1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,240 Could a Nazi shipwreck lying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea finally reveal the location 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,080 of one of the world's greatest lost treasures? 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,840 We start thinking, my God, maybe it's something important. 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:22,920 Is there an unknown force capable of snapping ships clean in half and sinking them with 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:24,280 no warning? 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,720 How can a ship just break into two pieces? 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:36,960 And who or what is responsible for a bizarre series of sea lion mutilations in the waters 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:38,840 around Vancouver? 9 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:46,040 It was something, in my opinion, that did this deliberately. 10 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,600 The underwater realm is another dimension. 11 00:00:50,600 --> 00:01:00,680 It's a physically hostile place where dreams of promise can sink into darkness. 12 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:06,440 I'm Jeremy Wade and I'm searching the world to bring you the most iconic and baffling 13 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,760 underwater mysteries known to science. 14 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,960 The vast majority of our ocean is unobserved, unmapped and unexplored. 15 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:21,760 It's a dangerous frontier that swallows evidence. 16 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,360 You have nowhere to run. 17 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:30,760 Where unknown is normal and understanding is rare. 18 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:52,920 Tales of lost treasure have captivated our imaginations for centuries, but few of these 19 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,760 stories are as puzzling as the disappearance of the amber room. 20 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:05,360 It's the height of World War II and the Nazis steal a priceless masterpiece from the Soviet 21 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:14,440 Union, a dazzling room made of amber, gemstones and gold. 22 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:20,280 When the brutal conflict comes to an end, all traces of this magnificent treasure are 23 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:21,840 gone. 24 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:27,640 But now a fresh investigation by a team of divers suggests that the amber room's final 25 00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:34,280 resting place might be deep beneath the Baltic Sea. 26 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:51,680 June 22, 1941, Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union begins. 27 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:58,200 As they advance, the Nazis pillage gold, art and other valuable treasure. 28 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:07,200 High on Hitler's wish list is the amber room, located in Leningrad's Catherine Palace. 29 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:16,880 The amber room is often dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World, such was its absolute magnificence. 30 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:23,200 Made from huge panels containing over six tons of prehistoric amber, gold and precious 31 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,680 gemstones. 32 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:31,640 This extravagant chamber is the envy of the world and is estimated to be worth up to 33 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:36,320 half a billion dollars in today's money. 34 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:42,480 Once captured by the Nazis, the exquisite amber panels are ripped from the walls, placed 35 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:49,400 into individual wooden crates and transported overland from Leningrad to the port city of 36 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,320 Königsberg. 37 00:03:52,320 --> 00:04:04,320 The tide of war turns and by 1945, Königsberg is under siege and surrounded by the Soviets. 38 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:13,160 What happens to the amber room during the onslaught is unknown. 39 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:22,760 But when Soviet troops finally capture the city, all signs of it have vanished. 40 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,920 She disappeared and nobody knows what's happened. 41 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,080 Where's the amber room? 42 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:31,960 That's the thing, we don't know. 43 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,080 It's a mystery. 44 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:41,720 Many people believe this priceless treasure was destroyed during the fighting. 45 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:46,200 But could the amber room have survived? 46 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:53,840 Under the orders of Joseph Stalin, in 1946 the KGB launches a secret investigation. 47 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:58,120 The amber room is one of the great cultural treasures of Russia. 48 00:04:58,120 --> 00:04:59,680 The Germans stole it. 49 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,600 The Russians wanted it back. 50 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,880 And they uncover a vital clue. 51 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:14,960 A set of partially burnt letters emerge from the smoldering ruins of Königsberg. 52 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:21,120 Dated January 12th 1945, they order the immediate evacuation of the treasure. 