"Many dolphins leap and perform somersaults." "But there is a unique species that makes a habit out of spinning." "Is spinning just for fun?" "Or could it be something essential to the survival of Spinner Dolphins." "Nomads of the sea, spinner dolphins are found in all the world's... tropical and subtropical oceans." "Most of them live their entire lives far offshore." "But there is a place in the Atlantic Ocean... where spinner dolphins regularly call." "345 kilometers off the coast of the Brazilian mainland... the islands of Fernando de Noronha are an oasis for ocean travellers." "Some, like this hawksbill turtle, visit the rich volcanic reefs... to rest and feed." "Along with the resident species... they form an outstanding underwater community." "So special is this refuge... that it 's been declared a World Heritage Site." "And Fernando de Noronha is most famous of all... for an exceptional place in the south-west, the Bay of Dolphins." "It 's the only bay in the Atlantic spinner dolphins are known to visit... on a routine basis." "Most mornings, groups of spinner dolphins arrive here... as their kind has done for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years." "Monitoring the activities of the dolphins... is Brazilian scientist Jose Martins Junior." "He and team of dedicated scientists at Project Spinner Dolphin... are endeavoring to understand how the dolphins use the bay." "Most of spinner dolphins could live all their lives in the ocean." "When they approach the oceanic islands like Fernando de Noronha... we have a unique opportunity to study their most intimate behavior... like resting, mating and suckling." "Sometimes schools of several hundred dolphins arrive at once... other mornings smaller groups drift in." "After their missions to offshore feeding grounds... they use the sheltered bay to rest and socialize." "The Bay of Dolphins is so important for these dolphins... that the Brazilian government has placed it under strict protection... excluding all human activities except for scientific research." "To make sense of how spinner dolphins use the bay..." "Jose Martins needs to observe them at close range." "After 12 years of research Jose's collected thousands of photographs." "He's been able to distinguish hundreds of individuals... but it 's a slow and laborious process." "He's come to realize that the groups change on a daily basis... and are seldom made up of the same individuals... on consecutive days." "The fluid nature of spinner dolphin society... makes it particularly challenging to know the size of the population... that visits the bay." "Over the next few months, Jose will be helped by specialist... underwater cameraman, Lawrence Wahba." "Lawrence will attempt to get footage and sounds... of the dolphins' most intimate behavior." "But first, he has to keep up with them." "Despite water being a thousand times more dense than air... spinner dolphins make swimming look effortless." "Their swimming efficiency has a lot to do with hydrodynamic body-shape." "Like all mammals, dolphins have a bony skeleton... then layers of muscles, connective tissue and nerves." "But over the top is a layer of blubber... this varies in thickness along the body and smoothes out the contours." "The secret of this streamlining... is a thin layer of water that is held onto to the skin." "As the dolphin moves through water, boundary layer minimizes the wake... almost eliminating drag." "It 's this drag-reduction that helps spinner dolphins... build up sufficient speed to execute their spectacular spins." "But why do they do it?" "Is there a hidden message in these displays of seemingly sheer joy?" "Several million years ago, a submarine volcano erupted... off the coast of Brazil, forming the islands of Fernando de Noronha." "Discovered by Portuguese sailors in the year 1503... the archipelago was claimed by Portugal... but suffered several invasions due to its strategic value." "For a much longer time, these isolated islands... have also played a strategic role for spinner dolphins." "When the first Europeans arrived, they wrote of their presence... and accounts from a brief French occupation in 1736... named the archipelago Isle Dauphine, "Island of Dolphins"." "For most of its history Fernando de Noronha was uninhabited... but the rusting canons and crumbling forts are reminders of its role... as a defensive outpost and prison island... which continued right into the early 20th century." "It 's now very different here." "A permanent community was established... and today there are around 3,OOO residents." "Supplies come from the mainland and they fish the abundant waters." "Traditional fishing boats still head out... but now there's a new more lucrative catch." "A booming tourist industry attracts 60.000 visitors each year." "They come to experience the clear waters and see the spinner dolphins." "At first tourism grew rather haphazardly... and proposals for major developments threatened dolphins and their bay." "But both were protected with the establishment in 1987... of a National Marine Park." "Dolphin watching