Giants of Europe
NATURE & WILDLIFE 1 x 60'
NATURE & WILDLIFE
secret shark pits
Join diver Hugues Vitry and scientist Ryan Johnson as they explore the underwater world of the Mauritius 'Secret Shark Pits'.
Duration
1 x 60'
Production Company
Talking Pictures & Off the Fence
YOP
2008
Definitions
SD HD
Awards
WINNER - African Filmmaker - ROSCAR 2009 FINALIST - Broadcast Programme
Episode Information
In the waters surrounding the volcanic island of Mauritius lie hidden secret worlds that are infested with sharks, creating one of the ocean’s great spectacles: shark pits. No one knows how many of these pits there are, and no one knows why they attract so many sharks. What is known is that the sharks keep coming to these areas, and that their behaviour there is very unusual. The grey reef shark that is common to the pits shows almost no aggression while there. They also do not seem to need to swim constantly, despite famously needing to do so usually. What is it about these pits that alter the sharks’ behaviour so noticeably? Why do the sharks gather in these pits? To find the answers to these questions, two dedicated men will enter the unusual sunken pits to investigate. Hugues Vitry, local dive guide and naturalist who originally discovered the Shark Pits, will lead Ryan Johnson, shark scientist, into the labyrinthine reefs, caverns and caves on a journey of discovery.