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A host of deadly creatures
lurking under city streets.

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00:00:04,620 --> 00:00:07,020
This wasn't just a story
that was made up.

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00:00:07,130 --> 00:00:09,390
This wasn't just a fairytale.
This was a real thing.

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The search for
a legendary beast.

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00:00:13,870 --> 00:00:16,970
There, on the screen,
was the exact shape

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00:00:17,070 --> 00:00:19,200
of the Loch Ness Monster.

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And a flying blob
from outer space.

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MAN: People really began
to wonder if they were dealing

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with something
not of this Earth.

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These are the mysteries
at the museum.

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00:00:37,260 --> 00:00:39,360
New York, New York.

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The Metropolitan
Transit Authority

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makes sure the Big Apple's
famous subways

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run smoothly for more than five
million riders every day.

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But it also operates the
MTA Arts and Design program,

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which turns stations into
underground art galleries.

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At the West 14th Street stop is
the Life Underground series.

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Created by artist Tom Otterness,

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its whimsical sculptures
celebrate the city's quirkiness.

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But there's one piece
that stands out

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even though it barely rises
above most New Yorkers' ankles.

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It's roughly
three feet by two feet,

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and made entirely of bronze.

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It's a typical manhole we would
see anywhere in New York City.

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Coming up from underneath
is a creature from below,

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hoping to snatch a commuter
and eat them for dinner.

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WILDMAN: This unusual work
appears to portray

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a terrifying reptile lurking
beneath New York's streets.

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But this seemingly
fantastical scenario

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might have some basis in fact.

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HYNES: In New York City,

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people had heard about
and whispered about

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creatures living in the sewers.

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But this legend may actually
have some truth to it.

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WILDMAN: So, are there really
monsters under this metropolis?

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[ Creature growls ]

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The legend begins
in the winter of 1935.

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New York City is awash with
reports of a giant creature

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blocking a sewer drain
in Harlem.

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Three teenagers were shoveling
snow into a manhole,

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and said they saw him thrashing
about down there.

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It was a seven-foot alligator.

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WILDMAN: But with no photos
to prove it,

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the alleged sighting goes down
in history

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as just another urban legend.

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But then in 1959,

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a veteran city worker
named Teddy May

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gives an interview
to a local journalist

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and breathes new life
into the story.

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HYNES: Teddy May was this
larger-than-life figure.

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He claimed to know every inch
of New York City sewers.

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WILDMAN: Teddy's intricate
knowledge of the city's

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labyrinthine underbelly

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has earned him the nickname
"King of the Sewers."

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Teddy was saying,
"I was told by my men

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that there were alligators
in the sewer."

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WILDMAN: Believing the guys
were drinking on the job,

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he claims he went into the sewer
to prove them wrong.

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But then as he shined a light
into one of the smaller tunnels,

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he noticed something moving
in the shallow waters.

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And that's when he saw them.

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He sees this congregation of
alligators -- dozens of them.

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And he couldn't believe it.

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WILDMAN: With a possible
infestation on his hands,

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Teddy claims he took
immediate action.

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As legend has it,

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he rounded up his best men
with shotguns and flashlights,

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and he killed them
then and there.

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[ Gunshots ]

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[ Creature growls ]

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WILDMAN: In the wake of
Teddy's incredible story,

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more and more reports emerge

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of wily reptiles
roaming the city sewers.

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HYNES:
Everybody starts hearing that

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underneath the streets
in the sewers,

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there are man-eating predators
willing to snatch you up

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and take you home for dinner.

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[ Growls ]

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WILDMAN:
Despite the rumors,

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no one is able to provide proof

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that the stories are anything
more than tall tales.

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But in 2010,
everything changes.

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Queens, New York.

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Police at a local precinct
receive a series

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of frightened calls
from area residents.

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Some neighbors reported
seeing an alligator

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emerge on the streets
from the sewers.

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[ Sirens wail ]

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WILDMAN: An officer races
to the scene,

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and when he arrives, he is
greeted by a stunning sight.

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¶¶

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There's an actual alligator
on the streets of New York.

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It was there.
There was no doubt about it,

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this alligator had come onto
the street from the sewers.

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WILDMAN:
But this is no raging beast.

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In fact,
it's only 18 inches long.

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HYNES:
It was sort of a funny moment

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for anybody who had been
following this

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alligators-in-the-sewer legend.

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WILDMAN: The reptile is captured
by police

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and taken to
an animal sanctuary.

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But the incident fuels a wave
of tabloid coverage

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with headlines declaring
the long-standing rumors

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of alligators in the sewers to
finally have been proven true.

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Here was this story,
this legend, that everyone

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had sort of dismissed
and suddenly had legs again.

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There were reporters
on the scene.

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There was police testimony
on the scene.

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There were people
taking pictures with
their cell phone cameras.

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There was no doubt about it --
this alligator had come

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onto the street
from the sewers.

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WILDMAN:
So how did a creature like this

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end up in New York sewers
in the first place?

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One theory is that they were
kept as pets in people's homes.

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They got too big, Dad flushed
them down the toilet.

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And another theory that they
were transported on cruisers

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coming up from Florida

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and hopped off and swam
into the sewers.

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WILDMAN:
Whatever the truth,

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it seems that the legend
of alligators

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in the sewers will live on.

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And today,

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in New York City's West
14th Street subway station,

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a bronze reptile emerging
from under a manhole cover

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playfully depicts one of the Big
Apple's most unlikely residents.

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Oxford, England.

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Established in the year 1096,
the University of Oxford

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is one of
the oldest institutions

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of higher learning on Earth.

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Its historic grounds feature
a Venetian-style bridge,

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the soaring
Christ Church Cathedral,

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and the Romanesque
Sheldonian Theater.

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And in the heart of campus

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is the world-renowned
Bodleian Library.

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It contains more than
12 million printed items,

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such as a lavish
9th century Book of Psalms

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written in gold ink,

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a book decorated
with jewels from Germany,

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and an early printing
of Shakespeare's epic poem

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00:07:01,540 --> 00:07:04,070
Venus and Adonis.

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But tucked away in the archives
is an aged volume

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that helped unlock one of
nature's greatest mysteries.

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ALCOCK: The artifact is
13 inches by 8 inches.

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It is a very dark brown
on the outside.

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It's very worn in places.

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It's clearly very old.

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But it's what inside it

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that's truly groundbreaking
and particularly interesting.

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WILDMAN: This manuscript
describes a monstrous discovery

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that changed the world forever.

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ALCOCK: This item
is connected to one of

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the most important developments

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in the history of life
on this planet.

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[ Animal growls ]

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WILDMAN:
It's the late 17th century,

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an era of great
scientific advancement.

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For the first time,

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astronomers are studying
the Milky Way,

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while doctors are unlocking
the secrets of human cells.

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ALCOCK: Science was really
coming to the fore,

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all these new areas
of scientific discovery

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00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:06,440
were really opening up.

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People were starting to get
a much deeper understanding

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of the world around us.

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WILDMAN: And in England,
a scientist named Robert Plot

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is hoping to make strides
in the field of geology.

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ALCOCK: Robert Plot was
really passionate

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00:08:19,990 --> 00:08:23,020
about bringing new areas
of science to the forefront

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and he was very much
a pioneer of the time.

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WILDMAN: Little does Plot know
he's about to make

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a discovery bigger than
anything he ever imagined.