is now a highly regulated activity... and tourist boats are prohibited from entering the bay." "The dolphins come here seeking safety." "The open ocean is a realm without boundaries... a place where predators can approach from all sides." "Filming inside the bay, Lawrence Wahba found a female... who had recently survived a severe shark bite." "She was probably defending her newborn calf." "He shows his footage to Jose Martins and another scientist... and friend Ricardo Garla." "Jose is able to recognize dolphin from a mark on the dorsal fin." "It 's female 149." "They discuss what kind of shark could have caused the wound." "Garla is researching Caribbean reef sharks around the island... and he's pretty certain it's not the bite from this species." "What probably happened was an attack of a bigger shark... that lives far from the coast, like a Tiger Shark or a Hammerhead." "Garla has found that Fernando de Noronha is also a sanctuary... for Caribbean reef sharks." "The juveniles hang out in shallow waters around the archipelago." "Here they can find shelter from predators... and plenty of food." "These sharks target reef fish in the main." "But the big adults can also kill large prey... and are potentially dangerous to young or sick dolphins." "To determine migration patterns, Garla is capturing... and tagging sharks." "After measuring and tagging, he implants internal transmitters." "They will send signals to receivers distributed around the islands... giving new information about the movements of these animals." "Early results indicate they're a resident population." "Perhaps their presence influences the behavior of spinner dolphins." "After hunting on the high seas, the Bay of Dolphins is a sheltered haven." "When they get here, the dolphins form groups... and some descend into a state of rest." "They rise... and fall." "This may be the closest they get to a cozy night sleep." "When they come to the surface for air, they need to be conscious... to sense exactly when the blowhole can be opened." "Blowing and inhalation must take place in less than a second." "Powerful muscles seal the blowhole... and prevent water entering the nasal passages." "Dolphins can never fully go to sleep." "In this state of semi-sleep they are less alert... and more vulnerable to predators." "It 's likely that part of their brain switches off... and they rely more on their eyesight." "Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads... and they can see what 's approaching from behind." "At the Bay of Dolphins the shallow clear waters improve the chances... of spotting potential dangers." "Moving together they can keep a watch in all directions." "While some groups are resting, others are active." "And that activity includes plenty of spinning." "Over the course of the day, the dolphins divide into subgroups." "Mothers and calves have strongest bonds and tend to gather together... surrounded by other adults." "This female will nurse her youngster for up to 2 years... and won't breed again until it is ready to fend for itself." "Calves will spend time with different baby-sitters, and so... learn the art of living as part of an open community." "But being smaller, how do calves keep up with the pod?" "They often swim near the mother's shoulder in the slipstream." "This helps save precious energy." "But dolphins are born to swim." "Descended from land mammals... they have evolved into some of the fastest creatures in the sea..." "And dolphins have come up with a different propulsion system to fish... which move their bodies from side to side." "Reef Sharks swim in this way." "By moving its head from side to side... it sends waves of increasing intensity down its body to the tail." "Tail movement propels cold-blooded predator through the water." "Dolphins move by flexing the back third of the body... up and down." "Inside a dolphin's tail is a sheath... of connective tissue and blubber." "This appears to act like a spring." "As the muscles contract, the sheath compresses and stores energy." "When released the stored energy is converted into thrust." "This means dolphins get more power for less energy." "The thrust is so powerful that they can push... their bodies weighing up to 75 kg up to 3 meters into the air." "When Jose isn't studying dolphins, he likes to take time out surfing." "And he sees a lot of similarities between surfing and spinning." "Both cases, get initial propulsion from pushing against the water." "And are propelled into the air where experience release from resistance." "Like surfing, spinning is highly acrobatic and energetic." "But just how do they do it?" "A spin must begin underwater." "But there's a twist." "Water provides resistance for tail push against and increase momentum." "Once up to speed, the dolphin can alter the angle of its flippers... defining the direction of the rotation." "The shift of the flippers pushes against the water... initiating the spinning movement." "As the dolphin clears the water, it encounters virtually no resistance... and spins faster in the air." "Spinner dolphins complete as many