53 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:27,000 There's a very strong chance that the amber room could have survived the Second World War. 54 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:37,040 The search shifts to mainland Europe, deep into abandoned bunkers, caves and mines. 55 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:42,280 But have we been looking for this lost treasure in the wrong place? 56 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:49,640 There have been numerous attempts to try and find the amber room on land, but very few underwater. 57 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,440 The key thing here is to remember exactly where the amber room was being stored. 58 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:55,320 It was in Königsberg. 59 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:02,800 The only way to leave Königsberg at this point in time was on a vessel going through the Baltic Sea. 60 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,680 What if the amber room never made it back to Germany? 61 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,600 What if it was sunk on it? 62 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,960 Could this priceless treasure be hidden beneath the waves, 63 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:21,000 waiting to be found on one of the Baltic Sea's many shipwrecks? 64 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:27,240 To save the soldiers and civilians trapped by the advancing Soviets, 65 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:34,120 the Germans launch a huge rescue mission, codenamed Operation Hannibal. 66 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:39,680 It was the biggest maritime evacuation ever. 67 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:46,360 Hundreds of ships crisscrossed the Baltic, running a gauntlet of brutal weather, 68 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:51,080 and Soviet submarine and air attacks. 69 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:56,480 The amber room is an irreplaceable artifact, 70 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,920 and very few ships can be trusted to carry it on this perilous journey. 71 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,800 One of them is the Wilhelm Gustloff. 72 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,560 It was the pride of the Nazi merchant fleet. 73 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:16,440 It was their big status cruise-lining. 74 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,880 Hitler's very own version of the Titanic, the Wilhelm Gustloff, 75 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:28,000 was designed to take Nazi passengers on luxury pleasure cruises. 76 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:35,040 But with Germany losing the war, the ocean liner is sent to help with the evacuation. 77 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:41,240 As German refugees pour on board, another cargo arrives at the dock. 78 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,320 It also picks up crates which are on the armed guard. 79 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,640 And you have to ask yourself, why would you need armed guards 80 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,920 if there isn't something incredibly valuable in those crates? 81 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,200 A rumour spreads, and some of the passengers on the ship 82 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,920 suspect they hold the amber room. 83 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:07,320 The Wilhelm Gustloff departs in a blistering winter snowstorm. 84 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,440 They do not expect any Russian attack during this terrible weather. 85 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,280 But the defenseless cruise liner isn't alone. 86 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:24,440 It's torpedoed by a Soviet submarine, and it sinks very quickly. 87 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,200 It was the beginning of a huge, huge disaster. 88 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,640 Most of the lifeboats are frozen solid to their fittings, 89 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,200 triggering a calamity of catastrophic proportions. 90 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,920 This proves to be the greatest loss of life ever in maritime history. 91 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:53,320 9,500 people lost their lives. 92 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:03,200 The wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff is the site of one of the greatest tragedies of World War II. 93 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,200 But could it also be the final resting place of the amber room? 94 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,200 The mission to find out begins in the 1960s, 95 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,200 when Polish divers pinpoint the location of the wreck. 96 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,200 But as the outline of the ship looms in front of the ship, 97 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,200 it is the last time the ship has been in the wreck. 98 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,200 And out of them, something isn't right. 99 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,200 The strangest thing was that this supposedly unknown wreck, this undive wreck, 100 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:38,200 had a lot of diving activity on it. 101 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,200 It appeared that there was much more post-war damage to it, 102 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,200 that the vessel was destroyed and dynamited. 103 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,200 If the amber room was in the wreck, 104 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,200 someone has beaten the Polish divers to it. 105 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:12,200 The disappearance of the amber room is one of World War II's greatest unsolved mysteries. 