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The scholar is digging
in a quarry in Oxford

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when he unearths something
strange among the rocks --

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a giant bone.

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ALCOCK: You have to imagine
the surge of adrenaline

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that would've gone through him
upon seeing this thing.

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WILDMAN: The massive specimen
is 24 inches around

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and weighs nearly 20 pounds.

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ALCOCK: It was enormous.
I mean really huge.

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This was something
completely different to anything

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00:09:00,860 --> 00:09:03,890
that anyone had seen before.

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WILDMAN: Plot takes his colossal
discovery to his office

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00:09:06,970 --> 00:09:08,360
for further study.

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He compares the specimen
to anatomical drawings

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00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:14,170
and descriptions
of the biggest beasts

186
00:09:14,270 --> 00:09:17,210
known to science at the time,
but he can't find anything

187
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that has a bone
of this size and shape.

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It doesn't compare
with an elephant,

189
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,910
it doesn't compare
with an ox or a horse.

190
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It was truly mystifying.

191
00:09:25,820 --> 00:09:27,680
He had no point of reference

192
00:09:27,790 --> 00:09:29,790
to make any sense
of what he had discovered.

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This didn't fit in anywhere.

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And he's thumbing through
copy after copy of encyclopediae

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here at Oxford,
trying to find where

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00:09:39,330 --> 00:09:41,530
this item fits in,
and he has to conclude

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00:09:41,630 --> 00:09:44,500
eventually that it doesn't,
he has to look somewhere else.

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WILDMAN: Then the scientist
has an amazing realization.

199
00:09:48,610 --> 00:09:50,770
ALCOCK:
The really, really bizarre thing

200
00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,480
is that it looked human.

201
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WILDMAN:
The bone matches the contour

202
00:09:55,350 --> 00:09:58,350
and dimensions of the end
of a human femur,

203
00:09:58,450 --> 00:10:01,120
but there's one
crucial difference --

204
00:10:01,220 --> 00:10:03,120
it's much larger.

205
00:10:03,220 --> 00:10:06,720
This artifact was huge,
I mean,

206
00:10:06,830 --> 00:10:09,260
it was incomprehensively
massive.

207
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:11,790
For him, this then
becomes obvious.

208
00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:15,260
It looks like an enormous bone,
it looks clearly human.

209
00:10:15,370 --> 00:10:17,400
WILDMAN: If the bone is human,

210
00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:19,400
then the person
to whom it belonged

211
00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:22,210
would have stood more
than nine feet tall.

212
00:10:22,310 --> 00:10:25,110
And if this massive
prehistoric man existed,

213
00:10:25,210 --> 00:10:27,010
there must have been
others like him.

214
00:10:27,110 --> 00:10:29,410
ALCOCK: This would have been
a mind-blowing moment.

215
00:10:29,510 --> 00:10:33,880
He thought this was the remains
of a giant race of human beings.

216
00:10:35,990 --> 00:10:38,150
WILDMAN: From the Titans
of ancient Greece

217
00:10:38,260 --> 00:10:41,460
to biblical accounts
of David and Goliath,

218
00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:42,990
tales of giant beings

219
00:10:43,090 --> 00:10:45,530
can be found in
nearly every culture.

220
00:10:45,630 --> 00:10:47,630
For Plot,
it is not a stretch

221
00:10:47,730 --> 00:10:49,000
or a leap
of the imagination

222
00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:52,240
to think that these beings
once existed in England.

223
00:10:52,340 --> 00:10:54,400
WILDMAN: Plot publishes
his findings

224
00:10:54,510 --> 00:10:57,310
along with sketches
of the bone in his book,

225
00:10:57,410 --> 00:10:59,740
"The Natural History
of Oxford-shire."

226
00:11:01,810 --> 00:11:05,080
In the months that follow,
England is abuzz with the notion

227
00:11:05,180 --> 00:11:08,790
of a long-lost horde of giants
that once roamed the Earth.

228
00:11:08,890 --> 00:11:11,190
ALCOCK: People were excited
by Plot's discovery.

229
00:11:11,290 --> 00:11:13,690
I think the idea of there
having once been

230
00:11:13,790 --> 00:11:15,160
a giant race of human beings

231
00:11:15,260 --> 00:11:19,760
is quite a sort of
thrilling concept.

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00:11:19,860 --> 00:11:23,300
WILDMAN: But then,
more than 150 years later,

233
00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,240
a chance discovery reveals
the incredible truth

234
00:11:26,340 --> 00:11:28,770
behind this gigantic bone.

235
00:11:28,870 --> 00:11:30,170
This was bigger than Plot

236
00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,910
or anybody else
could've imagined.

237
00:11:38,050 --> 00:11:40,820
In the 1670s,
naturalist Robert Plot

238
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,590
makes a discovery
that stuns the world.

239
00:11:43,690 --> 00:11:46,890
He has found what seems to be
an enormous, ancient

240
00:11:46,990 --> 00:11:49,990
human bone, leading him
to conclude that the Earth

241
00:11:50,090 --> 00:11:52,760
was once populated
by a race of giants.

242
00:11:52,860 --> 00:11:55,900
He's wrong, of course,
but what Plot doesn't realize

243
00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,970
is that he's made, literally,
the biggest discovery

244
00:11:59,070 --> 00:12:01,800
in the history of science.

245
00:12:01,910 --> 00:12:04,910
1824, England.

246
00:12:05,010 --> 00:12:07,210
40-year-old William Buckland

247
00:12:07,310 --> 00:12:10,310
is a professor of geology
at the University of Oxford.

248
00:12:10,410 --> 00:12:13,920
William Buckland was
a respected geologist.

249
00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:16,790
He spent a lot of time
investigating

250
00:12:16,890 --> 00:12:20,920
the sort of mysteries
of the natural world.

251
00:12:21,030 --> 00:12:24,190
WILDMAN:
One day, he's digging through
a quarry not far from the site

252
00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:28,130
where Robert Plot
unearthed his Goliath bone

253
00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:30,930
when he finds another
gigantic specimen.

254
00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,870
Oh, it was enormous.
It was absolutely massive

255
00:12:33,970 --> 00:12:36,970
and on a similar scale
to that discovered by Plot

256
00:12:37,070 --> 00:12:39,580
several hundred years before.

257
00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:42,810
So Buckland would've been
astonished to discover

258
00:12:42,910 --> 00:12:45,280
another very large
fragment of bone,

259
00:12:45,380 --> 00:12:50,120
but in this circumstance,
it's the piece of a jawbone.

260
00:12:50,220 --> 00:12:52,720
WILDMAN: But unlike Plot,
Buckland doesn't think

261
00:12:52,820 --> 00:12:55,360
this bone came from
a giant human.

262
00:12:55,460 --> 00:12:58,460
The fragment resembles
an extended snout,

263
00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,400
like that of an alligator
or lizard,

264
00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:02,730
but much larger.

265
00:13:02,830 --> 00:13:06,670
Clearly this jawbone was
very reptilian in appearance.

266
00:13:06,770 --> 00:13:10,670
Buckland realizes that
he has discovered the part

267
00:13:10,780 --> 00:13:14,080
of a giant reptilian creature
that perhaps existed

268
00:13:14,180 --> 00:13:16,610
hundreds of years ago.

269
00:13:16,710 --> 00:13:19,980
WILDMAN: Then Buckland makes
a stunning connection.