as 7 revolutions in a single jump." "But there is more than one kind of leap." "Spinner dolphins perform a great variety of aerial man oeuvres." "There are leaps... spins... and somersaults." "They can control these acrobatics with fine muscle movements." "Some somersaults go tail over head." "Others go tail over head with a spin." "The repertoire also includes head slaps." "And percussive tail slaps." "Why do they make such an extraordinary range of movements?" "Each aerial activity ends with a different landing." "This dolphin lands on its back." "But it can land on its side..." "Head first... or belly flop style." "For humans, there is a variety of leaps and spins above the water." "But swimming underwater, dolphins don't see things as we do." "For them the splash-landing and bubble clouds... could be far more significant than the in-flight twists and turns." "Could each splash mark hold a secret meaning for the dolphins?" "In Spinner dolphin society group membership is constantly changing." "Socializing seems to involve making new friends... and rekindling old associations." "Tactile communication is very important." "Using their fins to stroke one another... they swim along face to face, touching flippers." "A lot of these activities look like flirtations... but they may use these exaggerated body movements to convey messages." "Caressing may help cement bonds in these temporary groups." "Jose Martins' studies show that there is a lot of mating activity... in the Bay of Dolphins." "Swimming upside down with his belly up... is an invitation from a male to sexual contact." "As is a beak propelled into the genital region of the female." "The female reduces speed to accept." "Mating is rapid." "And a number of mature males take turns mating with receptive female." "This means fatherhood is uncertain, and encourage males to share in... the responsibility for the protection of the calves." "Dolphins aren't the only ones that come here to reproduce." "Remoras are oceanic fish that take a free ride on the dolphins... and feed on their scraps." "Because of spinner dolphins' social nature... suckerfish get more opportunities to find a mate." "Professor Ivan Sazima and daughter Cristina are marine biologists... from the University of Campinas in southeast Brazil." "Come to Bay to study relationship between dolphins and fish." "Since the dolphins are not always comfortable with them... they may spin to dislodge them." "We have noticed during our study that several jumps are related... to the dislodging of the suckerfish from a place close to the blowhole... the chin or the eyes." "He jumps with the suckerfish and when it 's back in the water... the suckerfish is in a less annoying place." "This may in part answer why spinner dolphins spin... but it can not be the entire explanation." "Many spin, whether or not they carry a suckerfish." "Triggerfish have a special relationship with spinner dolphins... and they concentrate in big numbers here." "After a night of feeding dolphins' stomachs are often completely full." "One appears to be in discomfort." "It drinks salt water... and then vomits." "This is a welcome treat for the Triggerfish." "But there's something else they are waiting for:" "Faeces." "Triggerfish feed on the excrement of the dolphins in the bay... it 's a valuable addition to their diet." "Just beyond the Bay lies the Ipiranga." "It's a naval corvette." "Ran aground and sank on Sapata Rocks in 1983." "No one died, and some of the crew's belongings are still intact." "Nowadays a 100-kilogram jewfish is captain of this boat." "Here it can find all the supplies it requires." "As a fighting ship, the Ipiranga relied on man-made electronic... navigation and communication systems." "But swimming around its decks... are marine animals that have been in possession of advanced... communication and detection systems for far longer." "Eagle spotted stingrays have a sixth sense with a special organ... the ampullae of Lorenzini, they can sense the electric field produced... by creatures buried under the sand." "The use of electric and vibration detection by sharks and rays... is unparalleled in the animal kingdom." "If dolphins have one ability that sets them apart from all creatures... it 's their particular kind of communication with sound." "They have directional hearing and can detect very high frequencies." "Sound emission and reception take place in the communication center... inside the dolphin's head." "Sound is received though the jaw, with a fat-filled cavity... in the lower jawbone." "Fats have a similar density to seawater... and this assists the transfer of sound waves." "Hearing best from straight-ahead... they can use both the inside and outside the jaw." "Noises travel four times faster in water than in air... and over much greater distances." "So for dolphins... sound is the perfect communication system." "But there is one further element that dolphins probably rely on most... to navigate and detect predators and prey:" "Sonic echolocation." "Echolocation signals are produced in the nasal system." "Sonic waves