1 00:00:01,335 --> 00:00:03,303 (♪♪♪) 2 00:00:03,303 --> 00:00:06,306 The Niagara Escarpment. 3 00:00:09,309 --> 00:00:14,314 Hundreds of miles of breathtaking landscape. 4 00:00:16,817 --> 00:00:21,088 An ancient wall of rock standing strong 5 00:00:21,088 --> 00:00:25,325 against the powerful forces of time. 6 00:00:25,325 --> 00:00:27,895 It brands the Great Lakes Region 7 00:00:27,895 --> 00:00:31,031 from Lake Ontario to Lake Michigan. 8 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:38,105 A captivating part of the world that tells magical stories 9 00:00:38,105 --> 00:00:41,174 of age-old tropical coral reefs, 10 00:00:42,809 --> 00:00:44,811 colossal glaciers 11 00:00:46,313 --> 00:00:49,316 and haunting First Nation's lore. 12 00:00:51,018 --> 00:00:56,023 Epic, enchanting and everlasting. 13 00:00:58,025 --> 00:01:03,096 The Niagara Escarpment is a true geological masterpiece. 14 00:01:03,096 --> 00:01:13,140 (♪♪♪) 15 00:01:13,140 --> 00:01:23,116 (♪♪♪) 16 00:01:23,116 --> 00:01:33,160 (♪♪♪) 17 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:43,136 (♪♪♪) 18 00:01:43,136 --> 00:01:44,638 (♪♪♪) 19 00:01:54,147 --> 00:01:57,150 The Niagara Escarpment. 20 00:01:58,652 --> 00:02:01,722 An ancient meandering cliff. 21 00:02:03,991 --> 00:02:07,260 450 miles long. 22 00:02:09,930 --> 00:02:14,935 At its highest point, almost 1,700 feet. 23 00:02:18,405 --> 00:02:22,476 The escarpment weaves its way through the Great Lakes Region 24 00:02:22,476 --> 00:02:25,979 in the heart of central North America. 25 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:29,516 Stretching from Upstate New York, 26 00:02:29,516 --> 00:02:32,285 on the south shore of Lake Ontario, 27 00:02:32,285 --> 00:02:36,289 northwest through the Canadian province of Ontario. 28 00:02:36,289 --> 00:02:39,726 It fringes Lake Huron and Lake Michigan 29 00:02:39,726 --> 00:02:44,297 and trails off just past Green Bay, Wisconsin. 30 00:02:46,066 --> 00:02:48,168 In its present state, 31 00:02:48,168 --> 00:02:51,204 the Niagara Escarpment is one of the geological gems 32 00:02:51,204 --> 00:02:53,707 of North America. 33 00:02:53,707 --> 00:02:55,709 But there is no question 34 00:02:55,709 --> 00:02:58,712 that the crown jewel of the escarpment itself 35 00:02:58,712 --> 00:03:01,515 is Niagara Falls. 36 00:03:05,252 --> 00:03:11,925 (♪♪♪) 37 00:03:11,925 --> 00:03:15,395 A true phenomenon of the natural world. 38 00:03:15,395 --> 00:03:19,399 It straddles the border between Canada and The United States 39 00:03:19,399 --> 00:03:22,202 and is part of the Niagara River- 40 00:03:22,202 --> 00:03:27,207 a 36-mile waterway that connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. 41 00:03:28,208 --> 00:03:31,511 The water from four of the five Great Lakes 42 00:03:31,511 --> 00:03:33,680 passes through here, 43 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,684 on its way to Lake Ontario and beyond. 44 00:03:37,684 --> 00:03:39,686 From north to south, 45 00:03:39,686 --> 00:03:44,191 the river features an elevation drop of 330 feet. 46 00:03:45,192 --> 00:03:49,696 More than half the drop in elevation happens right here. 47 00:03:50,697 --> 00:03:55,202 The crest line of these falls covers only 600 yards 48 00:03:55,202 --> 00:03:59,706 of the Niagara Escarpment's 450 miles. 49 00:03:59,706 --> 00:04:02,676 Yet, the impact is so dramatic, 50 00:04:02,676 --> 00:04:06,446 it has become one of the most popular tourist destinations 51 00:04:06,446 --> 00:04:09,783 in North America. 52 00:04:09,783 --> 00:04:12,419 It is the only section of the escarpment 53 00:04:12,419 --> 00:04:14,921 that most will ever see. 54 00:04:16,857 --> 00:04:20,427 It's ancient geological history and composition 55 00:04:20,427 --> 00:04:24,397 is no different than any other part of the escarpment. 