Animal Planet Features Three-Part Coral Triangle Documentary in its “Wild Deep” Series

Animal Planet’s “Wild Deep” series has begun featuring a three-part documentary that highlights the unique marine and coastal resources in the Coral Triangle.

Simply called “The Coral Triangle,” the landmark series aims to unlock the hidden secrets of the Ocean’s Amazon – a six million kilometer square area spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands that is considered to be the global epicenter of marine biodiversity.

The series shows never-before seen footages under the Coral Triangle’s waters, highlights newly-discovered marine species and showcases the people whose livelihoods are dependent on the region’s rich marine resources. According to Animal Planet, the documentary also “uncovers why the region holds a vital key to the future of the world’s oceans and human sustainability.”

One of the experts featured in the documentary is 78-year-old Valerie Taylor, a renowned Australian underwater photographer and explorer who began filming the Coral Triangle’s underwater riches in 1973. In the film, she talks about how exceptional the Coral Triangle is and the challenges it is facing today such as overfishing and pollution. “I realized that it was an exceptional place. It’s the centre of all marine life in the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean,” she says. “I felt that it should be protected, and its integrity should be maintained. It’s a gift from Nature and we should take care of it.

The documentary airs in Southeast Asia every Tuesday at 9 p.m beginning January 15, 2014 and has replays every Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m.