exit via the melon... a large oil-filled cavity in the dolphin's forehead." "Bouncing off an object, the echoes are reflected back to the jaw." "Listening to these echoes, dolphins interpret information... about target's location... size, shape and even what it is made of." "These echolocation abilities outperform... any man-made sonar." "This skill is employed by what Jose Matins calls "defenders"... adult males that he's observed patrolling the Bay of Dolphins." "A general scan quickly identifies a harmless hawksbill turtle." "Then the sonic scan detects something else." "A Caribbean reef shark has entered the bay." "The guard males react together, adopting a threatening posture." "The arched back and hump form an S-shaped body position... this resembles the threat display of a reef shark." "And the shark seems to get the message." "The bay is safe again... but soon it will be time for the dolphins to leave." "Jose believes dolphins communicate with each other to co-ordinate... their exit, by using a range of aerial activities." "His observations have helped him form some ideas about the role... of specific spins and leaps." "Tail slaps seem to be involved in forming new groups." "Horizontal spinning is associated with a group travelling at speed." "And smaller landings with the belly or flippers hitting the water... often relate to small slow moving groups." "Spinner schools are always changing, and have no true leaders... so the decision to leave may be made collectively." "It looks as if they are using spinning to organise themselves." "A large group of dolphins is gathering... but it can take several hours before they are ready to leave." "If aerial activities are important for organizing departure from bay... could they also be important for coordinating hunting missions?" "To find out, José and Lawrence join a fishing boat... to search for the dolphins out at the sea." "Trying to observe spinning behavior beyond the bay is a long shot... but anything they witness could be a break-through." "On the way out, the fishermen catch sardines to use as live bait." "The boobies have found the sardines too." "Later that afternoon, the dolphins finally leave the bay." "The school must pass through boatloads of tourists... who wait outside the bay to see this daily spectacle." "Some of the dolphins swim in the bow wave of the boats." "It looks like fun, but Jose thinks it could be more than a game." "His research has shown that around 90% of bow-riding dolphins... are adult males." "Bow-riding attracts the attention while the rest safely leave the bay." "It 's an effective strategy." "Jose and Lawrence try to keep up with a group of dolphins... they could feed anywhere within a 500 km radius... and finding them would be nearly impossible." "But eventually they disappear." "Rather than give up, the crew decides to search for... large aggregations of fish that often attract the dolphins." "On these wooden trawlers they don't use latest fish-finding technology... but nature's fish-finders are just as effective." "The birds follow the same prey, but there are no dolphins this time." "The skipper says that spinners feed on a particular fishing ground... at sunset." "While waiting they throw in some lines." "Suddenly they spot a dark shadow." "Lawrence gets in the water... but it 's only a manta ray." "After many hours of waiting, and no dolphins... the crew heads back to harbour, disappointed." "When a storm gathers, the boats stay at anchor." "Having made several attempts, Jose and Lawrence realise... chances of seeing dolphins hunting at night are quickly running out." "Lawrence's time at Fernando de Noronha is almost up for this year." "So, they decide to concentrate final efforts back in the Bay of Dolphins." "Whatever the weather, groups of spinner dolphins turn up at the bay." "For Jose and Lawrence Wahba each day brings the possibility of new." "They spend as much time as they can record the action in the bay." "Some dolphins are regular visitors... but there are always individuals that Jose has not seen before." "To learn more about this population, Jose's main challenge... is to catalogue as many individuals as possible." "Natural marks help him with identification... and round scars made by cookie cutter shark bites are common." "Some dolphins have congenital marks... like this juvenile nicknamed "beaky" due to a deformed beak." "They spot female 149 with her growing calf." "Her wound has now healed." "She's become one of the most easily recognizable dolphins... what nearly killed her in the past is now a badge of survival." "The Bay of Dolphins is one of the few places in the world... where researchers can get close to wild spinner dolphins." "While Jose is studying dolphins, Lawrence gets the feeling... that they are studying him." "This behavior is associated with attracting attention of the group." "Could it be signaling to a human?" "During his last days here, Lawrence feels he is being accepted... by the pod and manages to record some amazing behavior." "Like this game they play with seaweed." "It 's a striking