56 00:04:25,532 --> 00:04:29,302 Except for one thing, water. 57 00:04:30,303 --> 00:04:35,175 More than 45 million gallons of water- 58 00:04:35,175 --> 00:04:38,812 that's the total combined volume that goes over the crest lines 59 00:04:38,812 --> 00:04:43,316 of the American and Canadian falls every minute. 60 00:04:44,451 --> 00:04:46,786 More than the volume of an Olympic-sized 61 00:04:46,786 --> 00:04:49,756 swimming pool every second. 62 00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:56,062 Most comes over this crest on the Canadian side. 63 00:04:56,062 --> 00:04:59,900 Horse Shoe Falls, named for its shape. 64 00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:03,069 It is 170 feet high, 65 00:05:03,069 --> 00:05:07,941 with a crest line more than 2,000 feet wide. 66 00:05:07,941 --> 00:05:12,379 Niagara Falls was born about 12,000 years ago 67 00:05:12,379 --> 00:05:15,315 when water released from melting glaciers 68 00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:19,352 poured into what is now the Niagara River. 69 00:05:19,352 --> 00:05:20,654 Today, 70 00:05:20,654 --> 00:05:24,157 water from the river hurls over the edge of the escarpment 71 00:05:24,157 --> 00:05:28,228 at a speed of 32 feet per second. 72 00:05:28,228 --> 00:05:31,231 The level of erosion that has occurred here 73 00:05:31,231 --> 00:05:33,900 is far greater than at any other point 74 00:05:33,900 --> 00:05:36,336 on the escarpment. 75 00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:38,705 12,000 years ago, 76 00:05:38,705 --> 00:05:43,210 Niagara Falls was 7 miles downriver from where it is now. 77 00:05:44,444 --> 00:05:46,680 Around the turn of the century, 78 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,284 the rate of the falls erosion was about 4 feet each year. 79 00:05:52,385 --> 00:05:55,388 Today, it's been artificially reduced 80 00:05:55,388 --> 00:06:00,393 to less than 1 foot per year on the Canadian falls. 81 00:06:00,393 --> 00:06:03,863 The reason for this manmade intervention is that 82 00:06:03,863 --> 00:06:08,535 this part of the escarpment is more than just a pretty picture. 83 00:06:09,536 --> 00:06:12,539 In addition to precious tourist dollars, 84 00:06:12,539 --> 00:06:17,043 Niagara Falls generates valuable hydroelectric power, 85 00:06:17,043 --> 00:06:19,546 a resource worth preserving. 86 00:06:22,215 --> 00:06:25,018 There is a small portion of the Horse Shoe Falls 87 00:06:25,018 --> 00:06:27,387 on the American side, 88 00:06:27,387 --> 00:06:31,558 along with two more distinct sections of the falls. 89 00:06:32,859 --> 00:06:34,928 At 56 feet wide, 90 00:06:34,928 --> 00:06:38,498 the Bridal Veil Falls is the smallest section, 91 00:06:38,498 --> 00:06:43,236 named for its unmistakable resemblance to a bridal veil. 92 00:06:44,404 --> 00:06:47,974 On the other side of this precarious piece of land, 93 00:06:47,974 --> 00:06:50,043 is the American Falls. 94 00:06:50,043 --> 00:06:52,512 A much larger section of the falls 95 00:06:52,512 --> 00:06:56,816 that connects to Prospect Point in New York State. 96 00:06:56,816 --> 00:06:59,619 It is 180 feet high. 97 00:06:59,619 --> 00:07:03,623 It's crest line is 1,075 feet wide. 98 00:07:05,091 --> 00:07:07,827 Perhaps the most memorable human intervention 99 00:07:07,827 --> 00:07:12,365 in the history of Niagara Falls happened here. 100 00:07:12,365 --> 00:07:16,002 In 1931 and 1954, 101 00:07:16,002 --> 00:07:21,007 sections of rock fell to the bottom of the American falls. 