Giants of the West
Documentary series exploring the seas surrounding Great Britain. The team looks at Britain's largest fish, the basking shark, and giant spiny spider crabs.
The team uncovers the world of the giants that reside in and on our western seas.
A few metres off the Cornish shore, the team study Britain's largest fish, the basking shark. Despite the fact that they grow up to ten metres long, little is known about them, which makes effective conservation very difficult. In an exceptional encounter, the team is surrounded by up to 12 sharks as they feed on microscopic plankton.
Their shark expedition then takes them north to the Isle of Man. Working alongside local scientists, they take shark DNA samples using a kitchen scourer in order to assess the genetic health and long-term fitness of these great leviathans. The team also runs into a giant swarm of jellyfish.
In the waters of south Wales, Tooni encounters an invading army of giant spiny spider crabs. These creatures boast a leg span of over a metre across, and Tooni reveals that they come into the shallow waters every year to find a mate.
On Lundy Island off the Devon coast, Frank assesses whether the island's protected underwater No Take Zone could be used as a template to establish a nationwide network of marine nature reserves right around our island.
Frank also reveals how Great Britain still relies on the sea to import goods. He boards one of the biggest transatlantic container ships in the world, The Atlantic Companion, as the vast ship brings its cargo into Liverpool Docks.
In treacherous waters off the Isles of Scilly, Paul dives the largest shipwreck in British waters to assess the legacy of the worst ecological disaster to affect our shores so far; the ill-fated Torrey Canyon oil tanker.
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Clip
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Swimming with basking sharks
Duration: 02:17
Music Played
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Mackintosh Braun
To Protect
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Paul Rose |
Presenter | Frank Pope |
Presenter | Tooni Mahto |
Producer | Paul Olding |
Director | Paul Olding |
Series Producer | Sophie Todd |
Executive Producer | Gary Hunter |
Broadcasts
- Sun 8 May 2011 20:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two & Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Mon 9 May 2011 00:35Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Tue 10 May 2011 19:00
- Wed 11 May 2011 00:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Sat 14 May 2011 18:20Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Mon 27 Jun 2011 03:15
- Sat 19 May 2012 17:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Sat 4 Feb 2017 10:00
- Mon 30 Jul 2018 16:15
- Sat 31 Aug 2019 19:00
- Sun 1 Sep 2019 01:55
- Thu 2 Jul 2020 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
- Sat 29 Oct 2022 10:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
- Sat 2 Sep 2023 11:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
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