106 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:21,200 But when divers narrow down the search for this lost treasure to a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, 107 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,200 they find someone has beaten them to it. 108 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:33,200 Who got to the Wilhelm Gustav first and why did they ransack it? 109 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,200 Suspicion falls on the Soviets. 110 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,200 They are the navy in the region who had the technology before the 1960s 111 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,200 to actually do this kind of investigation. 112 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,200 Some people believe the Russians knew the amber room was on board 113 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,200 and launched a secret mission to retrieve it. 114 00:10:55,200 --> 00:11:02,200 But if this was the case, why wouldn't they announce the rediscovery of this beloved national treasure? 115 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,200 Finding the amber room, if they had managed to find it, 116 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,200 would have been a tremendous coup for the Soviet Union. 117 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:17,200 A survivor's testimony emerging decades later 118 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:22,200 suggests they may have recovered a different kind of Nazi treasure. 119 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:27,200 Rudy Langer, who is a survivor of the sinking of the ship and the radio operator, 120 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,200 he came out in the 1980s and said, 121 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,200 nope, sorry, there was no amber room. 122 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:37,200 He said that those crates were being guarded because they were full of gold. 123 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:42,200 Could the amber room have actually been loaded into a different ship? 124 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:46,200 Have we been hunting in the wrong place all this time? 125 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:52,200 Now a team of Polish researchers thinks this might be the case. 126 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:57,200 I'm absolutely sure they do not use Wilhelm Gustloff for this mission. 127 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:04,200 Led by Tomasz Dahura, the team has identified a standout alternative ship, 128 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,200 the SS Karlsruhe. 129 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:15,200 Records indicate this ship was heavily laden with up to 360 tons of cargo. 130 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:20,200 The Honeywell operation focused on civilians and on the soldiers, 131 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,200 so it was not very common to take some cargo. 132 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:30,200 And there's another key detail that makes the Karlsruhe such an enticing candidate. 133 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:38,200 It was the very, very last ship to leave Konigsberg before the Soviet forces arrived. 134 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:44,200 So maybe in a panic, the Germans placed the amber room, the gold, the gems, 135 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,200 the wealth on this last ship. 136 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:54,200 But the ship doesn't get far before it's spotted and attacked by Soviet torpedo bombers. 137 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:03,200 One aircraft bomb was sent directly to the Karlsruhe and she sank in three minutes. 138 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:11,200 To find out what the Karlsruhe was carrying, Tomasz and his team first need to find its wreck. 139 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:17,200 So hunting these ships is not a quick process. It can take years. 140 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,200 To aid the search, they deploy a multi-beam echo sounder. 141 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:28,200 They create more of a three-dimensional image rather than a two-dimensional image of what's on the seabed. 142 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,200 It's a pretty fantastic technology. 143 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,200 We were very lucky because we found the ship which was exactly the same size. 144 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,200 Oh my God, maybe we found Karlsruhe, yes? 145 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:47,200 But the only way for the team to know for sure is to dive the wreck themselves. 146 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,200 We start to be absolutely sure that we found Karlsruhe. 147 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:08,200 We start to see more and more details and our eyes was bigger and bigger because we were absolutely surprised. 148 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:19,200 I am a diver for 40 years and I never ever saw so many artifacts, so many chests, so many trucks, motorcycles, guns. 149 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,200 But are there any signs of treasure on board? 150 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,200 We were convinced that maybe we can find one or two crates. 151 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,200 But in one day we find 15 of them, one five. 152 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:41,200 It's seeing a presence on Christmas morning. You don't know what's in them, but you notice something cool ready to be unwrapped. 153 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:48,200 Some of the crates have spilled open, giving a tantalizing glimpse of their contents. 154 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:55,200 The divers can see what looks like the remains of canvas and frames. 