 --> 00:33:50,761
And now that it's gone,
it seems that finding the source

634
00:33:50,763 --> 00:33:53,497
of the strange sound
will be impossible.

635
00:33:53,632 --> 00:33:57,468
No one hears the Bloop
for years.

636
00:34:00,339 --> 00:34:02,506
Then, in 2008,

637
00:34:02,508 --> 00:34:05,976
scientists in the Antarctic are
monitoring acoustic activity

638
00:34:05,978 --> 00:34:09,713
when they pick up the same
unusually powerful sound,

639
00:34:09,782 --> 00:34:12,649
and this time,
whatever is making it

640
00:34:12,718 --> 00:34:15,452
appears to be close by.

641
00:34:15,521 --> 00:34:18,455
(Christina)
This phenomenon happened again,
and it happened to be recorded

642
00:34:18,491 --> 00:34:21,058
closer to their source.

643
00:34:21,060 --> 00:34:23,727
(Don)
The researchers
methodically search the region,

644
00:34:23,729 --> 00:34:26,997
yet they find no trace
of a large marine creature.

645
00:34:27,033 --> 00:34:30,667
But they do notice
an interesting
natural phenomenon

646
00:34:30,736 --> 00:34:34,405
that might solve the mystery
once and for all.

647
00:34:34,407 --> 00:34:38,409
They witness large glaciers
moving and breaking apart,

648
00:34:38,411 --> 00:34:41,812
a geologic process
known as cavving.

649
00:34:41,947 --> 00:34:43,747
So the glaciers were moving,

650
00:34:43,749 --> 00:34:45,883
and these have unique sounds.

651
00:34:45,885 --> 00:34:48,685
It was loud,
and it wasn't terribly long,

652
00:34:48,754 --> 00:34:50,954
and it wasn't rhythmic.

653
00:34:51,023 --> 00:34:53,423
(Don)
The noise created
by the friction between

654
00:34:53,459 --> 00:34:55,959
the enormous slabs of ice
is identical

655
00:34:55,995 --> 00:34:59,263
to the one first picked up
by Fox and his team at NOAA.

656
00:35:02,268 --> 00:35:04,768
It had a similar signature,
similar frequency,

657
00:35:04,804 --> 00:35:07,037
and similar volume
to what they had heard

658
00:35:07,172 --> 00:35:10,040
in the '90s,
so this actually was a sound

659
00:35:10,109 --> 00:35:12,042
made by ice breaking apart

660
00:35:12,111 --> 00:35:14,578
and not by an underwater
sea creature.

661
00:35:17,350 --> 00:35:20,250
(Don)
Scientists believe
that glacial cavving

662
00:35:20,386 --> 00:35:23,120
is the most likely source
of the Bloop.

663
00:35:23,122 --> 00:35:26,056
Still, many continue
to wonder what unknown,

664
00:35:26,058 --> 00:35:28,859
magnificent creatures
lurk in the deep.

665
00:35:28,928 --> 00:35:31,328
(Christina)
There's so much left to explore,

666
00:35:31,463 --> 00:35:34,531
and we don't really know
what else we're gonna find.

667
00:35:38,037 --> 00:35:41,405
(Don)
Today, this hydrophone,
used to detect
underwater sounds,

668
00:35:41,407 --> 00:35:44,207
is on display at
the New Bedford Whaling Museum

669
00:35:44,276 --> 00:35:46,009
in Massachusetts.

670
00:35:46,045 --> 00:35:48,144
It recalls the maritime mystery

671
00:35:48,180 --> 00:35:50,514
and the Bloop heard
round the world.

672
00:35:54,086 --> 00:35:57,220
An 85 pound sturgeon
from the Gulf of Mexico...

673
00:35:57,256 --> 00:36:00,423
A massive devil ray
with a 4 foot wing span.

674
00:36:00,459 --> 00:36:03,427
and an alligator gar,

675
00:36:03,429 --> 00:36:07,164
one of the largest fish
in North America

676
00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:10,234
are just some of
the incredible aquatic creatures

677
00:36:10,236 --> 00:36:13,369
found at the Royal D. Suttkus
fish collection

678
00:36:13,406 --> 00:36:16,907
in New Orleans, Louisiana.

679
00:36:16,909 --> 00:36:19,376
But among these
spectacular specimens

680
00:36:19,511 --> 00:36:22,379
is a deceptively
simple display.

681
00:36:24,116 --> 00:36:27,451
It's about 17 inches tall,
it's made of glass

682
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:29,319
and inside is an amber liquid.

683
00:36:29,388 --> 00:36:33,389
Suspended in the liquid are
dozens of little creatures

684
00:36:33,426 --> 00:36:36,593
6 to 8 inches long each with
beady little eyes

685
00:36:36,729 --> 00:36:38,528
and a scaly exterior.

686
00:36:38,597 --> 00:36:41,465
It's not often
you come across a jar

687
00:36:41,467 --> 00:36:44,534
with 53 floating bodies inside.

688
00:36:46,472 --> 00:36:50,340
These tiny creatures
took center stage in an
international drama

689
00:36:50,476 --> 00:36:52,943
that played out
in the ocean's depths.

