Guyana, South America: Where Jungle Rivers Meet the Atlantic | Full Documentary

To the northeast of the South American continent lies a unique world, Guyana. For a small country, Guyana has a remarkable variety of species and landscapes. It has plenty of room for nature. Guyana is home to three very different ecosystems, each with its own flora and fauna. To the southwest lies the broad savanna. In the center, seemingly endless rainforest. And to the north, the coast, permanently threatened by the ocean. People have learned to cope with the danger from the ocean. There's a relaxed Caribbean feel to life beside the water. Guyana's coast stretches for 460 kilometers, all facing the mighty Atlantic. This beach is no palm-fringed paradise. This is untamed nature. Thousands of kilometers of open ocean give the waves enormous power. Seashells, snail shells, and corals washed up on the shore are smashed into thousands of fragments. And here, in the north of Guyana, this beach consists entirely of seashells. Hence its name, Shell Beach. Fragments are slowly but surely worn down into finest grains of sand. And then wind and rain carry away the sand too. The few people at Shell Beach make a living from fishing. Their livelihood is protected by plants that can live in saltwater and withstand the might of the sea. One example is beach morning glory, with strong roots that stabilize the sand. It spreads out into a carpet, creating solid ground underfoot. In its lee, other plants establish themselves. And with them come the animals. Shell Beach has a special significance for Guyana. It's the only beach far and wide. From April to September, it attracts animals that need this sand. They arrive at night. Turtles. Four of the world's eight species of marine turtles lay their eggs here. The biggest of them is the leatherback. It can grow to nearly two and a half meters, weighing almost a ton. Leatherbacks migrate thousands of kilometers through the oceans, but usually return to the beach of their birth to lay their eggs. A female digs a pit in the sand and deposits between 50 and 100 eggs. The eggs come in two sizes. The smaller ones are not fertilized. They cushion the others. The female will swim back to this beach up to nine times in the season to dig a new nest and lay more eggs. She turns in a circle as her flippers conceal the clutch. The sun will incubate the eggs. The temperature of the sand decides the sex. Higher temperatures produce females. Up to a thousand turtles return every year to Shell Beach. But beaches make up less than a quarter of Guyana's coast. The natural defenses against the sea are the mangroves. Firmly anchored in the silt, their roots protect the land from the full force of the oceans. The tides rule life here. The gap between ebb and flow is the time for animals to feed. Their shells stop giant helmet snails drying out, but won't save them from hungry capuchin monkeys. The two-toed sloth takes it easier, doing nothing in particular. The mangrove canopy is home to Guyana's national bird, the hoatzin. It eats little but leaves, which it digests in its crop high up in its gullet. Bacteria come to its aid to ferment the food. Hoatzin can grow to 70 centimeters tall, but weigh less than a kilo. Males and females are almost identical. Genders are only confirmed when a rival turns up. Poor flyers, hoatzin tend to hop along the branches. Beneath the water, mangroves are a nursery for the young of many fish species. They're safe here from sharks and other predators. Countless species of birds live in the mangrove swamps, like colorful scarlet ibis. Their bright red plumage comes from the shells of the crabs and other crustaceans they eat. Their habitat is the brackish swamps, where they live in large groups with other birds. The ibis stab the waters with their curved beaks to catch their prey. Every storm brings more seawater into the mangrove swamps. Only plants that can tolerate a high level of salt survive in this zone. These areas are no use for farming. Large stretches of coastline are regularly swamped by the sea. But one colonial power knew those same conditions from home. The Dutch turned these stretches into arable land. They first arrived here around the year 1600, and they quickly built forts to protect the settlers. Fort Zeelandia is on an island in the mouth of Guyana's greatest river, the Essequibo. Dutch engineers began draining the swamps. African slaves cut down the mangroves, built dikes and dug canals. The engineers protected vulnerable areas of coastline with a sea wall. A complex network of waterways was regulated by sluice gates called cocas. The oldest of these can only be operated by muscle power. Cocamen maintain a steady water level