270
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,190
Perhaps the jawbone and the bone
that Plot found

271
00:13:23,290 --> 00:13:26,290
came from the same
extinct giant reptile.

272
00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:29,530
ALCOCK: Buckland realizes
that Robert Plot's discovery

273
00:13:29,630 --> 00:13:31,060
was a piece of the same puzzle.

274
00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,960
WILDMAN:
He names this fantastical
creature megalosaurus.

275
00:13:35,070 --> 00:13:37,670
Eventually, creatures like
this come to be known

276
00:13:37,770 --> 00:13:42,000
by a different name --
dinosaurs.

277
00:13:42,110 --> 00:13:45,270
ALCOCK: This was the greatest
discovery of Buckland's life.

278
00:13:45,380 --> 00:13:47,940
The excitement that
must've gone through him

279
00:13:48,050 --> 00:13:50,680
realizing what he had found,
you just can't even imagine.

280
00:13:50,780 --> 00:13:53,280
This was the greatest
discovery of his generation

281
00:13:53,380 --> 00:13:55,250
in terms of natural history.

282
00:13:55,350 --> 00:13:57,520
WILDMAN: In the wake of
Buckland's findings,

283
00:13:57,620 --> 00:13:59,290
Plot goes down in history,

284
00:13:59,390 --> 00:14:03,160
not as the man who dug up proof
of ancient giant humans,

285
00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:05,660
but as the first person
to discover the remains

286
00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,160
of a dinosaur.

287
00:14:07,260 --> 00:14:11,230
It was a groundbreaking
discovery of epic proportions.

288
00:14:16,140 --> 00:14:18,440
WILDMAN: Today,
Oxford's Bodleian Library

289
00:14:18,540 --> 00:14:21,380
has this early edition
of Robert Plot's book,

290
00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,010
"The Natural History
of Oxford-shire."

291
00:14:24,110 --> 00:14:26,250
It's a reminder of
the curious scientist

292
00:14:26,350 --> 00:14:28,450
who never realized
the gigantic mark

293
00:14:28,550 --> 00:14:30,620
he'd make on the world.

294
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,320
[ Animal growls ]

295
00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:36,090
The Highlands of Scotland

296
00:14:36,190 --> 00:14:38,490
are renowned
for their rugged mountains,

297
00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,430
blooming heather,
and fine malt whiskey.

298
00:14:42,530 --> 00:14:44,100
They are also home

299
00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,900
to one of the most infamous
bodies of water in the world --

300
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,540
Loch Ness.

301
00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,380
And in the quaint village
of Druim na Drochaid

302
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,250
is an institution dedicated to
this Scottish lake's history --

303
00:14:57,350 --> 00:15:01,450
the Loch Ness Centre
& Exhibition.

304
00:15:01,550 --> 00:15:03,890
On display is an array of items

305
00:15:03,990 --> 00:15:07,620
deployed in the quest
to find the eponymous monster,

306
00:15:07,730 --> 00:15:10,460
including
an antique diving suit,

307
00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:15,660
a long-lens camera used
to photograph the loch in 1965,

308
00:15:15,770 --> 00:15:18,130
and the world's largest
inflatable boat,

309
00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,770
the John Murray.

310
00:15:23,370 --> 00:15:26,170
But there's one object here
that, at first glance,

311
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,480
seems to have
no obvious purpose.

312
00:15:29,580 --> 00:15:34,250
This item is 12 1/2 inches wide
and 9 inches tall.

313
00:15:34,350 --> 00:15:37,390
On one of the faces
is a clear-glass window,

314
00:15:37,490 --> 00:15:41,060
and on the right-hand side is
a series of dials and buttons.

315
00:15:43,630 --> 00:15:47,160
WILDMAN: This artifact recalls
a modern-day mission

316
00:15:47,260 --> 00:15:48,730
to prove the existence

317
00:15:48,830 --> 00:15:51,070
of this lake's
most elusive inhabitant

318
00:15:51,170 --> 00:15:52,430
once and for all.

319
00:15:52,540 --> 00:15:55,040
This simple black box
laid the groundwork

320
00:15:55,140 --> 00:15:57,970
for one of the biggest
Loch Ness Monster finds

321
00:15:58,080 --> 00:15:59,240
of all time.

322
00:16:03,380 --> 00:16:04,810
WILDMAN: It's 2016,

323
00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,320
on the shores
of Loch Ness, Scotland.

324
00:16:07,420 --> 00:16:11,720
This vast freshwater lake has
long been shrouded in mystery.

325
00:16:11,820 --> 00:16:14,120
For centuries,
people have reported

326
00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:18,490
seeing a giant creature
swimming in these murky waters.

327
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,060
It's called
the Loch Ness Monster.

328
00:16:21,170 --> 00:16:22,360
HULLAND: The Loch Ness Monster

329
00:16:22,470 --> 00:16:25,100
is supposedly
a prehistoric creature

330
00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,100
living in the waters
of Loch Ness.

331
00:16:30,910 --> 00:16:33,910
WILDMAN: The strange beast,
dubbed "Nessie" by locals,

332
00:16:34,010 --> 00:16:37,110
is one of the most famous
monsters in the world.

333
00:16:37,210 --> 00:16:41,150
It's inspired dozens of books,
songs, and movies.

334
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,560
And for as long
as anyone can remember,

335
00:16:46,660 --> 00:16:49,020
monster hunters
have descended on the lake

336
00:16:49,130 --> 00:16:51,660
to find proof
that the leviathan is real.

337
00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,200
People from all over the world
have been captivated

338
00:16:54,300 --> 00:16:56,000
by the legend of Nessie,

339
00:16:56,100 --> 00:16:59,330
but no one has ever been able
to definitively prove

340
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,100
that the Loch Ness Monster
actually exists.

341
00:17:04,540 --> 00:17:08,540
WILDMAN: But one man thinks he
can locate this elusive beast.

342
00:17:08,650 --> 00:17:11,750
His name is Adrian Shine.

343
00:17:11,850 --> 00:17:17,420
Adrian Shine is one of the
foremost experts on Loch Ness.

344
00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:18,850
WILDMAN: Shine believes

345
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,360
the reason why no one has been
able to locate the creature

346
00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:22,790
is simple.

347
00:17:22,890 --> 00:17:26,830
He suspects Nessie is hiding
in one of the underwater caves

348
00:17:26,930 --> 00:17:29,870
that line the loch's
steep side walls,

349
00:17:29,970 --> 00:17:33,140
and to prove it, he has acquired
an underwater drone

350
00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,140
equipped
with a special sonar system

351
00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,340
that can look into the nooks
and crannies of the side walls.

352
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,910
This was a groundbreaking piece
of new technology.

353
00:17:42,010 --> 00:17:45,610
Shine was confident that,
if Nessie was in that loch,

354
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,120
sonar would definitely find her.

355
00:17:49,220 --> 00:17:51,120
WILDMAN: In April 2016,

356
00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:53,460
Shine and his team
launched the drone.

357
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:54,590
[ Sonar pinging ]

358
00:17:54,690 --> 00:17:56,830
As it combs
the loch's underwater caves,

359
00:17:56,930 --> 00:17:59,730
it transmits images
back to the surface.

360
00:17:59,830 --> 00:18:04,470
For hours, Shine and his team
anxiously stare at the screens,

361
00:18:04,570 --> 00:18:08,400
hoping to see some evidence
of the creature's presence.

