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Ocean of Volcanoes

Episode 4 of 6

Documentary series about the South Pacific islands. This edition looks at the birth, growth and death of an island, with images of an erupting underwater volcano.

Witness the birth, growth and death of an island in the greatest ocean on earth. Millions of years are condensed into an hour revealing unforgettable images of an erupting underwater volcano; rivers of lava exploding below the waves; roads and houses buried by molten rivers of rock. From these violent beginnings emerge coral reefs of unparalleled richness, supporting large groups of grey reef sharks and giant manta rays.

The rising lands of the South Pacific have also given life to some very strange creatures, from the vampire bug that thrives in tropical snow, and the megapode, a bird that uses volcanic springs to incubate its eggs, to vast swarms of jellyfish trapped forever by a coral mountain. This is the Pacific as you've never seen it before.

59 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Benedict Cumberbatch
Producer Mark Brownlow
Composer David Mitcham
Series Producer Huw Cordey

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