South Africa – News24 – Descending: Adventure into the unknown
Published on Tuesday, August 20th, 2013, under Media
Descending: adventure into the unknown
A new series entitle Descending is to be broadcast in more that 130 countries in 22 languages worldwide – starting this Wednesday 21 August on Dstv Travel Channel 179 at 8pm.
In the 13 part series of 60 minutes each, the presenters and film crew set out to not just dive our oceans, lakes and rivers, but to discover the stories of human triumph and tragedy associated with the water, and see with their own eyes the health of our water planet.
This global adventure, hosted by Scott Wilson and Ellis Emmett, together with cinematographer Andre Dupuis, pushes the boundaries of existing digital camera technology to capture some of the most incredible underwater footage ever created.
Each episode features a new setting, stunning environments and fascinating cultures from South Africa’s own backyard to some of the planet’s most remote destinations. In South Africa they face their fears and braved some of the most notorious shark-filled waters in the world during an episode entitled ‘The Big Six’.
Get ready to dive in and enter our competition to win a Shark Cage Diving experience worth R25 000 – includes Shark Cage dive for two with Marine Dynamics, Whale Watching Eco Safari for two with Dyer Island Cruises, two-night stay at the Great White House Chalet for two, all meals, transport to and from Gansbaai from anywhere in South Africa and R1 000 ‘pocket money’.
What you can look forward to during the series
E101: “The Rest of the Map”
Seasoned travellers Scott Wilson and Andre Dupuis begin a new journey descending into the world beneath the waves. They travel to New Zealand to recruit friend and fellow explorer Ellis Emmett for the adventure. But equipment challenges and harsh weather impede the team’s first dives.
E102: “The Poor Knights”
Scott and Ellis cross New Zealand’s North Island to board a sunken cruise ship, push their limits in a cave dive, and are awestruck by the vibrant and healthy marine reserve at the Poor Knights Islands.
E103: “The Sea Less Travelled”
The team ventures to Djibouti to swim with the world’s largest fish – the whale shark – but must then overcome frustrating travel challenges to get to Sudan and dive Cousteau’s Conshelf II and a WWII wreck with a deadly cargo.
E104: “The Emerald Sea”
Scott brings Ellis and the Descending team home to Canada for some cold-water diving off Vancouver Island. Scott and Ellis make friends with some questionable creatures and then pilot a jet at 80ft below the surface. Above the water, the team is put to work preparing a ship for scuttling.
E105: “The Dive God”
While island-hopping in the Caribbean, Scott and Ellis meet the ‘Dive God’. But there is trouble in paradise as the team learns of a poisonous, invasive species that threatens these beautiful blue waters.
E106: “The Deep”
Continuing their Caribbean island hopping, the Descending team contemplates underwater art in Grenada, comes face to face with the ocean’s largest carnivore in Dominica, and then goes deeper (1000+ ft!) than they ever have before.
E107: “The Big Six”
Scott and Ellis visit South Africa to face their fears and brave some of the most notorious shark-filled waters in the world. Disaster strikes on what should have been an easy shipwreck dive.
E108: “The Hunt for the Red Devil”
Scott and Ellis are in Los Angeles to see if vibrant marine life can exist off the highly developed coast of Southern California. After meeting up with a pair of eco-warriors, the team scours the Sea of Cortez in search of the elusive and fearsome “diablos rojos”.
E109: “The Smoking Earth”
Facing frigid waters, the Descending team travels to Iceland to witness the newest part of our planet being formed. Scott and Ellis touch two continents at once in some of the world’s clearest water and attempt to dive where no one has gone before.
E110: “The Ghosts of the Pacific”
History fanatic Scott talks Ellis into diving the shark-infested waters off the coast of the Solomon Islands. This tiny South Pacific nation played a strategic role during WWII and she still has the scars…and wrecks…to prove it.
E111: “The Great Lakes”
For centuries, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes have shaped the story of Canada. The team takes a trip through history and visits the world’s best collection of freshwater shipwrecks to discover what makes this water so great.
E112: “The Four Kings”
In Indonesia, Scott and Ellis experience Raja Ampat – a reserve rich in beauty, diversity and culture. Ellis befriends a local Papuan who teaches him to fish like a local and the divers have a close encounter with Giant Manta Rays.
E113: “The Underworld”
Following a terrifying accident, the team’s confidence is shaken.In Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, the mission is to film as many strange creatures as they can find. The team concludes their year-long journey on the remote island of Vanuatu to dive one of the greatest shipwrecks in the world and reflect on their underwater adventures.