362
00:18:08,510 --> 00:18:12,170
Then, suddenly,
they spot something incredible.

363
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,180
Tucked against the side wall
at the bottom of the loch,

364
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,950
they saw
a clearly-defined shape.

365
00:18:19,950 --> 00:18:21,650
WILDMAN:
It has a wide, bulky torso,

366
00:18:21,750 --> 00:18:24,850
a long, curved neck,
and a small head.

367
00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,590
The silhouette
is instantly recognizable.

368
00:18:28,690 --> 00:18:30,760
There on the screen was an image

369
00:18:30,860 --> 00:18:34,560
that resembled
the famed Loch Ness Monster.

370
00:18:34,670 --> 00:18:37,300
Shine couldn't believe his eyes.

371
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,970
WILDMAN: So, have they finally
found the legendary beast?

372
00:18:44,980 --> 00:18:47,580
It's April 2016 -- Scotland.

373
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,350
Scientist Adrian Shine

374
00:18:49,450 --> 00:18:51,380
is using state-of-the-art
drone technology

375
00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,950
to hunt
the legendary Loch Ness Monster.

376
00:18:54,050 --> 00:18:56,890
And when he spots
an unusual shape in the water,

377
00:18:56,990 --> 00:19:00,220
it looks like Shine may have
finally found the elusive beast.

378
00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,730
Shine and his team are amazed
by what they see.

379
00:19:05,830 --> 00:19:09,600
They found themselves staring
at an image.

380
00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:13,370
The image was the exact shape
of the Loch Ness Monster.

381
00:19:13,470 --> 00:19:16,070
WILDMAN: But as the drone
transmits more images,

382
00:19:16,170 --> 00:19:19,240
something becomes clear --

383
00:19:19,340 --> 00:19:22,910
The object isn't moving.

384
00:19:23,010 --> 00:19:25,850
At first, Shine thinks
the drone has detected

385
00:19:25,950 --> 00:19:28,350
the dead body
of the Loch Ness Monster,

386
00:19:28,450 --> 00:19:30,850
but if it's really
the creature's carcass,

387
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,020
how could it be
so perfectly preserved?

388
00:19:34,130 --> 00:19:36,560
The answer surprises everyone.

389
00:19:38,930 --> 00:19:42,870
The good news is that
Shine has found a sea monster,

390
00:19:42,970 --> 00:19:49,000
the bad news is it's in no way
what the public expect.

391
00:19:49,110 --> 00:19:52,440
WILDMAN: The drone didn't detect
a legendary beast,

392
00:19:52,540 --> 00:19:55,040
but a life-sized movie prop.

393
00:19:55,150 --> 00:19:56,550
In 1969,

394
00:19:56,650 --> 00:19:59,780
a film called "The Private Life
of Sherlock Holmes"

395
00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:01,950
was shot on Loch Ness.

396
00:20:02,050 --> 00:20:03,490
Its plot centered around

397
00:20:03,590 --> 00:20:05,860
the famous
fictional detective's search

398
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,160
for the elusive creature.

399
00:20:08,260 --> 00:20:11,630
And, in an age before
digital special effects,

400
00:20:11,730 --> 00:20:14,560
the production crew
made their own movie magic.

401
00:20:14,670 --> 00:20:18,270
HULLAND: They created
a 30-foot-long monster prop

402
00:20:18,370 --> 00:20:20,840
in order to stand in
for the Loch Ness Monster.

403
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,710
WILDMAN:
But in the middle of production,
there was a major snafu.

404
00:20:27,810 --> 00:20:30,150
The prop lost its buoyancy

405
00:20:30,250 --> 00:20:33,180
and sank into the loch
on its debut.

406
00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,050
[ Water bubbling ]

407
00:20:36,150 --> 00:20:38,890
WILDMAN:
Adrian Shine and his team

408
00:20:38,990 --> 00:20:41,690
have actually found
the final resting place

409
00:20:41,790 --> 00:20:44,060
of this monster-sized
movie prop.

410
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:49,770
The realization marks the end
of his quest to find Nessie.

411
00:20:49,870 --> 00:20:52,030
But many still
hold onto the hope

412
00:20:52,140 --> 00:20:53,670
that this Scottish lake

413
00:20:53,770 --> 00:20:56,140
will one day reveal
its mythical secret.

414
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,980
The search for the real Nessie
is far from over.

415
00:21:02,710 --> 00:21:04,450
WILDMAN:
Today, this sonar system

416
00:21:04,550 --> 00:21:07,580
used by Adrian Shine
on one of his expeditions

417
00:21:07,690 --> 00:21:11,220
is on display at the Loch Ness
Centre & Exhibition.

418
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,220
It recalls an epic quest

419
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,260
and a discovery that was
straight out of the movies.

420
00:21:18,830 --> 00:21:20,300
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania,

421
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,330
was once home
to a booming steel industry.

422
00:21:23,430 --> 00:21:27,370
Today, the town is better known
for its thriving art scene.

423
00:21:27,470 --> 00:21:31,740
And at the heart of downtown is
an iconic cultural landmark --

424
00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,880
the Colonial Theatre.

425
00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:40,180
Inside, visitors can examine
a 35-millimeter film projector

426
00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:41,720
or step onto the stage

427
00:21:41,820 --> 00:21:44,020
where the great Houdini
once performed.

428
00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:46,360
¶¶

429
00:21:46,460 --> 00:21:48,220
But there is one item here

430
00:21:48,330 --> 00:21:52,360
that recalls this theater's
most notorious claim to fame.

431
00:21:52,460 --> 00:21:56,700
It's about 3 feet by 5 feet
with very lurid colors

432
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,070
and very bold lettering.

433
00:21:59,170 --> 00:22:03,570
At the top are the words
"Indescribable, indestructible."

434
00:22:03,670 --> 00:22:08,410
And then, you have
this large, amorphous mass

435
00:22:08,510 --> 00:22:11,850
that has people screaming,
panicking, hysterical.

436
00:22:11,950 --> 00:22:13,350
[ People screaming ]

437
00:22:13,450 --> 00:22:15,820
It's a very dramatic scene.

438
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,360
WILDMAN:
This is a poster for the classic
sci-fi flick "The Blob."

439
00:22:20,460 --> 00:22:22,860
The inspiration
for this bizarre "B" movie

440
00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,130
is even stranger than fiction.

441
00:22:25,230 --> 00:22:27,960
KEELS: It's a story
about this unknown thing

442
00:22:28,070 --> 00:22:32,640
that appeared out of nowhere
and had a life of its own.

443
00:22:32,740 --> 00:22:37,470
¶¶

444
00:22:37,580 --> 00:22:41,340
WILDMAN: It's September 1950,
Philadelphia.

445
00:22:41,450 --> 00:22:44,280
Police officers Joe Keenan
and John Collins

446
00:22:44,380 --> 00:22:47,020
are making their evening rounds.

447
00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,220
At first,
it seems like any other night.

448
00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,520
But suddenly,
on a secluded street,

449
00:22:52,620 --> 00:22:54,690
they notice something peculiar.

450
00:22:56,660 --> 00:22:59,360
KEELS: They saw this object
floating in midair.

451
00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:01,500
¶¶

452
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,970
It seemed to be
about 6 feet in diameter.