155 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:03,200 If they've got very fine, expensive artwork on board, the Karlsruhe, then maybe also that could be where the amber room is. 156 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:13,200 Tomas and his team plan to return to the wreck of the SS Karlsruhe in the near future. 157 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:20,200 With special permission from the Polish government, they plan to salvage some of the unopened crates. 158 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:30,200 Their contents could reveal the location of the long lost amber room and finally solve one of the greatest mysteries of World War II. 159 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:48,200 It's 2020 and the picturesque beaches of Vancouver, Canada are about to become the setting of a series of shocking discoveries. 160 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:55,200 Over the course of just a few months, the remains of several sea lions are found. 161 00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:01,200 All their heads are missing, removed and separated from the rest of the body. 162 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:07,200 Whatever is behind these brutal attacks remains at large. 163 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:14,200 But can the growing list of suspects help solve these bizarre animal mutilations? 164 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,200 CTV News, Vancouver Island Report. 165 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:24,200 Good evening, thanks for being here. A stellar sea lion has washed up on a beach near Campbell River without its head. 166 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:32,200 The recent reports of these grisly remains have gripped the local population. 167 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,200 But it isn't the first time this has happened. 168 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:46,200 Over the past ten years, countless other headless sea lions have been found, dotted at different locations around the Vancouver area. 169 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:57,200 I cannot imagine the horror that must have been experienced to come upon a sea lion that has been decapitated on the beach. 170 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,200 Are all these deaths connected? Is there a sea lion serial killer on the loose? 171 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:10,200 More worrying still, whatever is happening to these sea lions appears to be spreading. 172 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:16,200 And several seals have been found in a similar state. 173 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,200 I'm no stranger to unexplained animal attacks. 174 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:31,200 And I've spent many years on the trail of unknown pillars that lurk beneath the surface. 175 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:42,200 So far, this case has defied explanation. So I'm eager to hear first-hand evidence for myself. 176 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:53,200 In 2016, Vancouver resident Dave Stewart is walking his dog on a local beach. 177 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,200 I'm back to it. I just found this on the beach. 178 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:07,200 The seal's head has been completely sheared off, completely taken off. 179 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:15,200 It almost looks faking away, but this is a real seal. 180 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:26,200 I've never seen anything like this ever. It was fresh, like sushi. Blood was coming out of the neck, dripping out fresh. You can see this in the video. 181 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,200 Dave, are there any signs of what might have done this? 182 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:38,200 You can see really nothing disturbed in the sand, certainly not around the seal itself of drag marks or anything. It was just sitting there like it had been placed. 183 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,200 And can you tell me any details about the wounds around the neck? 184 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:53,200 So it was something, in my opinion, that did this deliberately. Not only does it look like it's been sliced, but in one section it looks like it's been gnawed at. 185 00:18:54,200 --> 00:19:04,200 It seems the heads of these animals are being intentionally targeted and taken by something. Or someone. 186 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:14,200 Sea lions are huge animals. They can typically weigh over 2,500 pounds and they can range up to 12 feet in length. 187 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:19,200 They're on many other animals which can take them out. 188 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:28,200 But there is one leading suspect. Some people think these attacks could be the work of a known killer. 189 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:51,200 When a series of decapitated sea lions are found on the beaches of Vancouver, Canada, the general public and law enforcement are equally baffled. 190 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:59,200 Could a ferocious predator known to frequent these waters be responsible for these strange animal deaths? 191 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:07,200 Killer whales, also known as orcas, frequently attack other kinds of marine mammals. 192 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:16,200 It's been documented that they catch sea lions and sea lion pups and play with them. 193 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:26,200 Literally, it looks like they're playing ocean volleyball. It could be forceful enough to cause literally a separation of some body parts. 194 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:33,200 But these highly intelligent hunters may have a more specific motive. 195 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:40,200 Killer whales will kill blue whales and fin whales and eat their tongues because they think they're tasting. 