A World of Calm (2020) s01e01 Episode Script
The Coral City
1
[waves lapping.]
[birds chirping.]
[soft music.]
Dawn has broken in Indonesia's Raja Ampat Archipelago the same way for many millions of years.
It's a place where two mighty oceans meet.
Over eons, time has worked its magic here.
The life in these waters has become a thriving community of the world's most extraordinary forms.
An underwater metropolis Suspended beneath the sea.
This turtle is a visitor to the coral reef.
His kind have been traveling to waters like these for over 100 million years To rest and relax.
Listen carefully.
[quiet clicking.]
That's the sound of a busy morning on a coral reef.
The hums and echoes are fish.
Calling to one another, making themselves heard above the crowds.
This aquatic symphony is vital to life here.
The soothing harmonies attract fish from far and wide to seek out the safety of the coral And make it their home.
While it might look like a static structure, this vast, rocky network is actually a living, breathing organism.
A coral reef is made up of hundreds and thousands of tiny creatures that are part mineral, part animal.
Over millennia, they can create external skeletons that develop into elaborate and fantastical shapes.
Within every nook, small creatures seek shelter.
Perfectly hidden, safe amongst the coral.
Seahorses wrap their tails around the smallest of structures.
Providing them with a much-needed anchor in the vast ocean.
Though each creature is unique, down here, everything is woven together In an intricate coral tapestry.
This visiting turtle has found what he was searching for.
An underwater spa.
Now, in his sanctuary, he simply sits and waits for the fish to come and polish his shell While he takes a nap.
His whole body slows.
Nine minutes can pass between each beat of his heart.
I wonder if he dreams.
[birds chirping.]
This is Feri.
[dramatic music.]
His ancestors, the Bajau, have called these seas home for centuries.
For him, being underwater is as familiar as breathing air.
Over generations, his people have lived a subaquatic life, adapting to their environment Enabling them to suspend their breath for long stretches of time.
It's what allows Feri to roam free in the depths Expertly navigating the coral.
This is his playground.
He is part of this vast underwater world Independent yet interconnected.
[crickets chirping.]
With each dip of the oar, a tiny spectacle.
This light comes from living organisms within the water.
[gentle music.]
It's called bioluminescence and it can take on many forms.
Under the right conditions, corals can put on a kaleidoscopic light show.
Hidden within the coral are specialized algae that convert light into food, just like the leaves of trees in a forest.
It's thought coral fluoresce with light like this To help sustain the algae inside them.
Every single one of these glowing polyps Is a determined little creature.
But all work together, sharing the energy they capture So that the entire reef thrives.
Over thousands of lifetimes, the corals have created a place of restful calm.
Perhaps on land, we could take inspiration from this ancient coral city.
A multitude of interconnected individuals collaborating and cooperating to share a single home.
[light music.]
[birds chirping.]
[soft music.]
Dawn has broken in Indonesia's Raja Ampat Archipelago the same way for many millions of years.
It's a place where two mighty oceans meet.
Over eons, time has worked its magic here.
The life in these waters has become a thriving community of the world's most extraordinary forms.
An underwater metropolis Suspended beneath the sea.
This turtle is a visitor to the coral reef.
His kind have been traveling to waters like these for over 100 million years To rest and relax.
Listen carefully.
[quiet clicking.]
That's the sound of a busy morning on a coral reef.
The hums and echoes are fish.
Calling to one another, making themselves heard above the crowds.
This aquatic symphony is vital to life here.
The soothing harmonies attract fish from far and wide to seek out the safety of the coral And make it their home.
While it might look like a static structure, this vast, rocky network is actually a living, breathing organism.
A coral reef is made up of hundreds and thousands of tiny creatures that are part mineral, part animal.
Over millennia, they can create external skeletons that develop into elaborate and fantastical shapes.
Within every nook, small creatures seek shelter.
Perfectly hidden, safe amongst the coral.
Seahorses wrap their tails around the smallest of structures.
Providing them with a much-needed anchor in the vast ocean.
Though each creature is unique, down here, everything is woven together In an intricate coral tapestry.
This visiting turtle has found what he was searching for.
An underwater spa.
Now, in his sanctuary, he simply sits and waits for the fish to come and polish his shell While he takes a nap.
His whole body slows.
Nine minutes can pass between each beat of his heart.
I wonder if he dreams.
[birds chirping.]
This is Feri.
[dramatic music.]
His ancestors, the Bajau, have called these seas home for centuries.
For him, being underwater is as familiar as breathing air.
Over generations, his people have lived a subaquatic life, adapting to their environment Enabling them to suspend their breath for long stretches of time.
It's what allows Feri to roam free in the depths Expertly navigating the coral.
This is his playground.
He is part of this vast underwater world Independent yet interconnected.
[crickets chirping.]
With each dip of the oar, a tiny spectacle.
This light comes from living organisms within the water.
[gentle music.]
It's called bioluminescence and it can take on many forms.
Under the right conditions, corals can put on a kaleidoscopic light show.
Hidden within the coral are specialized algae that convert light into food, just like the leaves of trees in a forest.
It's thought coral fluoresce with light like this To help sustain the algae inside them.
Every single one of these glowing polyps Is a determined little creature.
But all work together, sharing the energy they capture So that the entire reef thrives.
Over thousands of lifetimes, the corals have created a place of restful calm.
Perhaps on land, we could take inspiration from this ancient coral city.
A multitude of interconnected individuals collaborating and cooperating to share a single home.
[light music.]