453
00:23:06,070 --> 00:23:07,740
It was purple.

454
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:09,810
And it was glowing.

455
00:23:09,910 --> 00:23:13,680
WILDMAN: The men watch in awe
as the orb slowly descends

456
00:23:13,780 --> 00:23:16,910
into the abandoned field
ahead of them.

457
00:23:17,010 --> 00:23:18,480
They didn't know
what to believe.

458
00:23:18,580 --> 00:23:20,720
They were completely stunned.

459
00:23:20,820 --> 00:23:24,350
WILDMAN:
The officers radio for backup.

460
00:23:24,460 --> 00:23:29,190
Slowly, they approach
the bizarre mass.

461
00:23:29,290 --> 00:23:32,330
KEELS: It seemed to be some sort
of large, jelly-like object.

462
00:23:32,430 --> 00:23:34,260
[ Buzzing ]

463
00:23:34,370 --> 00:23:37,600
They saw it quivering
and pulsating.

464
00:23:37,700 --> 00:23:39,770
At this point,
they were beginning to wonder

465
00:23:39,870 --> 00:23:43,270
if this thing
had a life of its own.

466
00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:45,470
WILDMAN:
The officers are so intrigued

467
00:23:45,580 --> 00:23:48,040
that one of them
actually touches it.

468
00:23:51,020 --> 00:23:53,250
Officer Collins reached down

469
00:23:53,350 --> 00:23:56,620
and grabbed the edge
of the mass.

470
00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,290
And surprisingly enough, this
very solid-looking object...

471
00:24:03,230 --> 00:24:07,230
...simply evaporated
from his hand.

472
00:24:07,330 --> 00:24:09,800
It looked as though
nothing had ever been there.

473
00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:15,270
¶¶

474
00:24:15,370 --> 00:24:18,140
WILDMAN: Back at base,
the officers file a report,

475
00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,310
and the story is then picked up
by the Associated Press.

476
00:24:22,410 --> 00:24:27,050
Before long,
public speculation runs wild.

477
00:24:27,150 --> 00:24:28,650
KEELS:
People were fascinated.

478
00:24:28,750 --> 00:24:30,920
They were making
all sorts of conjectures

479
00:24:31,020 --> 00:24:33,790
to try to explain it.

480
00:24:33,890 --> 00:24:36,530
WILDMAN: Some say there is
a very simple explanation

481
00:24:36,630 --> 00:24:38,730
for what the officers
witnessed...

482
00:24:38,830 --> 00:24:39,960
[ Frogs croaking ]

483
00:24:40,060 --> 00:24:42,130
...frog spawn.

484
00:24:42,230 --> 00:24:44,030
When a frog
is attacked by a predator,

485
00:24:44,140 --> 00:24:47,140
it will often lay thousands
of unfertilized eggs

486
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,270
in one large, slimy mass.

487
00:24:50,370 --> 00:24:53,810
If this mass comes in contact
with moist or damp ground,

488
00:24:53,910 --> 00:24:55,510
then it will swell up in size

489
00:24:55,610 --> 00:24:59,310
before collapsing into a dense,
gelatinous goo.

490
00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:00,850
WILDMAN: But this hypothesis

491
00:25:00,950 --> 00:25:04,420
only explains part
of what the officers saw.

492
00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:06,620
Frog spawn isn't bright purple,

493
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,390
and it usually doesn't glow.

494
00:25:08,490 --> 00:25:11,230
¶¶

495
00:25:11,330 --> 00:25:14,330
WILDMAN: Others have proposed
that this phenomenon could have

496
00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:18,830
been caused by the activities of
Philadelphia's many factories.

497
00:25:18,940 --> 00:25:20,870
KEELS: The area
where the goo was discovered

498
00:25:20,970 --> 00:25:23,810
is one of the largest
industrial districts

499
00:25:23,910 --> 00:25:26,340
in the entire
northeastern United States.

500
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,510
Some people have suggested that
this may be industrial gasses

501
00:25:30,610 --> 00:25:32,010
that took a solid form

502
00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,150
to create this gelatinous mass

503
00:25:35,250 --> 00:25:38,290
which then fell from the sky.

504
00:25:38,390 --> 00:25:40,790
WILDMAN: But there is no known
chemical reaction

505
00:25:40,890 --> 00:25:46,660
that could cause the industrial
gasses to solidify in this way.

506
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,670
With these theories discounted,
the press and the public home in

507
00:25:50,770 --> 00:25:54,240
on the only viable
explanation that's left.

508
00:25:54,340 --> 00:25:56,040
KEELS:
People really began to wonder

509
00:25:56,140 --> 00:25:59,840
if they were dealing with
something not of this earth.

510
00:26:06,980 --> 00:26:09,420
It's 1950 in Philadelphia.

511
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:10,990
A team of police officers

512
00:26:11,090 --> 00:26:14,820
has just witnessed
an extraordinary sight --

513
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,130
a mysterious purple mass
flying through the sky

514
00:26:18,230 --> 00:26:20,760
directly over their heads.

515
00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:26,000
So what was this
gelatinous, glowing globule?

516
00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:30,000
With all rational explanations
discounted,

517
00:26:30,110 --> 00:26:34,040
investigators turn
to the only theory that is left.

518
00:26:34,140 --> 00:26:36,680
The gelatinous purple blob

519
00:26:36,780 --> 00:26:41,680
was made of a legendary
substance known as star jelly.

520
00:26:43,690 --> 00:26:47,390
Star jelly is a centuries-old
folk belief

521
00:26:47,490 --> 00:26:51,230
that meteors,
when they strike the earth,

522
00:26:51,330 --> 00:26:54,100
often carry with them
this sort of weird jelly

523
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,100
that is actually
an alien life-form.

524
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,640
WILDMAN:
Reports of this supposedly
extraterrestrial material

525
00:27:00,740 --> 00:27:03,300
date back to the 13th century
in Europe

526
00:27:03,410 --> 00:27:06,710
and have even cropped up
as recently as 1994

527
00:27:06,810 --> 00:27:08,680
in Oakville, Washington.

528
00:27:08,780 --> 00:27:13,150
Ufologists argue that alien
star jelly is the only theory

529
00:27:13,250 --> 00:27:18,320
that explains all the elements
of the police officers' report.

530
00:27:18,420 --> 00:27:20,460
And although
we can never know for sure

531
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,460
what was behind
the strange encounter,

532
00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,790
the events of September 1950

533
00:27:24,890 --> 00:27:27,230
have left their mark
on popular culture.

534
00:27:27,330 --> 00:27:30,800
¶¶

535
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:33,200
Seven years
after the infamous sighting,

536
00:27:33,300 --> 00:27:35,440
a Pennsylvania-based
production company

537
00:27:35,540 --> 00:27:38,010
releases
a science-fiction movie.

538
00:27:38,110 --> 00:27:42,610
Its title -- "The Blob."

539
00:27:42,710 --> 00:27:44,010
The film tells the story

540
00:27:44,110 --> 00:27:48,780
of a giant, glowing fiend
that terrorizes Philadelphia.

541
00:27:48,890 --> 00:27:49,920
Dave.

542
00:27:50,020 --> 00:27:52,120
Dave, the theater!

543
00:27:52,220 --> 00:27:56,720
There is the classic scene of
hundreds of terrified movie fans

544
00:27:56,830 --> 00:27:58,390
running out
of the movie theater,

545
00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:01,930
trying to escape
this giant, red goo.