in the canals. Fresh water is constantly rising in the hinterland behind the sea wall. Without the cocas, it couldn't flow out into the sea. From the days of the earliest Dutch settlers, all this effort was devoted to protecting one crop, sugarcane. Holders like this exist only in Holland, Guyana and in neighboring Suriname. The cane grows on low earthen ramparts that allow the water to flow away more easily. In Guyana, sugarcane is still harvested by hand. The men burn the dry undergrowth to expel mosquitoes, rats and snakes. The workers cut the canes just above ground level so they'll grow again. Sugarcanes need a lot of water, but they can quickly rot. Deeper transport canals flank the shallow irrigation ditches. The harvest is taken away on barges. Horses used to do this heavy labor. Others benefit from the harvest too. A group of manatees found their way into the canal. They like fresh water and often swim kilometers upriver. Their muzzle and the whiskers surrounding it are their most important tool and sensor. They use their extremely mobile upper lip to pluck their favorite water plants. Manatees hold only their nostrils above the water to breathe. Then they dive for minutes on end. A manatee can live for over 50 years. These animals are endangered and they're frequently injured by motorboats. Guyana still has the world's largest manatee population. In addition to the canals, the plantation owners also created large water reservoirs. Many of them are now shallow lakes, wetlands full of life. Water lettuce is a special delicacy for manatees. They eat up to a quarter of their body weight every day. Their long needle-like teeth are ideal for plucking grasses and leaves. This landscape, molded and maintained by humans, is also the main habitat for Hoatzin. And because of their limited flying ability, they have spread only slowly to other parts. Mating happens at the beginning of the rainy season. Their neighbors, the golden-handed tamarin, are no danger to them. This marmoset is only the size of a couple of human fists. It prefers to hunt insects. The insect's high protein content promotes brain growth. Tamarins are primates. Golden-handed tamarins are only found in a small area, mainly in Guyana and neighboring Suriname. Brown capuchin monkeys are spread right across northern South America. These omnivores are always looking out for predators like snakes and raptors. And with capuchins about, Hoatzins should never leave their nests unattended. Thieves are everywhere. If a nest is easy to reach, its eggs are soon gone. Under the Dutch, canals were the main means of transport. In 1814, Guyana became a British colony and the British built South America's first railway. It connected the old capital, New Amsterdam, to the new one, Georgetown. This bridge is all that remains of the 100-kilometer line. A busy coast road now replaces the old railway line. To reach the capital from the north, you have to cross the Demerara River. It gave its name to the colony's unrefined brown sugar. The speedboat is faster than the pontoon bridge. It takes just a few minutes to cross. As elsewhere in the Caribbean, there's a cosmopolitan mix of people here. As well as the indigenous tribes, there are Europeans, Indians, the descendants of African slaves, and Chinese. The capital, Georgetown, lies at the mouth of the Demerara River. The settlement was founded by the Dutch in the 18th century. The French made it the capital, and it was later taken over by the British. Many parts of the city are under sea level. Georgetown is entirely protected by its sea wall. They call it the Garden City of the Caribbean. John is on the way to his workplace beside the sea. Every day, he can choose a location for his workshop. John is one of Guyana's independent craftsmen who make everyday products for locals and tourists. Right now, he's plaiting a raffia sun hat. Only a few people still master this technique. Making a full-size hat takes a day. This smaller one only needed a couple of hours. If the Dutch put their stamp on the countryside, British colonial style dominates the town. There's a protection order on the old wooden houses, but the tropical climate makes preservation difficult. There are many reminders of the old colonial masters. Guyana didn't become independent until 1966. Here, too, canals run between the houses. Charlene runs a small crafts shop. I was working here, like, what, 11 years? And then, like, two years now, it's mine. I take it over fully. Guyana is famous for its leatherware. Plenty of locals shop at Charlene's. They appreciate the quality. You want this one? Or this one? You like this one? It could fit over your neck. You know what it is? They look cool somehow. They're