Ascension Island - wildlife and heritage

Watch the three-part Britain's Treasure Islands documentary series on BBC FOUR, starting Tue 12 Apr 2016 21:00. (repeated Wed 13 Apr 2016 20:00).
This mini-documentary explores the wildlife, heritage and history of Ascension Island, a UK Overseas Territory in the Atlantic. In this film, we see Ascenion's extraordinary landscapes, vast sea turtle populations, bird colonies, land crab migrations and an incredible conservation success in the form of the return of the Ascension frigatebird.
This film is one of forty mini-documentaries made from the footage not used in the broadcast series.
Visit www.BritainsTreasureIslands.com to view all 40 mini-documentaries free of charge.
Please note: although complementary to the BBC FOUR series, the 40 short mini-documentaries are not commissioned or editorially overseen by BBC.
To discovery the wildlife, history and cultures of all of the UK Overseas Territories, please visit www.BritainsTreasureIslands.com
BRITAIN'S TREASURE ISLANDS - MINI-DOCUMENTARIES
Introduction
Overview of the UK Overseas Territories • Overview of the UK Ove...
Filming the Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series • Filming the Britain's ...
Stewart McPherson’s lecture at the Royal Geographical Society • Stewart McPherson’s le...
Mini-documentaries about each of the UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island - wildlife and heritage • Ascension Island - wil...
Saint Helena - wildlife and heritage • Saint Helena - wildlif...
Tristan da Cunha - wildlife and heritage • Tristan da Cunha - wil...
Falkland Islands - wildlife and heritage • Falkland Islands - wil...
South Georgia - wildlife and heritage • South Georgia - wildli...
British Antarctic Territory - wildlife and heritage • British Antarctic Terr...
British Indian Ocean Territory - wildlife and heritage • British Indian Ocean T...
Pitcairn Islands - wildlife and heritage • Pitcairn Islands - wil...
Bermuda - wildlife and heritage • Bermuda - wildlife and...
Cayman Islands - wildlife and heritage • Cayman Islands - wildl...
British Virgin Islands - wildlife and heritage • British Virgin Islands...
Montserrat - wildlife and heritage • Montserrat - wildlife ...
Anguilla - wildlife and heritage • Anguilla - wildlife an...
Turks and Caicos Islands - wildlife and heritage • Turks and Caicos Islan...
Akrotiri and Dhekelia - wildlife and heritage • Akrotiri and Dhekelia ...
Gibraltar - wildlife and heritage • Gibraltar - wildlife a...
Mini-documentaries about specific subjects on particular UK Overseas Territories
Ascension Island - natives and aliens • Ascension Island - nat...
Ascension Island - supplying the garrison • Ascension Island - sup...
Saint Helena - wirebird conservation • Saint Helena - wirebir...
Saint Helena - plant conservation • Saint Helena - plant c...
Life on Tristan da Cunha - the World’s Most Remote Inhabited Island • Life on Tristan da Cun...
Tristan da Cunha - the Monster Mice of Gough Island • Tristan da Cunha - the...
Falkland Islands - Jimmy the ex-whaler • Falkland Islands - Jim...
British Indian Ocean Territory - coconut crabs • British Indian Ocean T...
British Indian Ocean Territory - seabirds • British Indian Ocean T...
British Indian Ocean Territory - underwater • British Indian Ocean T...
Pitcairn Islands - Henderson Island’s wildlife • Pitcairn Islands - Hen...
Life on Pitcairn Island - home of the descendants of the mutineers from HMS Bounty • Life on Pitcairn Islan...
Mini-documentaries about systematic wildlife groups across all of the UK Overseas Territories
Terrestrial Invertebrates of the UK Overseas Territories • Terrestrial Invertebra...
Amphibians and Reptiles of the UK Overseas Territories • Amphibians and Reptile...
Plants of the UK Overseas Territories • Plants of the UK Overs...
Mammals of the UK Overseas Territories • Mammals of the UK Over...
Birds of the UK Overseas Territories • Birds of the UK Overse...
Marine Life of the UK Overseas Territories • Marine Life of the UK ...
Overview mini-documentaries
Conservation Lessons of the UKOTs • Conservation Lessons o...
Islands of Evolution • Islands of Evolution
Overview of the Britain’s Treasure Islands book • Overview of the Britai...
Shipping 5,000 books to all UK secondary schools COMING SOON
Overview of Britain’s Treasure Islands TV documentary series • Overview of Britain's ...

[@jservice6594]

I was stationed there with the USAF in '79. I remember the terrible cat predation on the newly hatched sea turtles. I'm gladdened and relieved that the cats were eliminated but I wonder how it could have possibly been done. I remember hearing that the USAF had done aerial seeding with grass seed (with permission, of course) to help establish some sort of soil. There was no dirt, only volcanic pumice which doesn't tend to break down. No water to do it. The only green on the island was the top of Green Mountain, that was high enough to be in the water vapor from passing clouds. Since no rocks breaking down, the sand on the beach is shell sand. Wonderful stuff. 70 degrees F. day and night, summer and winter. One hour of a light sprinkle in the year I was there.