102 00:07:22,008 --> 00:07:26,513 Fears grew that this section of the falls would soon erode, 103 00:07:26,513 --> 00:07:30,016 crumbling into a series of unsightly rapids 104 00:07:30,016 --> 00:07:32,018 and in the process, 105 00:07:32,018 --> 00:07:35,355 dealing a huge blow to the local economy. 106 00:07:37,624 --> 00:07:42,095 In 1969, a team from the US Army was called upon 107 00:07:42,095 --> 00:07:46,999 to actually stop the American Falls completely 108 00:07:46,999 --> 00:07:49,436 and they did it. 109 00:07:49,436 --> 00:07:52,105 The army built a 600-foot dam 110 00:07:52,105 --> 00:07:54,974 from almost 30,000 tonnes of rock 111 00:07:54,974 --> 00:07:57,977 to divert the flow of water. 112 00:07:57,977 --> 00:08:01,881 The result was a truly bizarre sight. 113 00:08:01,881 --> 00:08:05,485 The dolomite capped portion of the Niagara Escarpment 114 00:08:05,485 --> 00:08:08,688 was naked for all to see. 115 00:08:08,688 --> 00:08:11,191 With the giant tap shut off, 116 00:08:11,191 --> 00:08:14,594 army personnel cleared some of the fallen rock 117 00:08:14,594 --> 00:08:19,599 from the base of the falls, to improve its appearance. 118 00:08:19,599 --> 00:08:23,703 Engineers mechanically bolted some faults on the escarpment 119 00:08:23,703 --> 00:08:26,806 to prevent further erosion. 120 00:08:26,806 --> 00:08:30,944 After they had collected as much research and data as they could, 121 00:08:30,944 --> 00:08:35,181 the dam was removed in November of the same year. 122 00:08:36,583 --> 00:08:41,588 Today, 75,000 gallons per second flow over the crest. 123 00:08:43,089 --> 00:08:45,592 It's a staggering amount. 124 00:08:45,592 --> 00:08:49,562 Yet, it represents just 10% of the total amount of water 125 00:08:49,562 --> 00:08:53,566 flowing over the entire falls. 126 00:08:53,566 --> 00:08:58,571 In all its glory, Niagara Falls is spectacular 127 00:08:58,571 --> 00:09:01,608 and the escarpment on which it is found, 128 00:09:01,608 --> 00:09:04,477 is one of the most beautiful geological marvels 129 00:09:04,477 --> 00:09:07,914 on the continent and the planet. 130 00:09:12,051 --> 00:09:16,289 It's ancient origins begin underwater. 131 00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:19,292 >> To understand the Niagara Escarpment, 132 00:09:19,292 --> 00:09:21,294 we have to understand a very long time scale, 133 00:09:21,294 --> 00:09:22,295 a geological time scale. 134 00:09:24,297 --> 00:09:27,867 >> For millions of years, the crust under the Michigan basin 135 00:09:27,867 --> 00:09:29,903 was relatively stable. 136 00:09:29,903 --> 00:09:32,806 Gently warping to form a giant basin, 137 00:09:32,806 --> 00:09:37,076 about 480 miles across. 138 00:09:37,076 --> 00:09:40,580 >> During the Silurian Period, which was 450 million years ago, 139 00:09:40,580 --> 00:09:45,585 that large basin was a large inland sea. 140 00:09:45,585 --> 00:09:49,122 So, right now through here, 450 million years ago, 141 00:09:49,122 --> 00:09:50,790 we'd have to be anchored in a boat 142 00:09:50,790 --> 00:09:53,193 to have this conversation. 143 00:09:53,193 --> 00:09:56,996 >> The Silurian Period occurred 200 million years 144 00:09:56,996 --> 00:10:01,134 before dinosaurs roamed the earth. 145 00:10:01,134 --> 00:10:04,404 Animals with backbones were only just appearing 146 00:10:04,404 --> 00:10:06,773 in the oceans. 147 00:10:06,773 --> 00:10:11,511 This vast, calm inland sea is referred to by geologists 148 00:10:11,511 --> 00:10:15,582 as the Michigan Basin. 149 00:10:15,582 --> 00:10:19,319 It represents a rare geologically peaceful time 150 00:10:19,319 --> 00:10:22,589 for this part of the planet. 