good? You like it? All righty. A local craftsman makes these comfortable sandals for Charlene. My name is Mark, Mark Brown. I'm a leather craftsman. This is where I live. The area of Sussex Street, Albuistam. Yes, this is where the magic happens. We would be working now on a leather slipper. So there we go. Mark punches out the pattern, and then he adds his own stamp. It's a bird for Mark Brown, and my signature there. Mark uses cowhide and sheepskin. Everything is handmade. Guyana has no industry and imports few manufactured goods. We use our sharp knife. Mark works beside one of the canals that crisscross the town. It's so overgrown, it's a perfect hiding place for animals. A young anaconda settles between the leaves of the lotus flowers. As long as nobody sees it, it's safe. Snakes are constantly making their way into town. There are so many hidden corners in the canals. Indians brought the lotus plants here, along with their religion. Once slavery was abolished, many Indians were hired as labor for the plantations. Today, Indians are Guyana's biggest population group. Guyana's streets are busy at night too. It's easy for a small anaconda to hide, but as it grows, fish and frogs are no longer enough to satisfy it. It sets out at dusk to find more substantial prey. Anacondas grow quickly in the early years, but once they reach four meters, the growth rate slows. They eat only when they need to. A big meal can take weeks to digest. There's nothing to eat here. This is a dead end. Better move on. Humans have nothing to fear from anacondas, but that's not true of the animals they keep. Some anacondas like fish. Others will only eat chicken. And this is too good to pass up. A chicken coop. If an anaconda attacks chickens, or even a dog, its fate is usually sealed. They get caught when they leave their cover to hunt. Next morning, it's still far from the safety of a canal. This could be a warm, dark cave. A human and a snake are in for a shock. The coast around Georgetown is heavily populated, and not only by humans. At low tide, life appears. Fiddler crabs searching for food. And the mud is full of prey. There's plenty of temptation for hungry stomachs. Curious creatures gather at the waterline. Four-eyed fish. Actually, they only have two eyes. But the lens is divided, so they can focus both below and above the waterline at the same time. With so many hungry birds hovering over the mudflats, that's a useful skill. If they have to escape, or swim against the current, they rear out of the water with mighty heaves of their tail. At low tide, they come to the muddiest part of the shore, scraping brown algae from the rocks, or scooping up stranded insects. They mate in the mud too. It's a complicated business, as the male's mating fin is angled either to the left or to the right. And the same goes for the female's genital opening. So the two sexes must carefully coordinate. Then again, four eyes have one evolutionary advantage. They give birth to live young. Four-eyed fish can't breathe on land. But as long as they filter enough water through their gills, they get enough oxygen. Guyana has so few beaches, that people take advantage of low tide to work, or to enjoy themselves. Fishermen preparing their boat to sail. Hernan and Binort, known as Paper, and his son Dave, are already setting out. In their small boat, the Shanti, they'll stay close to the shore. The ocean-going boats are bigger. Paper is the second generation fisher in the family, and Dave is the third, each learning from his father. Paper and Dave mark the spot where the first gill net has been laid. The size of the mesh decides which species will be caught. Paper hopes they'll get a few delicacies for the market. When water seeps in, a little bit of pumping does the trick. Then, father and son check out the other nets. Come up there, you make a start, you make a start. Come on, let the fish in, come. We call this on the folks now. This don't sell a truck, but people just carry it home for like, for cook and everything. Watch your foot, just open for that. This don't sell a truck though. People just carry this home, you know, for cook and everything. I don't know. I don't catch fish. I'm a scaler. I'm a folks. That's what I'm working for, Montgomery. You understand? The heavily-laden shanty on its way back to the cooker. Paper has to get to the dealer's truck on time. The rising tide saves on fuel. Apart from a few regular customers who buy direct from the boat, Paper sells his fish to a wholesaler. I sell it to the truck and the cooker. The truck come at the cooker and buy it in. And then I go and do them thing and go and sell it. Here's Bangamere and that's Butterfish. Butterfish. Bangamere is popular throughout