196 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:46,200 And some killer whale got the taste for sea lion heads. 197 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:53,200 But are killer whales really to blame or are they just an easy scapegoat? 198 00:20:54,200 --> 00:21:04,200 Well, killer whales are known to play with their food. There's no documented cases of killer whales actually ripping the heads off their sea lion prey. 199 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:20,200 The fact that these sea lions have simply been decapitated and none of their juicy blubber consumed leads me to think that it was not a natural predator such as sharks or killer whales. 200 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:28,200 With suspects thin on the ground, the case is in danger of going cold. 201 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:39,200 But several of the sea lion carcasses hold an easily overlooked clue. What appear to be gunshot wounds. 202 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:48,200 Fishermen have an uneasy relationship with sea lions because they're competing with these sea lions for the same fish stock. 203 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:55,200 In recent years, stocks of wild salmon have plummeted in the Vancouver area. 204 00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:03,200 The reasons why are complex, but an overpopulation of sea lions is sometimes blamed as the cause. 205 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:10,200 They eat a lot of fish, they have a habit of breaking nets. This can all make local fishermen very upset. 206 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:22,200 And there have been documented cases where some fishermen have injured shot taken out sea lions, which is really unfortunate. 207 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:31,200 But if some fishermen are shooting these sea lions, why would their heads also be missing? 208 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:38,200 They're protected, they should not be harmed. Harming a sea lion is breaking the law. 209 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:49,200 The penalty for harming a sea lion in Canada is a massive fine of half a million dollars or a potential two-year jail sentence. 210 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:58,200 Fishermen could be shooting the sea lion in the head and then decapitating it to remove evidence of the fact that they shot the sea lion. 211 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:05,200 If you cut off the head, you of course remove the evidence of it having been shot and you create a mystery. 212 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:20,200 With mounting evidence that humans are behind Vancouver's decapitated sea lions, this decade-long mystery might finally be solved. 213 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:30,200 And with citizens and law enforcement on high alert, hopefully it's only a matter of time before those responsible are brought to justice. 214 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:54,200 In 2015, scientists are mapping the bottom of Lake Constance, Switzerland, with state-of-the-art sonar scanners when they detect an unexpected anomaly. 215 00:23:55,200 --> 00:24:06,200 Beneath the surface, they find 170 large stone mounds that form an incredible unbroken chain running for six miles parallel to the shore. 216 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:18,200 No one knows who or what created this inexplicable formation of rocks, but can fresh scientific analysis shed new light on this megalithic mystery? 217 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:38,200 The discovery of this strange configuration of underwater rocks in Lake Constance is soon picked up by the European press, who dub it the Swiss Stonehenge. 218 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:46,200 These are very strange piles of stone. They're a hundred foot wide and five foot high. 219 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:53,200 Each pile is made up of thousands of individual large stones. 220 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:01,200 There are many, many of them and they stretch six miles around the coast. 221 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:15,200 When archaeologists are confronted with an anomaly, the first thing we ask ourselves is, is this a man-made structure or is this a natural formation? 222 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:27,200 So one reason for thinking these might just be natural arrangements of stone is that if you look at the total weight, you see 78,000 tons of rock. 223 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:33,200 If these stones had been put there by hand, then that would have taken an incredible effort. 224 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:40,200 What natural force could be capable of moving and assembling this formation? 225 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:48,200 Glaciers may appear static when you look at them from the outset, but they are in fact constantly moving. 226 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:58,200 As these huge walls of ice advance and retreat, they have the power to carve out valleys and move huge amounts of stone. 227 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:04,200 These stones can find themselves left behind when the glacier retreats. 228 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:13,200 Twenty thousand years ago, glaciers covered a vast area of the Alps, including present day Lake Constance. 229 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:19,200 So could the Swiss stone hinge have been formed by a glacier? 230 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:27,200 To put this theory to the test, the mapping team turn more high-tech equipment on the underwater stones. 231 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:36,200 Scientists use GPR or Ground Penetrating Radar to survey the site. 232 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,200 It gives them an idea of any structures that are below the surface. 