example of their echolocation... visual and coordination skills." "They can play it alone or pass the seaweed to one another." "It seems so ritualized... it might hold a deeper meaning than we are able to fathom." "Games like this are a form of social learning... and require cognitive abilities that are rare among animals." "This sophisticated society has developed a complex... communication repertoire, and scientists around the world believe... that spinning plays a key role." "Each time they re-enter the water we observe a specific splash." "Air bubbles enter the water column." "For us it 's just a white splash." "But the dolphins see a pattern as we see a radar screen." "And for each kind of jump they may see a different screen... and understand the code." "A sound-code that they "see" in the splash-landings... and associated bubble-prints." "It 's a revolutionary theory, but it 's a big step... towards revealing the secrets of spinner dolphins." ""Spinner Dolphins" is a joint production of Canal Azul..." "NHNZ, the largest independent documentary studio in the world... 20th Century Fox and National Geographic Channel." "It was shown all over the world on the National Geographic Channel." "It won the world's top underwater film festival at Antibes, France." "I've always dreamed of someday entering a film in that festival... maybe even get to its finals... but I'm not lying when I say the award took me by surprise... because the competition was of the highest possible level:" "The London BBC, Jean-Michel Costeau, Nicolas Hulot..." "I think the jury noticed the concern we had... recording scenes never before seen in that population of dolphins... in Fernando de Noronha." "It's the first film about the communication system... and the reason for the spinner dolphins' leaps." "That, I think... had a major influence on the jury's decision." "It was directed jointly by Lawrence Wahba and myself... and since Lawrence is an underwater cinematographer... he was responsible for capturing images and directing... all of the underwater sequences in the documentary." "I was responsible for directing the so-called dry sequences... those that weren't made underwater." "So we could capture their most intimate behavior... we had to become quote-unquote invisible... therefore, it was a process of gaining the animals' confidence... and it increased over the weeks... we spent in Fernando de Noronha." "I mean, in the beginning it was very hard to film young dolphins." "Females put themselves between me and their young to protect them... but over time, we started gaining the group's confidence... until there were moments when the young ones were around my camera... very near me, and females stayed 40, 50 feet away, just watching." "Of all the sequences we shot, two were extremely difficult." "One was when the dolphins chase a shark away from the bay." "That's a very rare behavior." "We saw some small sharks, but it was very difficult... because both shark and dolphin swim very fast." "The other scene that I found very difficult... although it's a very short one, is the nursing scene." "That's a very intimate behavior, and I felt that sometimes... there were young ones being fed, but when I came closer... it was like the mother gave a signal so they'd stop feeding... and they'd swim away in high speed." "We had a very competent Brazilian crew on this documentary..." "Rodrigo, who directed with me, our two Brazilian cinematographers..." "Alessandro and Luiz... but without doubt, the presence of Paul Donovan... and Ed Jowett, from New Zealand, on our documentary... added a lot of value due to the experience they have... of 25, 30 years making nature documentaries." "Paul's considered one of the world's top wildlife cinematographers." "He brought his Super 16 equipment, with an incredible lens... and he spent 15 days... just shooting the leap sequences, which were fundamental." "When you come and visit, you can use binoculars to look... but hopefully our lenses, our underwater camera... and slow motion, these techniques are going to take you closer... than you've ever been, so hopefully the audiences around the world... are going to see detail that you wouldn't see... by just standing here watching them with binoculars." "Ed did second underwater camera." "The few scenes where I appear with the dolphins were shot by him." "And he also brought along all of his know-how about microcâmera... which enabled us to get some scenes that were... fundamental to our narrative... showing the movement of the dolphins swimming at high speed." "There's a lot of little shots that you get with this sort of system... that you may not be able to get from under water." "I can pan it 360 degrees... and I can also tilt it up and down 180 degrees... which is excellent for following the dolphins." "If they're traveling along, they travel at 8 knots... in their normal cruising mode, so... you need a boat to keep up with them." "Of course a diver can't keep up, so this is able to follow... what they're doing as they're traveling... and some quite interesting things that go