It is four days on the open ocean and hunts sea snakes off the coast of Pilbara – without AntiVenom on board.
This week on Dr. Ann’s Secret Lives A team of fearless scientists on a daring expedition of the Pilbara Coast Study Sea Slakes.
Dr. Ann Jones joins a team of fearless scientists on a daring expedition to study one of the most mysterious and deadly predators in Australia: Sea Snakes. Their mission is to find, catch and study as many copies as possible. The challenge? Four days on the open ocean, 30 kilometers before the Pilbara -coast of West -Australia -without Antivvenom on board.
Very snakes can be the most cryptic beings in the country. With more questions than answers, they largely remain a scientific enigma. Professor Kate Sanders from the University of Adelaide is determined to change that. These snakes have evolved to live completely at sea, with amazing adjustments to match: paddle -like tails for swimming, the ability to dive 200 meters deep and lungs so efficiently that they can stay under water for up to two hours.
For Ann, it is her most difficult challenge so far when she trains to become a snake handler – no walk in the park if the animals are very toxic. While darkness falls, the team highlights the water surface, looking for snakes that come up to breathe. One by one they are brought on board for testing and tagging. During the day the research vessel changes into a floating operating room, where tags are surgically implanted to follow the movements of the animals. Where are they going? How far do they travel? How deep do they dive?
When rough seas enter and seasickness hits the crew, Ann steps up to collect vital data. With every snake investigated, the team comes closer to the unlock of this incorrectly understood ocean reptiles – and they understand why their future is worth protecting.
8:30 pm Tuesday at ABC.
#Anns #Secret #Lives #July #tonight