546
00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,170
WILDMAN:
This pivotal scene was shot

547
00:28:06,270 --> 00:28:08,800
in the Colonial Theatre
in Phoenixville.

548
00:28:11,710 --> 00:28:14,080
And today,
this classic movie poster

549
00:28:14,180 --> 00:28:17,450
stands as a reminder
of the mysterious purple goo

550
00:28:17,550 --> 00:28:20,250
that spawned
a silver screen classic.

551
00:28:24,020 --> 00:28:25,350
The Jersey Shore.

552
00:28:25,460 --> 00:28:29,320
White sandy beaches,
Victorian homes

553
00:28:29,430 --> 00:28:32,760
and cool sea breezes have
made this coastal region

554
00:28:32,860 --> 00:28:36,530
a popular summer
getaway for centuries.

555
00:28:36,630 --> 00:28:39,770
And in the quiet seaside
community of Beach Haven

556
00:28:39,870 --> 00:28:43,000
is an institution that honors
the area's history --

557
00:28:43,110 --> 00:28:46,910
the New Jersey
Maritime Museum.

558
00:28:47,010 --> 00:28:49,940
Among the items on display
are a megaphone

559
00:28:50,050 --> 00:28:52,980
that belonged
to a 19th-century sea captain,

560
00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,920
a World War I naval diving suit

561
00:28:56,020 --> 00:29:00,320
and a lifesaver from the S.S.
Morro shipwreck of 1930.

562
00:29:03,030 --> 00:29:04,760
But among these man-made objects

563
00:29:04,860 --> 00:29:08,400
is a chilling specimen
from the animal kingdom.

564
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:09,760
FESSLER:
It's made of a combination

565
00:29:09,870 --> 00:29:13,800
of both cartilaginous
material and bone.

566
00:29:13,900 --> 00:29:16,900
The artifact is lined
both at the top

567
00:29:17,010 --> 00:29:20,510
and at the bottom
with serrated, pointy,

568
00:29:20,610 --> 00:29:22,880
very functional teeth.

569
00:29:24,650 --> 00:29:27,850
WILDMAN: This striking set
of jaws belonged to a creature

570
00:29:27,950 --> 00:29:31,290
that terrorized
an unsuspecting public.

571
00:29:31,390 --> 00:29:35,290
Beach-goers were literally
scared out of the water.

572
00:29:37,860 --> 00:29:39,990
WILDMAN:
Summer 1916 --

573
00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:44,430
the Jersey Shore's tourist
season is busier than ever.

574
00:29:44,530 --> 00:29:47,070
A blistering heat wave
has prompted thousands

575
00:29:47,170 --> 00:29:49,340
to visit this seaside escape.

576
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:54,210
The New Jersey Shore
became an area for recreation

577
00:29:54,310 --> 00:29:56,980
and relief from the heat

578
00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,980
and the oppression of city life.

579
00:30:02,490 --> 00:30:04,520
WILDMAN: But the peace
of this summer getaway

580
00:30:04,620 --> 00:30:08,060
is about to be shattered.

581
00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:10,190
In the early evening
of July 1st,

582
00:30:10,290 --> 00:30:11,860
in the town of Beach Haven,

583
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,230
a group of tourists
notice a strange,

584
00:30:14,330 --> 00:30:17,300
dark mass moving just offshore.

585
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:21,070
People saw something
in the distance on the surface.

586
00:30:21,170 --> 00:30:23,940
WILDMAN: As it draws nearer,
onlookers realize that

587
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,980
it's the unmistakable
shape of a shark.

588
00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,350
Beach-goers watch in horror
as the shark moves

589
00:30:32,450 --> 00:30:35,380
towards a young man
swimming in shallow waters.

590
00:30:35,490 --> 00:30:39,150
People on the shore
were yelling to warn him.

591
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:47,074
Do you want subtitles for any video?
-=[ ai.OpenSubtitles.com ]=-

592
00:30:48,430 --> 00:30:52,000
WILDMAN: In a flash, the shark
sinks its jaws into the man.

593
00:30:53,670 --> 00:30:56,700
Beach-goers watch helplessly
as it thrashes the swimmer

594
00:30:56,810 --> 00:30:59,570
from side to side
before swimming away.

595
00:31:03,110 --> 00:31:07,780
A lifeguard rushes to the man's
aid and drags him to shore.

596
00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:09,850
But it's too late.

597
00:31:09,950 --> 00:31:12,390
FESSLER: Unfortunately,
the injury was so severe,

598
00:31:12,490 --> 00:31:15,520
he could not survive
from the blood loss.

599
00:31:17,930 --> 00:31:21,460
WILDMAN: People up and down
the Jersey Shore are stunned.

600
00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:23,630
It's the first
confirmed shark attack

601
00:31:23,730 --> 00:31:24,900
in the region's history.

602
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,940
There was a general
feeling of shock.

603
00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:30,440
No one had seen
such a thing before.

604
00:31:30,540 --> 00:31:32,740
Nobody really knew
what to think.

605
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,280
WILDMAN: Authorities try
to assuage the public by

606
00:31:37,380 --> 00:31:41,350
saying that the tragedy
is just a freak occurrence.

607
00:31:41,450 --> 00:31:42,680
But little do they know,

608
00:31:42,790 --> 00:31:46,020
the bloodshed has
only just begun.

609
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,060
Five days later, another swimmer
is pulled underwater

610
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,360
by a shark and killed.

611
00:31:51,460 --> 00:31:53,330
By the time two weeks pass,

612
00:31:53,430 --> 00:31:55,460
three more people
have been attacked.

613
00:31:55,570 --> 00:31:58,230
No one knows when
the carnage will end.

614
00:31:58,330 --> 00:32:00,670
FESSLER: All of a sudden,
people were afraid

615
00:32:00,770 --> 00:32:02,740
to go into the ocean.

616
00:32:06,780 --> 00:32:09,740
WILDMAN: The press latches on
to a frightening theory.

617
00:32:09,850 --> 00:32:12,380
They report that the attacks
have all been perpetrated

618
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:13,910
by a rogue shark

619
00:32:14,020 --> 00:32:17,390
that's developed a taste
for human flesh.

620
00:32:17,490 --> 00:32:19,720
They dub the killer beast

621
00:32:19,820 --> 00:32:22,720
the Man-eater.

622
00:32:22,830 --> 00:32:25,790
As the hysteria mounts,
thousands of people abandon

623
00:32:25,900 --> 00:32:28,930
their vacations and flee
the Jersey Shore.

624
00:32:29,030 --> 00:32:31,700
The local tourism
industry faces ruin.

625
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,070
FESSLER: The stakes were very
high for the business owners

626
00:32:34,170 --> 00:32:35,540
on the New Jersey Shore.

627
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,170
There was a real danger
for the entire summer

628
00:32:38,270 --> 00:32:41,710
to be lost.

629
00:32:41,810 --> 00:32:44,080
WILDMAN: Desperate to salvage
the summer season,

630
00:32:44,180 --> 00:32:46,750
the mayor offers a $2,000 reward

631
00:32:46,850 --> 00:32:50,520
for anyone who can capture
the bloodthirsty beast.

632
00:32:50,620 --> 00:32:53,090
A massive shark hunt ensues.

633
00:32:53,190 --> 00:32:56,960
Droves of fishermen set out
to capture the Man-eater.