on." "The contact with Paul and Ed was a learning experience to all of us... and it was interesting, because during an interview with Paul... there was a "porpoise", when all the dolphins start to leap... at the same time, so he turned his camera immediately... and started documenting that very rare sequence." "Actually, you never know when that will happen." "What a sight!" "I've never seen anything like it." "Over 500 dolphins." "All fleeing, probably a shark, don't know." "Just managed to get some shots as they round that distant point there." "Just an amazing sight." "And what lesson could we take from this?" "When filming wildlife, you've always got to be prepared." "Always got to be prepared." "And the other thing is... you've got to spend time out in the field." "You can't make wildlife movies sitting in a hotel room." "You've got to be out here in the field." "And eventually... it's luck, but it's a combination of good luck and good management." "But if you put the hours in and the management is going well... hopefully, eventually, you get lucky." "Just like we have now." "I've just managed to get a few shots of those 500 dolphins fleeing." "So, you know?" "Put in the hours and you eventually get lucky." "The importance of a documentary like "Spinner Dolphins"... is to spread and show worldwide the image of a serious country... which engages in groundbreaking research, preserves its resources... and also collaborates to increase tourism in Brazil." "We tried to show how the researchers' work... is linked to the dolphins' life." "Right at the opening, we intercut parallel sequences... showing Zé Martins and Fernanda going to the bay... while the dolphins also head towards the bay." "They drive along on the roads of Noronha and the dolphins swim." "They hike up the trail while the dolphins come closer." "We ended up abridging the montage, showing the dolphins' arrival... and the researchers already by the bay, waiting for their arrival... to count how many dolphins came in on each day." "The Ipiranga corvette is an old passion of mine." "I've been diving at its wreck site since 1987." "It's a ship that sank in 1983, a rather technical dive... about 200 feet deep... and it has a lot of life, a lot of color... therefore it is, without doubt, a very interesting dive." "But since the film was about dolphins, we had to decide... to put in a short sequence, and the corvette's big star... is the jewfish, a fantastic fish, one of the largest in Brazil." "A very gentle animal, curious, but unfortunately... that jewfish from the corvette was killed after we filmed there." "It's very sad to see that happen on a national marine park... but it's important to note that, unfortunately... the corvette is located outside the park's protected area... so the person who killed the jewfish didn't break the law." "Their only crime was against nature, against its lovers... and against a great tourist attraction in the island... that gentle jewfish that fed right under our lenses." "The Dolphin Watch sequence, when tourist come to see the dolphins... exiting the bay in the afternoon, was reduced in the film... because we had to show the dolphins in the open sea... looking for food... so we decided to shorten it considerably... showing just the dolphins' exit, when they approach the boats... and swim along them for some time." "But we shot many scenes, very powerful images." "The dolphins almost touch the boat's hull, many times... and we were able to document them doing that." "Another sequence that didn't make it into the documentary's final cut... showed Zé Martins taking a group of children from Noronha... to see the dolphins." "That is part of Zé's work, because besides studying the dolphins... he's concerned about environmental education in Fernando de Noronha." "We are going towards the dolphins." "When we get there, I'll check what they are doing... and I want you to divide yourselves in teams." "I'll stop the boat right in front of the dolphins." "They're gonna swim exactly in front of you." "In the end, that sequence did not make it in the documentary... because we had many dolphin behaviors to show... and besides that, an important part of it, which was... the children interacting with the dolphins, we couldn't shoot... because the dolphins swam too far away." "It's important to note that, to make a documentary like this one... 50 minutes long, we shot almost 100 hours of surface material... 16 cans of film, 25 hours of underwater material... 