the Caribbean. There are many different ways to prepare it here. In a stew, in curry or in breadcrumbs. It's one of Guyana's best-loved fish. At the truck, the fish are sorted, checked and weighed. Paper gets 17,100 Guyana dollars for his catch. That's about 75 euros. Meanwhile, the last fishers return with the tide. And the four eyes are safe from the fishermen. They don't taste good anyway. In the rainy season, storm clouds can reach 18 kilometers into the sky. The worst storms come at the start of the season. There's scarcely a day without at least one heavy shower. The streets are regularly awash. In fact, there are two rainy seasons. May to September and a shorter one at Christmas. But for a decade now, the seasons have shifted. The dry seasons have almost disappeared. That's not pleasant for the Hoatzin. The land all around their nests is flooded. Haula monkeys use the breaks between showers to exercise and grab some food. These are the only New World monkeys that can see in color. That may help them locate especially juicy young shoots. For Haula monkeys only eat leaves, just like Hoatzin. The birds use the breaks too, to eat and dry their feathers. The rainy season is also their breeding season. Their nests are only two to five meters above the surface of the water. The young hatched after 30 days. Parents feed them a puree of leaf pulp. There's not much nutrition there, so the chicks only grow slowly. They're fed for two months till they're ready to fly. Older siblings help care for the young. Two parents could hardly support a full clutch on their own. And they have plenty of enemies. Emerald tree boas like to eat birds, along with lizards and small mammals. The mother hasn't abandoned the chick. She's distracting the snake. And the chicks have a special way of escaping. At just three days old, young Hoatzins can topple into the water, swimming and diving. The challenge is climbing back up. Look at the wing. They have a special hook on it to do just that. When they reach adulthood, the hook will drop off. Their powerful legs and claws, too, help them hold on tight. Nevertheless, it still takes hours for the chick to climb back to the warm nest. Under attack from a capuchin monkey, a martin or a bird of prey, the chick will repeat this exercise as often as necessary. But it all saps energy. Only one in three chicks reach adulthood. In Guyana, Hoatzin can often be seen living near humans, along rivers and canals. Maybe it's this proximity that gained them the nickname stink bird because of the smell from their fermenting food. Hoatzins are believed to have branched off from other bird species some 64 million years ago. Floods can threaten Guyana even outside the rainy season. Far to the north where mangroves dominate, fresh water can drain away and storm surges cause little damage. In the south, only the seawall protects the coast. This is where 80% of Guyanese live. Cows have taken refuge on a raised causeway. The farmer brings their feed by boat. This situation is not unusual, but it is difficult. There are few milking cows in Guyana. Cattle are kept mainly for meat. This year, the flooding hasn't been too severe. Rainwater gathered on the land side of the seawall like a filling bathtub. But over the centuries, there have been great floods again and again. And there will be more. Many homes are built on stilts with the living quarters at the top. To live here, you need a boat as well as a car. Still water soon becomes a breeding ground for malaria and yellow fever. So the faster it drains away, the better. But the cocas are fully stretched. In the great flood of 2004, 40% of Guyanans lost their homes. Since that time, extra pumping stations have been built everywhere. New cocas are now much bigger. But the seawall is indispensable. Again and again, storms have swept entire plantations into the sea. People and homes have been washed away. Old cocas show where the coastline once stood. How much land the ocean has already claimed. The seawall protects two-thirds of Guyana's coast against the might of the Atlantic. But in the long run, concrete defenses cannot defeat the waves. There is a solution. It lies with nature. Mangroves can break the force of the waves. The idea of natural coastal protection has only recently taken hold. For the first time, mangrove forests are being deliberately planted. And once they're established, they strike out on their own. A shoot drops from a small tree. The tides carry it further. When it finds the right mixture of brackish water, it straightens up and puts down roots. And so, a natural wall of mangroves gradually establishes itself. The roots anchor the land, keeping the sea at bay and protecting both humans and animals.