634
00:32:57,060 --> 00:33:01,500
The general public basically
declared war on the shark.

635
00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:03,160
Anybody who could carry a gun,

636
00:33:03,270 --> 00:33:05,900
a pitchfork,
a shovel, a hammer,

637
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,270
a piece of dynamite
was sent out to kill a shark.

638
00:33:10,370 --> 00:33:13,870
WILDMAN: So can this man-eating
shark be stopped?

639
00:33:18,650 --> 00:33:20,350
It's 1916.

640
00:33:20,450 --> 00:33:22,080
The Jersey Shore.

641
00:33:22,180 --> 00:33:26,020
Throngs of fishermen are
hunting a man-eating shark

642
00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:27,990
that has attacked five swimmers,

643
00:33:28,090 --> 00:33:29,990
killing four of them.

644
00:33:30,090 --> 00:33:33,830
So can the authorities
hook this deadly catch?

645
00:33:35,670 --> 00:33:38,000
The hunt lasts for two days

646
00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:39,600
until a pair of fishermen catch

647
00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:42,500
and kill an 8-foot
great white shark.

648
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,310
The animal is dissected,

649
00:33:46,410 --> 00:33:50,710
revealing the grisly
evidence of its attacks.

650
00:33:50,810 --> 00:33:55,120
Human bones and decomposing
flesh spill out of its stomach.

651
00:33:55,220 --> 00:33:58,720
Residents and tourists
alike are horrified.

652
00:34:00,990 --> 00:34:03,960
But the horror
soon turns to relief.

653
00:34:04,060 --> 00:34:06,290
No further attacks
are reported anywhere

654
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,430
near the Jersey Shore.

655
00:34:09,530 --> 00:34:12,600
There was a sense
of general relief

656
00:34:12,700 --> 00:34:15,500
that now everybody can go
back to the beach again.

657
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,240
WILDMAN:
But one question remains --

658
00:34:17,340 --> 00:34:21,380
What caused this shark
to develop a taste for people?

659
00:34:24,050 --> 00:34:27,410
Some scientists theorize that
the shark had been wounded,

660
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,590
causing it to become too weak
to hunt its normal prey.

661
00:34:31,690 --> 00:34:34,590
So it turned to slow-moving
humans for food.

662
00:34:34,690 --> 00:34:38,830
When a shark can't capture
its normal prey item,

663
00:34:38,930 --> 00:34:40,160
the animal will resort

664
00:34:40,260 --> 00:34:42,830
to whatever it can
catch at the time.

665
00:34:44,830 --> 00:34:46,800
WILDMAN:
The two weeks of terror

666
00:34:46,900 --> 00:34:49,800
that gripped the Jersey
Shore are never forgotten.

667
00:34:49,910 --> 00:34:51,270
Not only are they considered

668
00:34:51,370 --> 00:34:53,270
to be the worst spate
of shark attacks

669
00:34:53,380 --> 00:34:54,510
in American history,

670
00:34:54,610 --> 00:34:57,480
but they forever cement
the perception of sharks

671
00:34:57,580 --> 00:34:59,680
as potential man-eaters.

672
00:34:59,780 --> 00:35:02,050
In a matter of 12 days,

673
00:35:02,150 --> 00:35:04,650
it just completely changed

674
00:35:04,750 --> 00:35:06,950
the public perception
of the shark.

675
00:35:09,090 --> 00:35:11,060
WILDMAN:
The events go on to inspire

676
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:15,560
Peter Benchley's best-selling,
1974 novel about a rogue,

677
00:35:15,660 --> 00:35:19,370
man-eating great white, "Jaws."

678
00:35:19,470 --> 00:35:21,000
FESSLER:
It became the impetus

679
00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:22,900
for the subsequent
blockbuster movie,

680
00:35:23,010 --> 00:35:24,610
which is still rated

681
00:35:24,710 --> 00:35:28,540
as the number-one horror movie
of all time.

682
00:35:29,810 --> 00:35:32,410
WILDMAN: Today, these shark jaws
are on display

683
00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,080
at the New Jersey
Maritime Museum.

684
00:35:35,180 --> 00:35:37,280
They recall
the terrifying summer

685
00:35:37,390 --> 00:35:40,150
when it wasn't safe
to go into the water.

686
00:35:43,460 --> 00:35:46,190
On the northern tip
of the Hawaiian archipelago

687
00:35:46,300 --> 00:35:49,200
is the spectacular island
of Kaua'i.

688
00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:53,070
Visitors can explore
this remote location by kayak,

689
00:35:53,170 --> 00:35:56,970
take to the air for a helicopter
tour of its lush forests,

690
00:35:57,070 --> 00:36:03,210
or relax anywhere along its
111 miles of pristine coastline.

691
00:36:03,310 --> 00:36:05,450
Although known
for its natural beauty,

692
00:36:05,550 --> 00:36:07,880
one island institution
celebrates

693
00:36:07,980 --> 00:36:10,180
all elements
of Hawaiian culture --

694
00:36:10,290 --> 00:36:13,790
the Kaua'i Museum.

695
00:36:13,890 --> 00:36:15,760
Established in 1960,

696
00:36:15,860 --> 00:36:17,990
the museum houses precious items

697
00:36:18,090 --> 00:36:21,700
that are a fundamental part
of Hawaiian history --

698
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,570
an early canoe used for travel
between the islands,

699
00:36:25,670 --> 00:36:29,200
rare shell necklaces made
by native inhabitants,

700
00:36:29,310 --> 00:36:34,410
and a feathered lei that
belonged to Hawaiian royalty.

701
00:36:34,510 --> 00:36:38,210
But one object hints
at a very different heritage,

702
00:36:38,310 --> 00:36:40,610
one that is shrouded in secrecy.

703
00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:44,690
This artifact
is approximately 8 inches high,

704
00:36:44,790 --> 00:36:46,920
4 inches in diameter.

705
00:36:47,020 --> 00:36:50,690
It's dense, but very porous.

706
00:36:50,790 --> 00:36:53,560
WILDMAN:
This sculpture is at the heart
of an extraordinary tale

707
00:36:53,660 --> 00:36:58,030
of an enigmatic race of people
that few believed were real.

708
00:36:58,130 --> 00:37:00,770
This stone artifact is connected

709
00:37:00,870 --> 00:37:05,110
to one of the biggest mysteries
of the Pacific islands.

710
00:37:05,210 --> 00:37:08,840
¶¶

711
00:37:08,940 --> 00:37:10,010
WILDMAN: Hawaii.

712
00:37:10,110 --> 00:37:12,150
Traditional
Hawaiian history asserts

713
00:37:12,250 --> 00:37:14,750
that Tahitian settlers
arrived on the islands

714
00:37:14,850 --> 00:37:16,980
around 1300 A.D.

715
00:37:17,090 --> 00:37:18,990
CHOCK: For a long time,
it was believed

716
00:37:19,090 --> 00:37:23,790
that the Tahitians
were the first people.

717
00:37:23,890 --> 00:37:26,130
WILDMAN: But evidence
found on the island of Kaua'i

718
00:37:26,230 --> 00:37:29,860
suggests that
someone got there first.

