Earth's Natural Wonders

Science and Nature Series / 1 Season

Earth's natural wonders are parts of the natural world that nature has carved on such a scale that they defy belief. For human beings, survival within these extraordinary places can pose great challenges. Yet human ingenuity makes this possible.

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In Brazil Villagers Use a Natural Toxin to Paralyze Fish

1m 49s / TV-PG

In Brazil, indigenous peoples use a natural plant toxin to paralyze hundreds of fish. The fish are needed for a festival to appease a "spirit" who can protect them if things go well. For the festival to be a success, they need hundreds of fish to feed the dancers and act as an offering. The natural toxin is a great help, but the lake where they fish also contains piranha, electric eels and caiman.

In Ethiopia Villagers Climb Sheer Cliffs for a Baptism

1m 9s / TV-PG

In Ethiopia’s Gheralta mountain villagers climb sheer cliffs for a baptism. Their churches are built high in the mountains to bring them "closer to God," and reaching them is a real test of faith. They believe that male children must be baptized on the 40th day after birth in order to be blessed, but this is a long and perilous journey to make with a newborn.

In the Faroe Islands Fulmar Eggs Are Collected from Cliffs

1m 30s / TV-PG

In the Faroe Islands, locals collect a traditional delicacy, Fulmar eggs, from high cliffs. They use only traditional woolen harnesses and slippers as climbing equipment, and are lowered on a rope down hundreds of feet of cliff-side. First, however, they must identify the best spot to find these nesting seabirds.

Episode 3 Preview | Surviving Against the Odds

30s / TV-PG

In some natural wonders, people must push themselves to the absolute limit in order to survive. For the people who call these extraordinary places home, survival requires great skill, ingenuity and bravery.

In Australia Aboriginal Peoples Hunt for Crocodile Eggs

1m 28s / TV-PG

In Australia Aboriginal peoples risk their lives collecting saltwater crocodile eggs. They use their traditional skills collect eggs from the nests. These saltwater crocodiles are among the most dangerous predators in the world and it is not easy to drive them off their nests.

The Nenet People of Siberia Migrate with Reindeer Herds

1m 21s / TV-PG

The Nenet people of Siberia migrate 500 miles across the ice with their reindeer herds. They have followed this way of life for centuries, but the migration is getting harder as the climate becomes more unpredictable. This year, the weather is bad, and the herds become mixed together as they move along the trail.

Episode 2 Preview | Surviving with Animals

30s / TV-PG

In some of the world’s most extraordinary natural wonders, it is wildlife that holds the key to survival for the people who live there. But animals can be our foes, as well as our friends.

In Vanuatu the Islanders Depend on Fishing to Survive

1m 40s / TV-PG

In Vanuatu islanders depend on fishing to provide them with food from the sea. This way of life is becoming harder as fish stocks decline and young people leave the islands. The remaining youth must learn these ancient skills: most challenging of all is to free-dive down to the sea-bed in search of lobster.

Preview

30s / TV-PG

Earth's natural wonders are parts of the natural world that nature has carved on such a scale that they defy belief. For human beings, survival within these extraordinary places can pose great challenges. Yet human ingenuity makes this possible.

Helicopter Cowboys Wrangle Cattle in Australia

1m 18s / TV-PG

In the Australian Outback, helicopter cowboys round up cattle from the air. It’s the only way to get the job done on these enormous farms, but the job is dangerous – pilots die every year. Modern technology is what makes survival possible in this inhospitable part of the world.

In Nepal Herders Bring Yaks Down a Steep Mountain Pass

1m 32s / TV-PG

In Nepal herders bring their yaks down one of the steepest mountain passes in the region. The ground is treacherous and it is easy for the animals to become injured. This year, the yaks have given birth late and it is hard for the younger animals of the herd.

Collecting Mussels Under the Canadian Arctic Sea Ice

1m 26s / TV-PG

In the Canadian Arctic, Inuit peoples still follow ancient traditions of foraging for mussels. At the lowest tides of the year, they venture into caves below the sea-ice to hunt for them. As the tide turns, the sea ice can shift and there is a risk of them becoming trapped below the ice.

Episode 3 Preview | Living Wonders

30s / TV-PG

Witness wonders created by the force that makes our planet unique — life itself. In the Amazon, boys face fierce animals in a rite of passage, and a Bangladeshi father and son brave killer bees and man-eating tigers to find honey.

Episode 2 Preview | Wonders of Water

30s / TV-G

See wonders created by the grand and unpredictable power of water, including Victoria Falls, where men risk death to reach fishing pools; the Camargue, where man faces bull; and ocean reefs, where a guardian seeks a manta ray to help save the species.

Scenes from Earth's Natural Wonders

1m / TV-G

"All I can think about is what happens to my family if the ladder snaps and I fall into the crevasse." Get a glimpse into the lives of those who dare to call Earth's natural wonders home.

Preview

30s / TV-G

Explore the most extraordinary places on the planet in this three-part series. Visit six continents to learn how these natural wonders evolved and hear rarely told stories about the challenges their inhabitants face.

Episode 1 Preview | Extreme Wonders

30s

Visit extreme locales, including Mount Everest’s Khumbu Icefall, where sherpas face many dangers; the Grand Canyon, where conservationists try to ensure a condor chick’s survival; and the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, where farmers battle with elephants.

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