151 00:10:22,589 --> 00:10:24,591 >> The geologic history of Canada, 152 00:10:24,591 --> 00:10:27,093 you see violent episodes when you build mountains 153 00:10:27,093 --> 00:10:32,098 and then there're quite episodes when seas cover much of Canada. 154 00:10:32,098 --> 00:10:34,501 So, the thing about modern reefs and the Caribbean, 155 00:10:34,501 --> 00:10:38,171 beautiful, nice clear, aquamarine waters 156 00:10:38,171 --> 00:10:41,307 and that covered huge areas of Canada at one time. 157 00:10:41,307 --> 00:10:44,210 And that's because there was no mountain building going on, 158 00:10:44,210 --> 00:10:46,880 it was quiet tectonically. 159 00:10:48,014 --> 00:10:51,284 The Niagara Escarpment and the whole parts of Ontario 160 00:10:51,284 --> 00:10:56,289 records perhaps the quietest period in the history of Canada. 161 00:10:56,289 --> 00:10:58,224 About 400 million years ago, 162 00:10:58,224 --> 00:11:00,927 there were these giant inland seas 163 00:11:00,927 --> 00:11:03,429 that virtually covered the whole country. 164 00:11:03,429 --> 00:11:05,765 And there's no modern analog, 165 00:11:05,765 --> 00:11:08,768 there's no modern parallel anywhere in the world today. 166 00:11:09,769 --> 00:11:12,105 >> During the Silurian Period, 167 00:11:12,105 --> 00:11:15,208 the tectonic plate of continental North America 168 00:11:15,208 --> 00:11:19,679 was at lower latitudes than it is today. 169 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,750 Geological forces caused the Michigan basin to sink down 170 00:11:23,750 --> 00:11:28,755 in the middle and rise along the edges. 171 00:11:28,755 --> 00:11:33,760 Sea levels rose, the climate warmed. 172 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:38,264 The vast shallow seas basked in sunlight. 173 00:11:38,264 --> 00:11:43,269 And transformed this body of water into a giant incubator 174 00:11:43,269 --> 00:11:48,274 that sparked an explosive period in the evolution of marine life. 175 00:11:49,275 --> 00:11:52,045 Amazing things began to happen. 176 00:11:54,681 --> 00:11:57,684 Coral reefs formed. 177 00:11:59,819 --> 00:12:04,891 The first ever fish with cartilage skeletons appeared. 178 00:12:07,894 --> 00:12:12,665 Plants began to grow on land. 179 00:12:15,101 --> 00:12:19,439 Then, air breathing creatures such a millipedes, centipedes 180 00:12:19,439 --> 00:12:21,474 and primitive arachnids, 181 00:12:21,474 --> 00:12:26,479 helped create the earliest terrestrial food web. 182 00:12:30,984 --> 00:12:35,989 This primordial ecosystem thrived for millions of years. 183 00:12:38,157 --> 00:12:40,660 Immeasurable numbers of marine creatures 184 00:12:40,660 --> 00:12:43,663 lived and died here, 185 00:12:43,663 --> 00:12:46,833 while rivers fed the inland sea, 186 00:12:46,833 --> 00:12:51,537 bringing sand, silt and clay into the water. 187 00:12:51,537 --> 00:12:54,107 Coral and shells built up, 188 00:12:54,107 --> 00:12:59,078 along with a growing deposit of calcium. 189 00:12:59,078 --> 00:13:02,682 These layers began to harden. 190 00:13:02,682 --> 00:13:05,151 Time passed. 191 00:13:06,786 --> 00:13:10,523 Sand became sandstone. 192 00:13:10,523 --> 00:13:14,160 Clay became shale. 193 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:18,131 Calcium carbonate became limestone. 194 00:13:18,131 --> 00:13:20,733 Magnesium in the water infiltrated 195 00:13:20,733 --> 00:13:25,405 layers of calcium carbonate mud, creating dolomite- 196 00:13:25,405 --> 00:13:30,410 a rock similar to limestone but much harder. 197 00:13:32,045 --> 00:13:34,247 Layer upon layer, 198 00:13:34,247 --> 00:13:38,351 these dramatically different rock types built up. 199 00:13:38,351 --> 00:13:40,853 Water levels in this ancient sea, 200 00:13:40,853 --> 00:13:43,089 changed frequently, 201 00:13:43,089 --> 00:13:46,693 as did the location of the ancient coastline. 