Unravel the mysteries of the deep waters in Animal Planet's premiere series Oceans

Media News

New Delhi, May 03, 2010

Oceans cover two-thirds of the surface of our planet. The seas, which are vital to survival, have remained an enduring part of our human story. Hidden within the depths of these oceans are secrets about the planet and life itself. From the striking but gentle turquoise seas of the Caribbean to the icy-cold Arctic, the oceans hold secrets and stories, the likes of which anyone would have barely even begun to know. Animal Planet takes a voyage of discovery in its new series OCEANS to unravel mysteries, take unbeatable adventures to provide a vital understanding of the planet's biggest and least explored asset.

Premiering on Thursday, 13th May at 10 pm, the eight-part series, OCEANS will shed light on abundance of marine phenomenon that has amazed us for centuries.

Commenting on the series, Rahul Johri, senior vice president & general manager, India, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, "Animal Planet through its new series OCEANS will give viewers a better understanding of the state of our oceans today, their role in the past, present and future and their significance in global terms."

Traversing the world's oceans from pole to pole, covering over 50 locations around the world, the team shot 445 hours of footage. The series OCEANS combines stunning photography and fascinating insights to show some of the rarest moments ever captured on tape. There are stories that intrigue and enthrall – from discovering the truth behind rumours that the Mediterranean Sea has become a breeding ground for the Great White Shark, to exploring ancient wrecks that tell tales of piracy past and present.

A team of intrepid adventurers – explorer and expedition leader Paul Rose, maritime archaeologist Dr Lucy Blue, marine biologist Tooni Mahto and conservationist Philippe Cousteau Jr (grandson of legendary Jacques Cousteau) – undertake a journey to discover the world beneath the waves. The team ventures fearlessly into some of the planet's most challenging environments – descending beneath frozen Arctic ice sheets and into mysterious black holes in the Caribbean Sea. During their expeditions, they meet with local people whose lives and livelihood depend on the sea. Using the latest in scuba and submersible technology, the OCEAN team of experts delves deeper than ever before. Each episode sees them exploring a new sea or ocean, diving every day they can to explore the unknown depths, facing personal challenges and genuine jeopardy.

Though gorgeous to look at, the series is not a mere guided tour. The team's pioneering journeys weave together the world of underwater archaeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology.

Episode Synopsis

The Sea Of Cortez

Oceans' team examines the impact of humans on the Sea of Cortez and sees how it is changing. Diving in search of one of its apex predators, the Hammerhead Shark, the team discovers one of the winners in the war of change – the Humboldt Squid. Fifty years ago it did not exist in this sea, now there are over 200 million of them. During a treacherous night dive with these aggressive creatures, the team tries to discover what has made them so successful. Using pioneering research techniques and a miniature helicopter, a sample of a whale's breath is captured as it exhales at the surface. And Tooni and Philippe swim with a group of the whales, witnessing rare behaviour of the social structure of these magnificent animals.

The Southern Ocean

The team travels to the notoriously hostile Southern Ocean. Since explorers first began venturing South, it has been clear that the Southern Ocean is a unique and harsh, environment. Storm-force westerly winds, huge seas, vast expanses of sea-ice and mountainous icebergs are characteristics of this vast area. Often described as the lung of the planet, the Southern Ocean plays a vital role in regulating levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. But parts of it are warming twice as fast as the rest of the world's oceans. The aim is to discover what impact this is having.

The Red Sea

The Red Sea can help answer critical questions about our own past and the future of the oceans. It is one of only two places on the planet where the birth of a new ocean can be dived to discover how all oceans are formed. Archaeological sites along these shores are amongst the oldest on Earth, and the team searches for evidence of one of early modern human's first encounters with the sea. The Red Sea is one of the warmest seas in the world, yet coral reefs flourish here. In the face of global warming, Oceans sets out to discover whether these waters hold the key to the future health of coral and our world's oceans.

The Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic is one of the most influential bodies of water on the planet; it plays a critical role in influencing our climate. And in just one corner of this enormous ocean there is crucial evidence of our oceans' past and clues about their future.

The Atlantic Ocean around the Bahamas is one of only two places in the world where stromatolites exist. Over billions of years, they transformed the oceans into the life-giving, oxygenated waters they are today. Here the expedition investigates the oldest living evidence of life on Earth.

The Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's major oceans, covering 28 million square miles, almost 15% of the Earth's surface. Its remote corners contain some of the most pristine marine habitats in the world. But it is also surrounded by many of the world's populous nations, so the Oceans team sets out to discover the pressures that are changing this ocean and its resources. In the Indian Ocean, as elsewhere in the world, shark fishing has been increasing at an alarming rate with tens of millions being caught each year worldwide. Visiting a small community in Mozambique, where shark fishing has only recently become an established practice, the team tries to find out what is driving the trade.

The Indian Ocean – Coastal Waters

The team explore what happens when the powerful Indian Ocean collides with the edge of a continent. Much of the coastline of the Indian Ocean is densely populated and the Spice Islands inhabitants can be profoundly affected by devastating weather patterns that cause drought and famine. The team works with scientists to drill out a core from a coral colony, which holds information about hundreds of years of climatic events. By studying the core patterns, scientists hope to predict future weather patterns in this area. They also come face to face with one of this area's most mysterious creatures, the sea horse. The team takes part in a race against time to search for and identify one of the ocean's most cryptic animals. From the smallest to the largest fish in the sea, they have a rare chance to snorkel with and identify whale sharks. Can the Oceans expedition help to unravel the mystery behind where these sharks are travelling to and from?

The Mediterranean Sea

Surrounded by Europe, Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea's coastline is one of the most densely populated in the world. Western civilisation developed around these shores, but now human activity is threatening to destroy it. In this episode the Oceans team embarks on an expedition to explore the profound effect that Man has on this endangered sea.

They also explore a perilous network of submerged caves to find rare rock formations, evidence of huge changes to the Mediterranean which changed the coastline and created the ideal conditions for people to spread and settle here. Atlantic bluefin tuna have been an important part of Mediterranean culture for thousands of years. Today, industrial fishing techniques are having are an enormous impact on this sea. Diving a tuna farm is the only way for the team to get up close to schools of bluefin tuna and observe a once-abundant fish now at risk of extinction.

The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean may be the smallest and shallowest of the world's great oceans, but it plays an unusually important role. Any changes here will have an enormous impact on the Earth's oceans and on the planet's climate. In one of the world's most hostile environments, the team investigates how the Arctic is changing and the effect this may have on this ocean's ecosystems and the rest of the world.

The polar bear is not the only creature in the Arctic fighting for existence as a result of the retreating ice. The team dives below the frozen, solid ice sheet to collect samples of the tiny creatures living right under the ice. Their findings will contribute to a global census of life in our oceans and will help scientists discover whether life in the Arctic is coping with the changes in its ocean.

For further information, please contact:

Discovery Communications India

Ruchika Tandon

Mobile: +919810202457

Email: ruchika_tandon@discovery.com