Island Heroes: The Whale Rescuers of Campobello Island

As a manatee, one has to be extremely unlucky to be given a name. The young Hamilton is a living example of this. 600 kilos of pure friendliness – a sea cow, or manatee, is not exactly a paragon of beauty. However, they are without doubt the friendliest giants that inhabit the crystal waters of Florida’s rivers and shores. For the first time, a team of filmmakers has managed to observe a manatee for three years. As a result, the footage astounded even the experienced researchers of the Sirenia Projects. Besides, the gorgeous images of sea birds, alligators and dolphins depict the astonishing eco-system of the Gulf Coast and Florida’s crystal clear rivers.

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, more than 1.500 km from the nearest continent, lies an untouched, mysterious archipelago – the Chagos Islands. This group of 60 islands is one of the last pristine wildernesses on Earth. The Chagos Archipelago is one of the world’s largest marine national parks, and is strictly protected. A scientific expedition has been granted access to this politically disputed territory for the first time. In times of climate change, as global reef communities face a growing crisis, the researchers seek to show how coral reefs fare in places with minimal human interference. During a journey into the unknown, we follow in the footsteps of internationally renowned scientists, who aim to unlock the secrets of a lost world and gain astonishing insights into one of the last true wildernesses on Earth.

In the little Filipino village of Oslob, people suffer from the scourge of typhoons and overfishing. Things seem bleak for fisherman Zosimo and his family until the world's biggest shark, the whale shark, comes along and changes everything. One day, a tourist asks to join Zosimo on the boat to take photos of the sharks. Once the pictures appear on the Internet, the lives of Zosimo, his children, and all of those living in the region get turned upside down.

In the heart of Europe lies Switzerland. In its midst yet apart from it, like an island. The Swiss Confederation holds a special position not only politically and historically – in particular, its scenic diversity is something really special: majestic mountains, lush green valleys, craggy rock landscapes and Mediterranean lakes all close together in one small geographical location. Switzerland is proud of its distinction and autonomy, reflected amongst other things in its different cantons and linguistic regions. Each episode in our series “Wild Faces of Switzerland“ seeks to do justice to this diversity.