690
00:36:53,012 --> 00:36:56,212
This is a story about Sweden,
submarines,

691
00:36:56,248 --> 00:36:58,682
and an underwater mystery.

692
00:36:58,684 --> 00:37:01,752
[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

693
00:37:04,790 --> 00:37:08,092
WILDMAN:
It's the 1990s.

694
00:37:08,227 --> 00:37:09,959
The Cold War is over,

695
00:37:09,995 --> 00:37:12,495
but, despite the apparent
fall of communism,

696
00:37:12,531 --> 00:37:16,299
tensions across Europe
remain high.

697
00:37:16,368 --> 00:37:19,036
Many fear that the
destabilized Russian state

698
00:37:19,171 --> 00:37:20,904
will go on the offensive

699
00:37:21,039 --> 00:37:23,306
in a desperate bid
to gain new territory

700
00:37:23,342 --> 00:37:25,909
following
the breakup of the USSR,

701
00:37:25,978 --> 00:37:28,712
and one country
in Russia's firing line

702
00:37:28,814 --> 00:37:29,746
is Sweden.

703
00:37:29,782 --> 00:37:32,649
Sweden was very close
to the Soviet Union

704
00:37:32,685 --> 00:37:35,319
and had to be prepared,
in case the worst happened.

705
00:37:35,454 --> 00:37:37,854
[ Suspenseful chord strikes ]

706
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:39,456
[ Ominous music plays ]

707
00:37:39,591 --> 00:37:41,658
WILDMAN:
Then, something happens
that suggests

708
00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:45,328
the country's worst fears
are about to come true.

709
00:37:45,364 --> 00:37:46,997
[ Suspenseful music plays ]

710
00:37:47,066 --> 00:37:49,533
One day, in May 1994,

711
00:37:49,535 --> 00:37:51,868
while the Swedish Navy
is doing a routine sweep

712
00:37:51,904 --> 00:37:54,738
of the Baltic Sea,

713
00:37:54,807 --> 00:37:59,676
sonar operators detect
a suspicious sound.

714
00:37:59,678 --> 00:38:04,214
[Sizzling]
PORGES: It sounded like the
static of a TV or radio.

715
00:38:04,283 --> 00:38:09,553
WILDMAN:
To the navy officers,
it can only mean one thing...

716
00:38:12,291 --> 00:38:15,092
...an enemy submarine.

717
00:38:15,227 --> 00:38:17,627
The operators assumed the worst:
that the vessel they detected

718
00:38:17,663 --> 00:38:20,297
was a Soviet nuclear submarine.

719
00:38:20,432 --> 00:38:23,300
It fit the audio signature
of a submarine.

720
00:38:23,302 --> 00:38:24,902
That's because submarines,

721
00:38:24,904 --> 00:38:28,838
they release a lot
of air bubbles.

722
00:38:28,874 --> 00:38:31,174
WILDMAN:
The Swedish Navy dispatches
a fleet of ships

723
00:38:31,177 --> 00:38:34,645
to intercept the lurking
Russian vessel.

724
00:38:34,647 --> 00:38:38,782
But after an exhaustive search,
they come up empty.

725
00:38:38,784 --> 00:38:40,517
They look for vessels
in their water,

726
00:38:40,586 --> 00:38:44,454
and they don't find a thing.

727
00:38:44,490 --> 00:38:47,858
WILDMAN:
But despite coming up
empty-handed,

728
00:38:47,927 --> 00:38:50,126
the Swedish Navy continues

729
00:38:50,196 --> 00:38:53,663
to pick up traces
of the weird noise.

730
00:38:53,699 --> 00:38:55,999
The Cold War was
supposed to be over,

731
00:38:56,068 --> 00:38:58,735
but if the Swedish Navy
couldn't figure out

732
00:38:58,771 --> 00:39:02,405
what was happening,
it could mean war.

733
00:39:02,474 --> 00:39:04,808
WILDMAN:
So what's making
this strange sound?

734
00:39:04,810 --> 00:39:07,578
[ Suspenseful music plays ]

735
00:39:16,288 --> 00:39:18,222
It's May 1994.

736
00:39:18,357 --> 00:39:22,358
The Swedish Navy has just
intercepted a strange,

737
00:39:22,394 --> 00:39:24,228
underwater signal.

738
00:39:24,363 --> 00:39:25,828
They think it may originated

739
00:39:25,865 --> 00:39:28,498
from a Russian spy submarine
lurking in the Baltic,

740
00:39:28,534 --> 00:39:31,368
but there's something
even fishier afoot,

741
00:39:31,370 --> 00:39:33,103
far beneath the waves.

742
00:39:33,172 --> 00:39:34,504
[ Suspenseful music plays ]

743
00:39:34,540 --> 00:39:36,973
With the source of the signal
still unknown,

744
00:39:37,042 --> 00:39:38,441
the Swedish Navy appoints a team

745
00:39:38,510 --> 00:39:41,044
of esteemed scientists
to investigate.

746
00:39:41,179 --> 00:39:43,113
The first thing
the scientists do

747
00:39:43,115 --> 00:39:44,581
is listen
to the audio recording.