719
00:37:29,970 --> 00:37:33,470
A bizarre stone structure
called the Menehune Ditch,

720
00:37:33,570 --> 00:37:35,970
believed to be
an ancient irrigation system,

721
00:37:36,070 --> 00:37:37,200
can be dated to a time

722
00:37:37,310 --> 00:37:40,340
before the supposed arrival
of the Tahitians.

723
00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,810
The opening is about 2 feet
by 3 feet in diameter.

724
00:37:43,910 --> 00:37:48,520
Curiosity sets in.
Who built that cave?

725
00:37:48,620 --> 00:37:51,120
WILDMAN: According to legend,
the ditch is the handiwork

726
00:37:51,220 --> 00:37:55,090
of a long-lost dwarf-like people
called the Menehune.

727
00:37:55,190 --> 00:37:59,830
They were little leprechauns
that did everything at night,

728
00:37:59,930 --> 00:38:03,900
from fishing to hunting
to building their rock walls,

729
00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,370
which is what they're known for.

730
00:38:06,470 --> 00:38:08,600
WILDMAN:
The stonework is highly refined

731
00:38:08,700 --> 00:38:11,610
and unlike anything else
found in Hawaii,

732
00:38:11,710 --> 00:38:13,140
but apart from the legends

733
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:15,210
and this ancient
stone structure,

734
00:38:15,310 --> 00:38:16,880
there is no other proof

735
00:38:16,980 --> 00:38:20,350
that this fabled race
of little people even existed.

736
00:38:20,450 --> 00:38:23,320
Are these real leprechauns?

737
00:38:23,420 --> 00:38:25,220
Are these real people?

738
00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,690
WILDMAN: To many historians
and anthropologists,

739
00:38:27,790 --> 00:38:30,520
the Menehune
are nothing but a myth.

740
00:38:30,630 --> 00:38:32,830
So what's the truth
behind these tales

741
00:38:32,930 --> 00:38:36,360
of the tiny island dwellers?

742
00:38:36,470 --> 00:38:40,600
In 1974, an author and historian
named Edward Joesting

743
00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:42,370
is determined to find out.

744
00:38:42,470 --> 00:38:46,610
Edward Joesting was a very
successful American businessman

745
00:38:46,710 --> 00:38:48,410
living in Hawaii.

746
00:38:48,510 --> 00:38:50,910
WILDMAN: After 20 years
in the corporate world,

747
00:38:51,010 --> 00:38:54,350
Joesting develops a keen
interest in local history,

748
00:38:54,450 --> 00:38:58,320
and decides to write a book
about Kaua'i.

749
00:38:58,420 --> 00:39:02,790
He turns his attention
to the stories of the Menehune.

750
00:39:02,890 --> 00:39:05,090
If he could prove
that they were real,

751
00:39:05,190 --> 00:39:08,560
it would be
a groundbreaking discovery.

752
00:39:08,660 --> 00:39:12,400
WILDMAN:
So can Joesting be the one
to verify their existence

753
00:39:12,500 --> 00:39:14,740
once and for all?

754
00:39:18,340 --> 00:39:20,440
For years,
historians have believed

755
00:39:20,540 --> 00:39:23,210
that the Hawaiian islands
were first populated

756
00:39:23,310 --> 00:39:26,350
by seafarers who voyaged
from the Tahitian Islands

757
00:39:26,450 --> 00:39:28,020
in the 14th Century.

758
00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:31,390
But local legends tell
a very different story --

759
00:39:31,490 --> 00:39:32,820
that the first inhabitants

760
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:35,620
were actually tiny,
Hobbit-like people

761
00:39:35,730 --> 00:39:37,490
known as the Menehune.

762
00:39:37,590 --> 00:39:43,000
So is there any truth
behind these mysterious myths?

763
00:39:43,100 --> 00:39:44,970
An historian
named Edward Joesting

764
00:39:45,070 --> 00:39:47,670
uncovers a number
of promising clues

765
00:39:47,770 --> 00:39:52,010
that suggest the Menehune
actually existed.

766
00:39:52,110 --> 00:39:54,680
He locates an account
from the 1940s

767
00:39:54,780 --> 00:39:56,740
in which a teacher
and some school children

768
00:39:56,850 --> 00:40:00,050
saw a group of hairy,
dwarf-like creatures

769
00:40:00,150 --> 00:40:02,520
hiding in trees.

770
00:40:02,620 --> 00:40:07,890
He also finds an 1820 census
that lists people as Menehune.

771
00:40:07,990 --> 00:40:11,230
Joesting discovers
that there are two families

772
00:40:11,330 --> 00:40:15,700
that claim to be descendents
of the Menehune.

773
00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:17,370
WILDMAN:
But the real clue comes

774
00:40:17,470 --> 00:40:18,930
when his research
brings to light

775
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,970
a set of ancient
mortar-and-pestle-like tools,

776
00:40:22,070 --> 00:40:23,700
used for grinding food,

777
00:40:23,810 --> 00:40:26,470
that are found almost
exclusively on Kaua'i

778
00:40:26,580 --> 00:40:29,210
and on no other
Hawaiian islands.

779
00:40:29,310 --> 00:40:31,210
Yet similar grinders
have been discovered

780
00:40:31,310 --> 00:40:33,050
on other Pacific islands

781
00:40:33,150 --> 00:40:36,820
and are known to date back
as far as 600 A.D.

782
00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,890
The carvings and tools
could actually represent

783
00:40:39,990 --> 00:40:41,820
a people living in Kaua'i

784
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:45,260
that predate
the Tahitians' arrival.

785
00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:46,290
For a long time,

786
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,300
it was believed
that the Tahitians

787
00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,060
were the first in Hawaii,

788
00:40:50,170 --> 00:40:52,200
but now we have evidence

789
00:40:52,300 --> 00:40:55,170
that there was
a whole nother civilization,

790
00:40:55,270 --> 00:40:56,540
and they were the Menehune.

791
00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:57,840
They were here first.

792
00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:01,810
WILDMAN:
With his new understanding,

793
00:41:01,910 --> 00:41:06,210
Joesting publishes a book called
"Kauai: The Separate Kingdom."

794
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:10,620
Now it is believed that
the Menehune were not a myth,

795
00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:14,690
but the first race of people
in Hawaii.

796
00:41:14,790 --> 00:41:16,720
WILDMAN: And it turns out

797
00:41:16,830 --> 00:41:19,930
that reports of their
allegedly diminutive stature

798
00:41:20,030 --> 00:41:22,760
were simply the result
of a misunderstanding.

799
00:41:22,870 --> 00:41:25,370
The word "Menehune"
was first translated

800
00:41:25,470 --> 00:41:28,670
by early Westerners
to mean "short."

801
00:41:28,770 --> 00:41:30,340
But its original
Tahitian meaning

802
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:34,410
is "low in social standing."

803
00:41:34,510 --> 00:41:36,480
Today,
this ancient stone figure

804
00:41:36,580 --> 00:41:39,110
on display
at the Kaua'i Museum

805
00:41:39,220 --> 00:41:42,350
is a small reminder
of a mythical civilization

806
00:41:42,450 --> 00:41:44,320
that turned out to be real.

807
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,920
From alligators in the sewer

808
00:41:49,030 --> 00:41:51,460
to the Loch Ness Monster.

809
00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:53,860
An extraterrestrial blob

810
00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:56,500
to a killer shark.

811
00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:59,630
I'm Don Wildman, and these are
the mysteries at the museum.

811
00:42:00,305 --> 00:43:00,912
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