202 00:13:48,695 --> 00:13:52,365 The sea slowly dried up. 203 00:13:52,365 --> 00:13:55,435 Then about 200 million years ago, 204 00:13:55,435 --> 00:13:57,937 everything changed. 205 00:14:00,206 --> 00:14:04,177 These layers, built up over millions of years, 206 00:14:04,177 --> 00:14:08,781 formed the building blocks for the escarpment. 207 00:14:08,781 --> 00:14:11,918 >> It's important to understand that in the sea, 208 00:14:11,918 --> 00:14:15,021 the layers are being laid down one on top of each other 209 00:14:15,021 --> 00:14:17,457 over millions of years. 210 00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:20,359 >> Once many layers of sediment were laid down 211 00:14:20,359 --> 00:14:23,362 in the shallow inland Silurian Sea, 212 00:14:23,362 --> 00:14:25,364 the warping of the basin 213 00:14:25,364 --> 00:14:27,867 elevated the sediments above water 214 00:14:27,867 --> 00:14:32,171 to expose the edge of the basin as an escarpment. 215 00:14:32,171 --> 00:14:35,174 >> And so, you've got an edge that's now exposed 216 00:14:35,174 --> 00:14:37,176 and those top layers, 217 00:14:37,176 --> 00:14:39,178 which were composed of a member of lifelike reefs 218 00:14:39,178 --> 00:14:41,180 and all those living organisms, 219 00:14:41,180 --> 00:14:43,983 formed in conditions that had a lot of magnesium. 220 00:14:43,983 --> 00:14:45,818 So, it's not just calcium carbonate, 221 00:14:45,818 --> 00:14:47,420 which is limestone. 222 00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:49,422 It's calcium carbonate with a secret ingredient, magnesium. 223 00:14:49,422 --> 00:14:51,424 So, it's calcium-magnesium carbonate, 224 00:14:51,424 --> 00:14:52,592 which is much harder. 225 00:14:52,592 --> 00:14:55,094 So, those top plates in that basin are hard rock, 226 00:14:55,094 --> 00:14:58,097 really hard rock compared to the softer ones below. 227 00:14:58,097 --> 00:15:10,176 (♪♪♪) 228 00:15:10,176 --> 00:15:12,678 >> With the inland sea gone, 229 00:15:12,678 --> 00:15:17,683 further geological shifting occurred in the region. 230 00:15:18,684 --> 00:15:22,855 The edge of the Michigan Basin began to lift, 231 00:15:22,855 --> 00:15:25,458 marking the first physical statement 232 00:15:25,458 --> 00:15:28,461 of the Niagara Escarpment as we know it today. 233 00:15:28,461 --> 00:15:38,504 (♪♪♪) 234 00:15:38,504 --> 00:15:43,709 (♪♪♪) 235 00:15:43,709 --> 00:15:45,845 Over millions of years, 236 00:15:45,845 --> 00:15:49,182 natural erosion wore down the landscape, 237 00:15:49,182 --> 00:15:54,187 obliterating softer layers of sandstone and shale. 238 00:15:55,188 --> 00:16:00,193 But dolomite is significantly harder, 239 00:16:00,193 --> 00:16:04,463 so hard that not even the weathering power of time 240 00:16:04,463 --> 00:16:07,133 can penetrate it. 241 00:16:10,636 --> 00:16:13,206 For 200 million years, 242 00:16:13,206 --> 00:16:16,209 dolomite shielded the softer rock 243 00:16:16,209 --> 00:16:21,214 from earth-shaking events. 244 00:16:21,214 --> 00:16:23,716 But there was one force in nature 245 00:16:23,716 --> 00:16:27,720 it could not withstand, ice. 246 00:16:30,122 --> 00:16:33,192 Unimaginably vast ice sheets, 247 00:16:33,192 --> 00:16:37,263 crept down to the Michigan Basin. 248 00:16:37,263 --> 00:16:41,667 >> In many ways, it's the events of the last 2 million years, 249 00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:44,237 in other words, quite recent to geologists, 250 00:16:44,237 --> 00:16:46,372 which have been the most profound. 