Ocean Odyssey: The Blue Realm Season 1

Season 1

The Blue Realm is a natural history television series about amazing creatures of the sea. Utilizing superb High-Definition imagery, engaging stories, and leading marine scientists the series takes viewers on extraordinary journeys of discovery! The Blue Realm is produced by a team of film-makers and expert divers, all of whom have a passion for the sea and our marine environments. The crew has travelled to some of the world's top undersea destinations to capture spectacular images in the High-Definition format. Filming locations included: Papua New Guinea, Palau (Micronesia), South Africa, the Red Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, the Bahamas, Cocos Island (Costa Rica), British Columbia, Texas, Indonesia, the Socorro Archipelago (Mexico), California and Florida.

Air date: 2010-12-29

Episodes: 14

Episodes

E1: Shark Business

Shark Business unravels some of the mysteries surrounding sharks with controversial behaviorist Dr. Erich Ritter. You'll witness divers testing the limits of shark-human interaction outside of cages with dangerous sharks such as lemon, bull and even great white sharks! Recount the events that led to the attack that almost killed Dr. Ritter. Witness a feeding Frenzy of over 100 reef sharks in the Bahamas, and see a diver literally ride a Great White Shark in Gansbai, South Africa! This episode has shark action like you have never seen before!

Air date: 2010-12-29

E2: Miracle Venom

Miracle Venom explores the strange, and often bizarre world of the oceans most venomous animals. Follow Dr. Glen Burns as he handles deadly Sea Snakes with only his bare hands. You'll be amazed at how a small Cone Snail hunts, paralyses and then eats it's prey alive. The waters of Papua New Guinea and Australia's Great Barrier Reef harbour an exceptional variety of venomous fish and invertebrates.The poisons of these animals are some of the most lethal known to man.They also, however, hold enormous potential in the development of therapeutic drugs.

E3: Tentacles

Tentacles follows Dr. Jennifer Mather as she leads a team of renowned scientists to the beautiful Caribbean island of Bonaire. Their mission is to prove a controversial theory: reef squid speak to each other with a complex language they paint on their skin. The episode features the bizarre courtship and never-before-filmed egg-laying rituals of reef squid. Travel to the Pacific Northwest for an encounter with the world's largest Octopus. You'll also witness the fascinating hunting technique of the cuttlefish.

E4: Giant Manta Rays

Giants of San Benedicto features Dr. Robert Rubin and his ground-breaking research of giant Mantas. You'll travel to the remote Socorro Islands off Mexico's Pacific coast and see breath-taking encounters with enormous manta rays. You're sure to love these majestic giants as you see how they invite human contact, and encourage certain divers to ride them. The film crew also travels to the Bahamas to visit 'Bubbles', a fifteen foot Manta in the worlds largest aquarium, and witness her release back into the ocean.

E5: Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants

Whale sharks can reach nearly 50 feet in length and weigh 30 tons or more! The program also features the remarkable story of the capture and transport of whale sharks to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

E6: Shark Divers

Sharks are BIG business in adrenaline eco-tourism. And some thrill seekers deliberately pursue close encounters with deadly sharks – without the protection of a cage. The bigger and more dangerous the shark, the better. At Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, guests (including 5 & 7 year old siblings) come face to face with great whites. In the Bahamas, scuba divers pay big bucks to get up close and personal with tiger sharks. But have we taken this risky sport too far? Shark advocates Dr. Erich Ritter and Chuck Anderson have grave reservations about how far we are willing to go for a thrill. And they have intimate knowledge of the subject. Both men were brutally attacked by bull sharks. Shark Divers also examines the controversy surrounding a handful of high-profile attacks in 2008, including the first shark tourist killed while on a shark excursion.

E7: Manatees and Dugongs

Each year, hundreds of critically endangered manatees are killed in U.S. waters by boats, disease and cold weather. 2006 was the worst year on record for manatee deaths – 416 animals perished. With only a few thousand remaining in the wild, mostly in heavily developed Florida wetlands, the clock is ticking in efforts to save this amazing mammal from extinction. Another rare species and close relative of manatees is the dugong. Dugongs cling to survival in a few isolated corners of the globe. In marine sanctuaries in Abu Dhabi, the bizarre animals have been notoriously difficult to find, let alone photograph. Manatees and Dugongs features exclusive HD imagery of the mammals in the wild and examines efforts of scientists to protect the two species. The program also includes thrilling captures and field exams of manatees in Florida.

Air date: 2009-02-15 • ★ 5

E8: Humpbacks: From Tonga to Antartica

Singing louder than any animal on earth, humpback whales are famous for their haunting songs and jaw-dropping acrobatics. They were hunted to the brink of extinction until a moratorium on killing them was implemented in the 1960s. But after finally rebounding in numbers, whaling nations are exploring ways to re-open the hunt. In Antarctica, Japan is targeting minke, fin, and now... humpbacks. The tiny island nation of Tonga in the remote South Pacific is a haven for the magnificent mammals. With few natural resources or other means of income, the country is considering opening it’s waters to foreign whaling fleets in exchange for hard currency. The merits and legitimacy of scientific whaling by Japan and other nations is hotly debated. The iconic species is a favorite of whale watchers from Alaska to Mexico and the stage is set for an epic battle between whalers and conservationists. Humpbacks: From Tonga to Antarctica also features Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Society.

E9: The Shipsinkers

Around the globe, thousands of decommissioned naval vessels rot in dockyards. What can you do with these toxic time bombs? One solution is to clean them well, blow them up and sink them! Providing shelter and breeding grounds, countless fish and invertebrates colonize steel hulls. In the Cayman Islands, the USS Kittiwake met a watery grave and quickly transformed into a vibrant artificial reef. In the Florida Keys, dozens of purposely sunk ships are a beacon to marine life, and to scuba divers. It seems like a win-win-win situation - for the environment, for divers and for cash strapped governments. But supporters face tough opposition on many fronts. After years of struggle, Canada's newest artificial reef project - the HMCS Annapolis, is nearing completion. But will protesters get their way and scuttle the sinking?