TURTLE DAYS IN SARANGAN

In the past, hundreds of turtles laid their eggs on the beaches of Sarangan, across the water from Bali. Then, indiscriminate hunting and pollution generated by a burgeoning tourist industry decimated the nomadic turtles. During the "egg hatching" celebration we join some one million Hindu pilgrims, who ford the channel between the two islands at low tide to revitalize their rapport with Nature through an enthralling "communion with water".

FIERY WATERS

An adventurous look at islands created by volcanoes, some now extinct, others outlets for fire from the bowels of the earth that fuels natural catastrophes at different locations around the globe. Spectacular natural displays blend creation and destruction on the Aeolian Islands (Sicily), on Isla de Fogo (Cape Verde Islands) and on Santorini (Greece). Finally, a visit to Krakatoa to witness the rebirth of an island "spawned" by the great eruption that sowed terror, starvation and death over 120 years ago.

SHARKS FAREWELL

Encounters with different shark species in African, Caribbean and Australasian waters. Some of the earliest shark films on record dating back to 1950 when the shark's reputation as one of the world's most fearsome creatures was still firmly in place. Today, the roles are reversed. In many areas, the shark is in danger of extinction - another example of a disastrous metamorphosis in the rapport between people and the marine world.

BIZARRE ISLAND FAUNA

Our island hopping continues as we venture into the domain of some of the world's most unusual marine species. The giant octopus lives exclusively in the waters of the Vancouver archipelago, the Persian Gulf is home to several species of globefish. In the Red Sea, we meet the legendary cowfish or dugong. On Komodo Island we encounter the huge, unpredictable Komodo dragon. On an island in Micronesia, millions of jellyfish live in the crater of an extinct volcano.

TALES OF LOST SHIPS

The Red Sea is the backdrop for a spectacular natural show that preserves entire pages of world history. The imposing buildings of once flourishing Arabian port towns are now at the mercy of the ravages of time. Off the town of Suakin we explore wrecks of British and Italian ships sunk in World War II. On Zabargad, an astonishing collection of amphorae that dates back to 200 BC reminds us of the extent of Ancient Roman maritime trade routes.

WATERY GRAVES

Aircraft that have crashed at sea in peace or in wartime are the exhibits of the world's most extensive aeronautical museum. We explore this bizarre aggregation of flying machines off islands in the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Flying stories recount stirring events of the past. Marine life takes possession of fuselages and engines encrusted with mother of pearl, turning them into stunningly beautiful ecological havens.