[@Hughenn]

Was there for 6 months in 1983. A fantastic place.

[@vivekkesoju6092]

So great

[@Q_QQ_Q]

why

[@bruceryba5740]

Really great video. I was there in the USAF and then as a Pan Am Diver. 80-86. There were lots of Frigates nesting on the cliff by the letterbox trail (where you pointed to the white Island. First time I had ever seen Frigates outside of Nat Geo. Plus not sure why, the avoidance of the showing the lush areas of the Island. A great experiment in Terra forming. FYI, I scaled Boatswainbird Island carrying a rope for the people in our two boats.(no cable then like in your video) I was the last on off the platform when we left. Did a sloppy dive and swam to our zodiacs. ONLY then did I look in the water with a dive mask. Every wonder how many sharks live under that island to catch baby birds? I count myself lucky to have limbs after that dive. LOL

[@elayneyoung1837]

I'd love to go there

[@bone3594]

Amazing documentary video.

[@fib1478]

"Since the animals have lived here for thousands of years without land predators, they have relatively little beer. And that lack of experience with creditors prove their undoing". Well done with english subtitles, KZbin. Well done. This is brilliant satire.

[@jasonmgavitt2357]

This is fascinating.

[@GARYINLEEDS]

Thanks for sharing, shared.

[@williamthawley9251]

loved your book.

[@SpaceRaptor510]

Cat eradication is 100% wonderful

[@jacquelynmathews5341]

Much as I love cats, I absolutely agree with you. It's horrible how they've lead to the mass extinction of many native bird species & other animals.

[@vishvice12]

This is such a great video.

[@marilynhernandez8172]

I Hope there are pelicans and flamingos in that island.

[@Q_QQ_Q]

@@marilynhernandez8172 no

[@minnietheminx]

Lovely documentary. The crabs, Frigate Birds and Boobies remind me of Christmas Island.

[@Greentim67]

I REMEMBER THE CRABS WALKING BY ME IN MY BIVVY😂😂❤

[@Greentim67]

Thousands and thousands

[@jahidhassan620]

I think he is the luckiest man on earth

[@almightyyak675]

Why aren't more trees introduced to the island? They could help prevent the soil from eroding needlessly into the ocean.

[@rishibehal3393]

Well trees never really existed there, even when the portuguese arrived in the 1500s the most the island had was small ferns but the British did plant an artificial forest called Green Mountain to help provide wood for masts and bring a bit more rainfall to the island . It was succesfull but ended up being a bit of a threat to local species . BBC engineers tried again in 1966 with the 'Mexican Thorn' to bind the dry top soil though this ended up being an even bigger disaster for the endemic species.

[@jasonmgavitt2357]

Rishi Behal there are ways to start a forest that would possibly allow most species to adapt.planting only one kind of tree across a large swath of the island could be detrimental,but starting slowly with pioneer species and gradually planting bigger trees of as many species as possible could have much less of an impact.

[@obiwahndagobah9543]

@Seiko Loveless Because the trees overcrowd and shade out the native plants. They didn't evolve to live under the shade of trees, they need full sunlight, but at the same time many need enough moisture. So they are restricted to the wetter top of the Island, but there they are pushed out from most places by the trees. Two fern species and some moss species though are quite happy in the forest, but the rest is not.

[@jacquelynmathews5341]

It's probably better if nothing's introduced. Life on the island is so fragile that even usually harmless trees or plants could have devastating effects if planted there.

[@Q_QQ_Q]

@@rishibehal3393 there were no trees locally there . only 4 ferns ever grew .

[@susavet]

Who saw the Skink tail at 8:15 (Tristiidon Lunata)

[@veronicaroach3667]

I read elsewhere (this is 2021) that this island is now 'greened' all over.....so ????

[@turtlegrams6582]

ain't nothing that old

[@cultusgti]

Eh no cats eh..... Wonder how they are doing with the rat problem now lol

[@ramdas363]

Don't worry, the snakes that were newly introduced to control the rats will take care of that.

[@Q_QQ_Q]

no rats

[@panatypical]

Anybody who likes this place deserves to spend a stretch at Pelican Island....

[@leretour23]

He didn't get shit on by the seabirds?

[@JihadBunnydick]

Does nobody else see that Pyramid?

[@billbogg3857]

Yup . The ancient Asdickheads teleported there from South America on their way to Egypt to teach them all they knew.

[@billbogg3857]

Yup . The ancient Asdickheads teleported there from Machu Pichu on their way to Egypt to teach them all they knew.

[@chengwang411]

Terns are much more agile than boobies.

[@panatypical]

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, that should destroy everything....

[@btakesa]

The most stupid background music ever. It completely drowns out what the narrator is saying at times. Stupid, stupid.