233 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:47,200 The data it beams back reveals something totally unexpected. 234 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:57,200 The Swiss stone hinge sits well above the mineral deposits left by the retreating glacier, 235 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:05,200 meaning these stone mounds were placed here thousands of years later and are man-made. 236 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,200 What on earth are they? It's a real mystery. 237 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:21,200 When scientists discover that a strange formation of rocks beneath the surface of a lake in Switzerland is man-made, 238 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,200 it raises more questions than it answers. 239 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,200 78,000 tons of stone are involved. 240 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:35,200 If it was man-made, it would be a great idea to have a stone hinge. 241 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:42,200 In 2019, archaeologists returned to the site with the mission of unlocking its secrets. 242 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:51,200 If they find out when these structures were built, it might help reveal who made them and for what purpose. 243 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:57,200 The archaeologists have been working on the project for a long time. 244 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:04,200 If they find out when these structures were built, it might help reveal who made them and for what purpose. 245 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:13,200 The team dig trenches and take core samples around the rocks, which they date back at the lab. 246 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:20,200 It would appear as though these enigmatic stone piles were placed there over 5,000 years ago. 247 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:30,200 These stone platforms date to the Neolithic and they're actually older than stone hinge itself. 248 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:38,200 When we're talking about the Neolithic period, they're doing all sorts of weird and weird things. 249 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,200 We can see that across Europe. 250 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:50,200 But the underwater location of these stone-age structures makes them particularly unique and their purpose all the more puzzling. 251 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:59,200 Could the answer lie in the close proximity of the stone piles to the water's edge? 252 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:06,200 They do bear a striking resemblance to similar platforms in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and those platforms are village sites. 253 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:14,200 Known as crannogs, these artificial rock islands are believed to be the sites of ancient wooden houses. 254 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:20,200 This house was built on this lake, and it's a very old and old building. 255 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:27,200 But unlike the crannogs in Scotland, the Swiss mounds don't have any telltale signs of the bridges that would have been necessary to connect to dry land. 256 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,200 Their absence opens the door to an entirely different world. 257 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,200 The city of Scotland is a city of the world. 258 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,200 The city of Scotland is a city of the world. 259 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:56,580 The city ofirk focuses exclusively on building a city location, which requires a unambiguous, 260 00:29:56,580 --> 00:29:59,500 weren't built in water after all. 261 00:29:59,500 --> 00:30:01,500 Lake levels go up and down. 262 00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:05,540 And actually, we know that during the Neolithic period, 263 00:30:05,540 --> 00:30:09,660 the lake levels would have been much lower than they are today. 264 00:30:09,660 --> 00:30:13,740 So therefore, the stones could actually have been on dry land. 265 00:30:13,740 --> 00:30:15,900 If they were built on dry land, 266 00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:21,300 what purpose could these rounded stone circles have served? 267 00:30:21,300 --> 00:30:24,660 Researchers have long speculated that other ancient sites 268 00:30:24,700 --> 00:30:27,180 have a hidden celestial meaning. 269 00:30:29,540 --> 00:30:31,820 There's various arguments about the pyramids of Giza 270 00:30:31,820 --> 00:30:34,340 lining up with Orion, and of course, stonehenges, 271 00:30:34,340 --> 00:30:37,820 most famously associated with various stalemats. 272 00:30:37,820 --> 00:30:42,740 We know that Neolithic people were interested in the seasons 273 00:30:42,740 --> 00:30:44,820 and measuring these things. 274 00:30:44,820 --> 00:30:48,700 Could the Swiss stonehenge be some kind of stalemate 275 00:30:48,700 --> 00:30:50,700 or seasonal measuring tool? 276 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:55,260 Turns out this long line of underwater stones 277 00:30:55,260 --> 00:31:00,700 appears to line up with the sunrise and sunset on 21 June, 278 00:31:00,700 --> 00:31:05,260 which happens to be the longest day of the year. 279 00:31:17,060 --> 00:31:19,740 The stone formations discovered in Lake Constance 280 00:31:19,740 --> 00:31:22,740 are fascinating, and they remain a mystery. 281 00:31:22,740 --> 00:31:26,180 One theory states that they were designed to align 282 00:31:26,180 --> 00:31:28,420 to different solar phenomenon. 283 00:31:29,740 --> 00:31:33,740 The stone piles do seem to line up with the sunrise and sunset 284 00:31:33,740 --> 00:31:38,740 on 21 June, the northern hemisphere's summer solstice. 285 00:31:39,740 --> 00:31:42,740 Initial thoughts are, yes, these align. 286 00:31:42,740 --> 00:31:44,740 That's really exciting. We're seeing something. 287 00:31:44,740 --> 00:31:48,740 But actually, when they start serving, more and more of them. 288 00:31:48,740 --> 00:31:50,740 That pattern just disappears. 