748
00:39:44,650 --> 00:39:48,251
WILDMAN:
But to these experts,
the noise doesn't sound

749
00:39:48,287 --> 00:39:50,587
like it was created
by a machine.

750
00:39:50,656 --> 00:39:53,390
They believe it has
a natural source.

751
00:39:53,459 --> 00:39:57,394
The team hypothesizes
that the sound could be made

752
00:39:57,396 --> 00:40:00,864
by tiny bubbles of methane gas

753
00:40:00,866 --> 00:40:03,934
released through cracks
in the sea floor.

754
00:40:04,003 --> 00:40:06,002
They test the sediments
at the bottom of the Baltic Sea

755
00:40:06,038 --> 00:40:07,871
to see if they can find
any traces of gases

756
00:40:08,006 --> 00:40:10,007
that might match this
sort of signal.

757
00:40:10,142 --> 00:40:12,409
They find nothing.

758
00:40:12,544 --> 00:40:16,079
WILDMAN:
Then, a scientist
named Magnus Wahlberg

759
00:40:16,148 --> 00:40:19,216
comes forward with a new theory.

760
00:40:19,351 --> 00:40:22,352
Magnus Wahlberg was
a bioacoustics expert.

761
00:40:22,421 --> 00:40:24,421
Wahlberg had an idea.

762
00:40:24,556 --> 00:40:28,492
What if the cause of the sound
wasn't a machine or sediment...

763
00:40:28,494 --> 00:40:30,026
[ Suspenseful chord strikes ]

764
00:40:30,062 --> 00:40:31,828
but an animal?

765
00:40:31,830 --> 00:40:34,898
WILDMAN:
And Wahlberg thinks he knows
the creature that's responsible.

766
00:40:34,900 --> 00:40:39,235
It's a mainstay
of Swedish cuisine:

767
00:40:39,271 --> 00:40:41,571
the herring.

768
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:43,707
[Whimsical tune plays]
Herring gather
in massive schools

769
00:40:43,776 --> 00:40:45,575
in the waters off Sweden.

770
00:40:45,644 --> 00:40:48,912
Like many other fish,
they have a special organ,

771
00:40:48,914 --> 00:40:52,316
called a swim bladder,
to help them stay afloat,

772
00:40:52,451 --> 00:40:54,984
but there is one
unique difference.

773
00:40:55,020 --> 00:40:58,922
While most swim bladders
are connected to a fish's lungs,

774
00:40:58,991 --> 00:41:02,726
the herring's is connected
to its rear end.

775
00:41:02,861 --> 00:41:04,061
[ Horn tooting ]

776
00:41:04,196 --> 00:41:06,195
When they squeeze
that swim bladder,

777
00:41:06,231 --> 00:41:09,199
maybe to communicate
or to express alarm,

778
00:41:09,268 --> 00:41:12,735
gas comes out through
their anal duct.

779
00:41:12,771 --> 00:41:15,138
WILDMAN: Wahlberg suspects
the noise is made

780
00:41:15,174 --> 00:41:19,609
by air being squeezed
through the fish's sphincter

781
00:41:19,678 --> 00:41:22,278
and that, if a school
of fish was large enough,

782
00:41:22,348 --> 00:41:24,881
it could create
the steady stream of noise

783
00:41:25,017 --> 00:41:27,417
heard by the Swedish Navy.

784
00:41:27,552 --> 00:41:31,687
To test his hypothesis, he fills
an aquarium with herring

785
00:41:31,724 --> 00:41:34,290
and gently squeezes
each one by hand.

786
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:36,760
The resulting sound is recorded

787
00:41:36,895 --> 00:41:40,430
and sent to the Swedish Navy
for comparison.

788
00:41:40,432 --> 00:41:43,032
Sure enough, perfect match.

789
00:41:46,305 --> 00:41:48,104
There was no submarine
to worry about.

790
00:41:48,140 --> 00:41:49,439
It was just a bunch of

791
00:41:49,475 --> 00:41:52,942
herring farts.

792
00:41:52,945 --> 00:41:56,246
[ Outro plays ]

793
00:41:56,381 --> 00:41:58,448
[ Jazz plays ]

794
00:41:58,450 --> 00:42:00,717
Today, this jar
of preserved herring

795
00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:04,721
is kept at the Royal D. Suttkus
Fish Collection in New Orleans.

796
00:42:04,790 --> 00:42:08,791
It recalls the international
incident that, in the end,

797
00:42:08,827 --> 00:42:11,795
was caused by a school
of flatulent fish.

798
00:42:11,864 --> 00:42:14,398
[ Outro plays ]

799
00:42:14,533 --> 00:42:15,999
From a legendary sea monster

800
00:42:16,134 --> 00:42:18,802
to shrimpy sonar...

801
00:42:18,937 --> 00:42:20,404
a descent to the bottom
of the ocean,

802
00:42:20,539 --> 00:42:23,206
to the ultimate red herring.

803
00:42:23,242 --> 00:42:27,110
I'm Don Wildman, and these are
the Mysteries at the Museum.

803
00:42:28,305 --> 00:43:28,327
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