Barry Nye

Celebrates 30 years of televised specials by The National Geographic Society.

Embark on an extraordinary journey into the underground world of caves. Beneath our sunlit world lies an unknown universe of breathtaking caverns, treacherous passages and absolute darkness. Join a National Geographic expedition to document the splendours of the world's most exotic new cave for the first time. Relive the excitement of those cavers who, in 1986, first entered Lechuguilla, New Mexico. Marvel at the pristine beauty of gypsum chandeliers, gnarled calcite columns and jewel-like lakes. Then, join the 1972 expedition that stumbled upon a passage connecting the Mammoth and Flint Ridge cave systems, creating the longest cave system in the world. And relive the thrilling discoveries and heartbreaking tragedies of caving history.

Trek into the hidden battlefields of northern Botswana where lions and spotted hyenas clash in overlapping territories. With never-before-seen footage, much of it filmed at night, you'll uncover an intense and vicious blood feud that has been waged for millennia. Follow the Southern Clan, led by a powerful hyena matriarch whose firstborn female cub kills her sister at birth to assure her succession as leader of the clan. Lurk in the shadows as a lioness from the Central Pride gives birth to three cubs and then encounters a deadly Egyptian cobra. You'll be stunned by breathtaking chase scenes as the hyena matriarch is brutally killed by a male lion, throwing the clan into chaos. Discover nature's savage conflicts in this ancient rivalry.

The film reveals the story of conflict between lions and hyenas, relatively unknown or even suspected in the scientific world before this. The intense relationship and enduring rivalry between the two species play out in a battle of survival.

Portrays the Chicano experience, from its roots in pre-Columbian history to the present, by dramatically recreating key events in Mexican history and by presenting interviews with Chicano leaders, Dolores Huerta, Reies Lopez Tijerina, Rodolfo Gonzalez, and Jose Angel Gutierrez, who discuss solutions to the oppression of Chicanos.

Many know that islands of the Caribbean sea are places of surprising beauty. But not it is common knowledge that deeply under water among coral reefs that surround islands, the enormous reign of the rarest stationed oneself, on anything not alike creatures

The storm of 1993 that ravaged the Eastern Seaboard was bigger than any since the 1800s. Most were expecting only more unseasonable warmth, and were caught off-guard by the hurricane winds, massive thunderstorms, and fierce blizzards. Meteorologists puzzled over bizarre reports from their computers. Late warnings went largely unheard. Video footage from Florida to Maine documents nature's savagery.

This fierce force of nature can snap trees as if they were twigs, reduce houses to rubble, and kill anyone unlucky enough to stand in the way.

Covers a spiritual culture based upon reverence for the land and the spiritual dimension known as the Dreamtime.

Sparkling diamonds. Exquisite emeralds. Brilliant rubies. Shimmering pearls. For centuries, these precious gems have captured humankind, leading men and women to give up fortunes - even their lives - to possess them. Join National Geographic on a journey around the globe to discover the origins of these most coveted gems. You'll see astonishing amounts of earth mined to uncover rubies in Thailand or emeralds in Colombia. You'll meet a Tennessee businessman who cultivates freshwater pearls and a California chemist who 'grows' rubies nearly identical to nature's stunning creations. And you'll witness rarely, if ever before, filmed sales of uncut diamonds - deals worth thousands of dollars sealed only with a handshake and a Hebrew phrase. Unlock a treasure chest filled with a wealth of information and the dazzling beauty of Splendid Stones.

Explore an extraordinary region where water and land life intermingle six months out of the year.

Film cameras cruise the Soviet Union's mighty Volga River, providing a view of the Russian people along its 2300-mile length, including looks at the fishing industry, a rural village, a manufacturing town and the wedding of two factory workers.

Companion TV documentary to the National Geographic Magazine article "The Last Dive of I-52" - October 1999 issue. Original NBC / National Geographic TV broadcast: September 11, 1999. When it sank in the deep Atlantic near the end of World War II, the Japanese submarine I-52 went to the bottom with over 100 lives - and a cargo that included two tons of gold and other secrets. Now, a military veteran-turned-adventurer bucks the odds on a long-shot mission to solve a tantalizing mystery over 50 years old, as he embarks on a deep-sea search for the lost submarine and its cargo of gold. Plunge three miles to the ocean floor and explore the sub's twisted remains in an effort to locate the shipment of gold. Be privy to declassified intelligence reports that reveal how WWII code breakers helped track down the I-52 submarine. Be there as U.S. Navy veterans retell stories of their mission to hunt down and sink this Top Secret Japanese war machine.

An intriguing look at the agonies of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, northern Mexico and Southern California forthrightly reveals the animals' and vegetation's dreadful task of accommodating themselves to their homeland. Stunningly photographed by Keith Brust, producer-writer Sean Morris and their companions --- with Barry Nye lending his customary editing assurance --- provide a handsome study of deprivation and survival and an illuminating look at how the other half lives and dies.

For decades, the National Geographic Society has presented specials on nature, foreign culture, scientific breakthroughs, and things which fall under the general category of "neat stuff." Each special is self-contained.