289 00:31:55,740 --> 00:32:00,740 So the Swiss stonehenge doesn't match with the stars. 290 00:32:00,740 --> 00:32:04,740 But that doesn't mean its purpose wasn't aimed at the heavens. 291 00:32:04,740 --> 00:32:07,740 In my opinion, the most likely explanation 292 00:32:07,740 --> 00:32:09,740 for these incredible stone piles 293 00:32:09,740 --> 00:32:12,740 is that there was some kind of monument 294 00:32:12,740 --> 00:32:15,740 to do with funerary rights or religion. 295 00:32:18,740 --> 00:32:22,740 Throughout our entire history, humans have built magnificent monuments 296 00:32:22,740 --> 00:32:26,740 to mark death and our passage to the afterlife. 297 00:32:27,740 --> 00:32:31,740 But how might the Swiss stonehenge have been used in this way? 298 00:32:31,740 --> 00:32:35,740 We see quite a few megalithic structures dating to the Neolithic, 299 00:32:35,740 --> 00:32:39,740 and some across this region as well, which act as tombs. 300 00:32:40,740 --> 00:32:45,740 But no bones or chambers have been found inside the stone piles. 301 00:32:45,740 --> 00:32:50,740 Could the remains of the dead have been placed on top of the rocks instead? 302 00:32:51,740 --> 00:32:54,740 They may have actually been some sort of burial platform. 303 00:32:56,740 --> 00:33:01,740 These mounds might have acted as altars for water burials, 304 00:33:01,740 --> 00:33:05,740 where bodies are placed on the rocks in shallow water 305 00:33:05,740 --> 00:33:09,740 and left to be decomposed by the lake. 306 00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:13,740 It's a very complicated scenario, and we need to investigate more, 307 00:33:13,740 --> 00:33:16,740 because ultimately, what this site is, is a mystery. 308 00:33:18,740 --> 00:33:22,740 So the true purpose of the Swiss stonehenge remains unknown, 309 00:33:22,740 --> 00:33:26,740 and some people believe we may never reveal its secrets. 310 00:33:26,740 --> 00:33:31,740 But similar searches of Switzerland's other alpine lakes are already taking place, 311 00:33:31,740 --> 00:33:34,740 and future discoveries may reveal more 312 00:33:34,740 --> 00:33:37,740 about this baffling underwater wonder. 313 00:33:44,740 --> 00:33:48,740 Each year, dozens of cargo ships crossing the world's oceans 314 00:33:48,740 --> 00:33:51,740 vanish for unknown reasons. 315 00:33:51,740 --> 00:33:55,740 Some of these vessels disappear so quickly they take all clues 316 00:33:55,740 --> 00:33:57,740 as to why they sank with them. 317 00:33:57,740 --> 00:34:01,740 But can a terrifying viral video shed new light 318 00:34:01,740 --> 00:34:06,740 on what's causing some ships to sink without trace? 319 00:34:07,740 --> 00:34:13,740 It's January 2021, and the MV Arvin is at anchor in the Black Sea, 320 00:34:13,740 --> 00:34:16,740 close to the northern coast of Turkey. 321 00:34:22,740 --> 00:34:27,740 As the cargo ship rides rough swells, disaster strikes. 322 00:34:28,740 --> 00:34:32,740 This must be a truly, truly terrifying experience, 323 00:34:32,740 --> 00:34:35,740 the crew are on a ship that's been torn in two. 324 00:34:39,740 --> 00:34:43,740 There was no warning signs, and that to me was just like, holy cow, 325 00:34:43,740 --> 00:34:45,740 people are going to die on this thing. 326 00:34:45,740 --> 00:34:48,740 I'm going to go and get a little bit of the crew. 327 00:34:48,740 --> 00:34:51,740 I'm going to get a little bit of the crew. 328 00:34:51,740 --> 00:34:54,740 I'm going to get a little bit of the crew. 329 00:34:55,740 --> 00:34:57,740 And to me was just like, holy cow, 330 00:34:57,740 --> 00:35:01,740 people are going to die on this thing. 331 00:35:04,740 --> 00:35:07,740 The ship sinks within a matter of minutes, 332 00:35:07,740 --> 00:35:10,740 disappearing beneath the waves in two pieces. 333 00:35:12,740 --> 00:35:15,740 Only six of its 12 crew managed to be safe, 334 00:35:15,740 --> 00:35:17,740 managed to escape. 335 00:35:19,740 --> 00:35:20,740 How in the heck can this happen? 336 00:35:20,740 --> 00:35:22,740 You know, if things made out of steel, 337 00:35:22,740 --> 00:35:25,860 you know, welded, it's put together. 338 00:35:25,860 --> 00:35:27,060 What would break a ship? 339 00:35:31,140 --> 00:35:34,020 The footage is chilling, but what causes 340 00:35:34,020 --> 00:35:37,980 this sudden and deadly disaster? 341 00:35:37,980 --> 00:35:40,300 We know how dangerous the Black Sea 342 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:43,060 can be at certain times of the year 343 00:35:43,060 --> 00:35:45,020 and with certain weather conditions. 344 00:35:48,260 --> 00:35:51,100 The strong winds that sweep across the region 345 00:35:51,100 --> 00:35:55,020 are capable of whipping up waves as high as 60 feet. 346 00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:05,420 But in rough seas, it's not just a huge single wave 347 00:36:05,420 --> 00:36:08,900 that can pose a threat to ships. 348 00:36:08,900 --> 00:36:13,100 As the ship travels through rough seas, 349 00:36:13,100 --> 00:36:15,740 you can get quite dynamic stress 350 00:36:15,740 --> 00:36:18,900 that's being applied to the ship's hull. 351 00:36:18,900 --> 00:36:21,700 The hull is actually bent here and there, 352 00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:22,980 depending on the power of the waves, 353 00:36:22,980 --> 00:36:24,980 depending on which way the waves are going. 354 00:36:27,780 --> 00:36:30,820 A particularly dangerous scenario can unfold 355 00:36:30,820 --> 00:36:32,740 when the front and back ends of the ship 356 00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:36,100 are riding two different waves, 357 00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:39,300 leaving the weight at the centre of the ships unsupported. 358 00:36:43,300 --> 00:36:46,380 This phenomenon is known as sagging, 359 00:36:46,380 --> 00:36:48,060 and in severe weather conditions, 360 00:36:48,060 --> 00:36:53,100 it's been known to seriously damage or even sink ships. 