251 00:16:46,372 --> 00:16:50,977 Because it seemed the repeated development of ice sheets, 252 00:16:50,977 --> 00:16:52,345 which, you know, 253 00:16:52,345 --> 00:16:54,513 we're not talking about something in a hockey arena, 254 00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:58,451 we're talking about ice sheets that are 3 or 4 kilometers thick 255 00:16:58,451 --> 00:17:02,688 and they're moving and they're dragging debris at their base. 256 00:17:02,688 --> 00:17:05,858 So, they're very, very effective agents of erosion 257 00:17:05,858 --> 00:17:08,327 and all the main lakes in Canada 258 00:17:08,327 --> 00:17:10,062 that lie around the edge of the shield, 259 00:17:10,062 --> 00:17:12,565 including the Great Lakes, have all been dug out, 260 00:17:12,565 --> 00:17:14,634 basically, by ice sheets. 261 00:17:14,634 --> 00:17:17,103 So, the last 5 minutes, if you like, 262 00:17:17,103 --> 00:17:20,339 of the geologic history have been the most profound 263 00:17:20,339 --> 00:17:25,344 in terms of how they've affected the landscape in Canada. 264 00:17:29,215 --> 00:17:33,719 >> For 2-1/2 million years, these monstrous sheets of ice 265 00:17:33,719 --> 00:17:36,889 gave the region an epic pounding. 266 00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:40,226 >> For about a million years to 10,000 years ago, 267 00:17:40,226 --> 00:17:42,228 was our last glacial period 268 00:17:42,228 --> 00:17:44,230 and we had four successive glaciers 269 00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:45,731 across this landscapes, 270 00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:47,900 the last one leaving about 10,000 years ago. 271 00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:52,238 So, here again, this landscape which we have the escarpment 272 00:17:52,238 --> 00:17:56,108 but then, you've got 3-1/2 kilometers thick of ice. 273 00:17:56,108 --> 00:17:58,311 And so, there's a lot of weight and a lot of plowing, 274 00:17:58,311 --> 00:17:59,712 a lot of, you know, pushing with the force 275 00:17:59,712 --> 00:18:01,647 behind that weight of the ice. 276 00:18:01,647 --> 00:18:05,017 And also, at the base of the ice, 277 00:18:05,017 --> 00:18:09,422 you have boulders and some rocks the sizes of houses. 278 00:18:11,791 --> 00:18:14,360 The grid of that base is very aggressive. 279 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:16,262 So, you've got this monumental scouring pad 280 00:18:16,262 --> 00:18:18,764 that's scrapping across the landscape as well. 281 00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:20,599 And it's shaped-- 282 00:18:20,599 --> 00:18:23,836 in some area you can see the corrugated nature of it, 283 00:18:23,836 --> 00:18:26,072 where it's just, kind of, plowed and found weaknesses 284 00:18:26,072 --> 00:18:28,341 that's able to dig out, in other areas where it's-- 285 00:18:28,341 --> 00:18:30,810 Like someone was playing with it and scraping it all around 286 00:18:30,810 --> 00:18:32,144 and shaping it. 287 00:18:32,144 --> 00:18:35,881 So, it's clearly being manipulative by the glaciers. 288 00:18:37,717 --> 00:18:40,252 Over the next few thousand years, 289 00:18:40,252 --> 00:18:45,124 glaciers that conquered the land began their retreat. 290 00:18:45,124 --> 00:18:48,094 The giants were melting, 291 00:18:48,094 --> 00:18:52,331 water frozen in time for thousands of years 292 00:18:52,331 --> 00:18:55,401 pooled at the feet of the glaciers. 293 00:18:55,401 --> 00:19:00,406 One by one, ice dams burst under the weight of the rising water. 