8 hours of microcâmera material... therefore, we had a whole universe of sequences and images... and the hardest part of the editing process with Paulo and Rodrigo... was to let go of the images we had to delete... therefore, purely for narrative purposes..." "Fernanda Camargo's work ended up on the editing room floor." "The Dolphins Bay presents some exceptional characteristics... for this kind of work, first of all because... we have dolphins in here 90% of the days of the year... and also because the water is calm and transparent... which is excellent for audio and video work." "The spinner dolphins emit several classes of sounds... which actually are common to various species of dolphins:" "Whistles, clicks or snaps... a wide variety of pulsating signals, as we call them." "I look for relations... between the different patterns of sound emissions... and some variables, for instance, behavioral ones... like sex, age ranges, size and group composition... and environment variables:" "Depth, distance from shore, time of day." "And also to season patterns, since the occupation is seasonal." "Noronha has two distinguished seasons in the year, and the bay... presents a marked seasonal occupation." "Ricardo Garla is a first-rate researcher... with serious work, who's been studying Noronha's sharks for years." "I'm very passionate about sharks as well... so I'm always comparing notes, following his work... and I thought it'd be important, within this film... to show some of the research he's been conducting... but the film was essentially about dolphins... and the sharks had a supporting role in the story... so we came to an editorial decision, with Natural History New Zealand... with National Geographic, with myself and Rodrigo... of only showing sharks in the film... while they were directly involved with the dolphins... like predators, and then the dolphins organize themselves... and use defense strategies to chase the sharks away." "Therefore, in the final cut, Garla's work... ended up having a secondary role." "We showed just a little bit of his research... but in an earlier version, we'd shown the entire process... because it's a very interesting work." "The main goal of this work is to try and collect... the largest possible amount of information about this species... about composition of population here in the archipelago region... and also mostly about its movements." "The final idea is to elaborate a managing plan... to preserve this species in the long run." "The reason I'm trying to do that... is because the species was widely commercially hunted until recently." "There was a time when a company... hunted sharks here in the archipelago... and the species "Carcharinus perezi" of sharks... which are the Caribbean reef sharks, being the most common here... ended up suffering the most damage." "When I started coming here..." "I found out that this place was a bowery... a spawning ground for this species... therefore, you have the context of a spawning ground for sharks... which was exploited by excessive hunting." "There are two basic techniques, two main techniques." "The first involves capturing, marking and releasing sharks." "That gives you an idea about what their population... comprises here in the archipelago region... and also gives you some idea, indirectly... about their movements... whenever you recapture any marked animals." "Then you can see if they're going from one point to another:" "From the point you marked them, if they stayed in the same place... or if they moved any distance away from it." "And there's a more direct approach to gather more information... about their movement, by using ultrasonic telemetry." "That involves capturing an animal... and implanting it with an ultrasonic transmitter." "That way, you'd have a more precise means... to monitor these animals' movements... to know whether they confine themselves to specific areas... and in what fashion they travel." "It monitors all of their movements by telemetry." "This already revealed that, when they're young... the animals stay most of the time in small areas... of a few square miles, and then, as they grow up... they start venturing over greater distances." "So far, we still don't know for sure whether these animals... when grown up, stay the rest of their lives in the archipelago... or if they migrate to somewhat distant places." "The most moving sequence, without doubt, was the seaweed game." "I knew about that behavior from books... but that image had never been recorded in Fernando de Noronha... and when I saw that happening right in front of me..." "I thought: "I'll sit still here to see if they come closer"." "Then I dived without oxygen, picked up a seaweed... started shaking it in front of them and threw it... and a dolphin came, picked up the seaweed and they started playing... in front of me, around me, and that was really moving." "It's also funny because I felt like a small kid... you know, when you have 10, 12-year-old kids playing ball... and there's a 6-year-old who wants to play and they won't let him." "If the ball's thrown out, he catches it, throws it back, all happy... but he's never accepted in the game." "That's more or less what happened." "They'd pick up the seaweed I threw, but they'd never throw it to me." "In the documentary's final cut, we took out that scene... where I interfered and threw the seaweed to the dolphins... because we'd captured so many beautiful scenes... of a behavior that's so rare and so intimate... that Rodrigo and I thought it would be more natural and nicer... to show that as a game among young dolphins... without that human interference... giving a "starting kick" to the game."