361 00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:55,860 The question is, are the wave conditions alone 362 00:36:55,860 --> 00:37:00,740 enough to explain why the MVRVN broken to? 363 00:37:00,740 --> 00:37:02,540 On the day it snaps in half, 364 00:37:02,540 --> 00:37:05,460 the RVN is experiencing choppy conditions, 365 00:37:05,460 --> 00:37:08,300 but it's nothing out of the ordinary for the Black Sea. 366 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:12,460 This puts stress on the hull, but the ship's designed to take it. 367 00:37:12,460 --> 00:37:15,020 Ships only get pushed beyond these limits 368 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:17,020 in the most extreme weather. 369 00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:20,300 Which has led some people to believe 370 00:37:20,300 --> 00:37:23,620 there could be more going on than meets the eye. 371 00:37:23,620 --> 00:37:26,580 Did something below deck cause this disaster? 372 00:37:38,780 --> 00:37:42,460 When a cargo ship snaps in two in the Black Sea 373 00:37:42,460 --> 00:37:45,140 and sinks in a matter of minutes, 374 00:37:45,180 --> 00:37:48,260 people look to the rough seas for an explanation. 375 00:37:51,140 --> 00:37:54,220 But could the true cause of this maritime disaster 376 00:37:54,220 --> 00:37:57,820 lie below deck in the belly of the ship? 377 00:38:01,540 --> 00:38:04,340 The contents of the ship, the cargo, 378 00:38:04,340 --> 00:38:06,660 and how it's been stowed, 379 00:38:06,660 --> 00:38:09,340 and the weight of the cargo, of course, as well, 380 00:38:09,340 --> 00:38:11,540 is also really important. 381 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:17,100 Is this ship transporting anything dangerous in its hold? 382 00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:21,540 The MVRVN is carrying urea, which is a granular substance, 383 00:38:21,540 --> 00:38:24,140 and it's not normally considered hazardous. 384 00:38:25,700 --> 00:38:29,700 Urea is an inert and non-flammable product, 385 00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:31,700 often used as fertilizer. 386 00:38:33,540 --> 00:38:36,980 But even supposedly safe cargos like this 387 00:38:36,980 --> 00:38:40,340 can turn deadly in the wrong conditions. 388 00:38:41,980 --> 00:38:43,820 When cargo ships are loaded, 389 00:38:43,820 --> 00:38:46,740 the weight needs to be distributed evenly. 390 00:38:48,620 --> 00:38:53,340 An unbalanced ship can list or tilt dangerously once at sea. 391 00:38:54,540 --> 00:38:58,940 And in worst-case scenarios, it can even capsize. 392 00:39:04,740 --> 00:39:09,740 But could an unstable cargo hold the power to rip a ship in two? 393 00:39:10,740 --> 00:39:12,620 Unlike container ships, 394 00:39:12,620 --> 00:39:16,220 which can have thousands of separate metal boxes, 395 00:39:16,220 --> 00:39:19,020 the RVN is a bulk carrier. 396 00:39:19,020 --> 00:39:24,020 The MVRVN had four separate holes to put their cargo in, 397 00:39:24,020 --> 00:39:26,220 and it's dry, bulk cargo. 398 00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:30,860 Huge loose loads, such as grain or sand, 399 00:39:30,860 --> 00:39:33,140 are poured directly into the ship. 400 00:39:33,140 --> 00:39:37,140 A rare, poorly understood phenomenon can strike at sea 401 00:39:37,140 --> 00:39:41,620 that instantly transforms these safe, dry heaps of material 402 00:39:41,620 --> 00:39:44,620 into a deadly ship-sinking force. 403 00:39:45,620 --> 00:39:50,620 If liquid or water is introduced into a dry-bulk cargo, 404 00:39:50,620 --> 00:39:53,140 it can become semi-liquified, 405 00:39:53,140 --> 00:39:56,820 basically turn into a mushy jelly or pudding, 406 00:39:56,820 --> 00:39:59,620 and start sliding around. 407 00:40:00,620 --> 00:40:03,300 This is known as liquefaction. 408 00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:10,900 If small, coarse substances like sand contain moisture, 409 00:40:10,900 --> 00:40:13,100 with enough disturbance or vibration, 410 00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:15,500 the molecules can become energized 411 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:17,500 and instantly change state. 412 00:40:20,100 --> 00:40:25,100 For ships at sea, this can lead to devastating consequences. 413 00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:27,860 The liquefied cargo is a very large, 414 00:40:28,340 --> 00:40:31,860 the liquefied cargo can then move around freely 415 00:40:31,860 --> 00:40:33,220 within the hulls of the ship, 416 00:40:33,220 --> 00:40:37,220 which can wreak havoc with the ship's weight distribution. 417 00:40:38,900 --> 00:40:42,500 Does the RVN's cargo turn to liquid 418 00:40:42,500 --> 00:40:47,100 and slosh dangerously around inside the ship, 419 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:51,100 causing a weight overload that snaps the vessel clean in too? 420 00:40:52,100 --> 00:40:54,100 For this to be the case, 421 00:40:54,100 --> 00:40:59,100 moisture must have found a way into its watertight cargo hulls. 422 00:40:59,100 --> 00:41:01,100 That vessel was old. 423 00:41:01,100 --> 00:41:03,100 It was almost 50 years old. 424 00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:06,100 They actually did an inspection on it, 425 00:41:06,100 --> 00:41:09,100 and they were complaining about the rust on the deck, 426 00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:11,100 the poor maintenance of the vessel. 427 00:41:13,100 --> 00:41:17,100 Did water seep through the RVN's rusty bulkheads 428 00:41:17,100 --> 00:41:19,100 and the water was completely dry? 429 00:41:21,100 --> 00:41:23,100 Did the cargo turn to liquid? 430 00:41:23,100 --> 00:41:26,100 Did the cargo sink into the cargo holds 431 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:28,100 and help trigger this disaster? 432 00:41:30,100 --> 00:41:32,100 This vessel, being as old as it was, 433 00:41:32,100 --> 00:41:34,100 I think had something to do with it. 434 00:41:35,100 --> 00:41:38,100 The footage captured on the MV RVN 435 00:41:38,100 --> 00:41:41,100 provides a rare chilling glimpse 436 00:41:41,100 --> 00:41:45,100 of the final moments onboard a doomed ship. 437 00:41:45,100 --> 00:41:48,100 Cargo liquefaction could have played a key role 438 00:41:48,100 --> 00:41:53,660 10 cargo ships a year could be lost due to this poorly understood phenomenon. 439 00:41:53,660 --> 00:41:58,820 Footage like this is helping scientists and shipbuilders better understand its causes 440 00:41:58,820 --> 00:42:05,220 and consequences, and their urgent work could help prevent more disasters in the future.