294 00:19:02,008 --> 00:19:05,111 Temperatures increased, 295 00:19:05,111 --> 00:19:09,115 unleashing violent floods onto the surrounding land. 296 00:19:10,716 --> 00:19:14,453 And finally the Great Lakes region was freed 297 00:19:14,453 --> 00:19:17,123 from its frozen oppressor. 298 00:19:18,958 --> 00:19:21,861 With the weight of its icy burden lifted, 299 00:19:21,861 --> 00:19:25,498 the Niagara Escarpment continued to rise. 300 00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:31,971 >> That's a tremendous amount of weight on top of the landscape 301 00:19:31,971 --> 00:19:34,540 and when the glaciers retreated, taking that weight off, 302 00:19:34,540 --> 00:19:36,876 it's like pulling your finger out of a wet sponge, 303 00:19:36,876 --> 00:19:38,677 it slowly springs back. 304 00:19:38,677 --> 00:19:41,814 And that rebound, it's known as "Isostatic Rebound" 305 00:19:41,814 --> 00:19:44,383 that has occurred on the landscape here, 306 00:19:44,383 --> 00:19:48,320 it's even happening now. 307 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,624 We're actually rebounding at about 30 cm a century. 308 00:19:51,624 --> 00:19:54,126 And we probably have about another 40 meters to go 309 00:19:54,126 --> 00:19:59,131 in South West Ontario to fully recover from the glaciers. 310 00:20:00,132 --> 00:20:03,636 >> The epic geological history of this place 311 00:20:03,636 --> 00:20:06,872 is now interwoven with its ecosystem. 312 00:20:06,872 --> 00:20:13,045 (♪♪♪) 313 00:20:13,045 --> 00:20:18,050 In most areas of the escarpment, water bleeds through the rock, 314 00:20:18,050 --> 00:20:23,055 quenching ancient cedar trees, some nearly 2,000 years old 315 00:20:23,055 --> 00:20:27,059 that cling precariously to the bluffs. 316 00:20:31,564 --> 00:20:34,900 Both humans and wolves use these cliffs 317 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:38,137 as a look out for massive herds of caribou, 318 00:20:38,137 --> 00:20:42,141 which ranged much farther south during colder times. 319 00:20:44,443 --> 00:20:47,513 There are signs that humans inhabited these rocks 320 00:20:47,513 --> 00:20:51,083 more than 13,000 years ago. 321 00:20:58,624 --> 00:21:01,961 The escarpment is dotted with ancient settlements, 322 00:21:01,961 --> 00:21:04,964 villages and campsites. 323 00:21:07,466 --> 00:21:12,238 Many of these histories are long forgotten. 324 00:21:12,238 --> 00:21:14,874 But here on the Bruce Peninsula, 325 00:21:14,874 --> 00:21:18,744 the lore of some First Nations peoples has endured. 326 00:21:21,347 --> 00:21:24,183 >> This is part of the traditional homeland 327 00:21:24,183 --> 00:21:27,186 of the Saugeen First Nations. 328 00:21:28,187 --> 00:21:31,357 This is an alliance of two First Nations, 329 00:21:31,357 --> 00:21:34,460 the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation 330 00:21:34,460 --> 00:21:37,463 and the Saugeen First Nation. 331 00:21:37,463 --> 00:21:44,036 (♪♪♪) 332 00:21:44,036 --> 00:21:47,740 This is part of their traditional homeland. 333 00:21:47,740 --> 00:21:51,644 And this area then, became part of the province of Canada 334 00:21:51,644 --> 00:21:54,180 in 1854. 335 00:21:54,180 --> 00:21:56,949 And that's when the name was changed 336 00:21:56,949 --> 00:22:01,120 from Saugeen Neyaashiinigmiing or Saugeen Peninsula-- 337 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,156 Indian Peninsula to Bruce Peninsula. 338 00:22:04,156 --> 00:22:06,792 And that was done to honor James Bruce, 339 00:22:06,792 --> 00:22:10,229 who was Canada's Governor General at that time. 340 00:22:18,437 --> 00:22:22,508 >> Tribes of First Nations' peoples have lived along the escarpment 341 00:22:22,508 --> 00:22:25,878 for thousands of years. 342 00:22:25,878 --> 00:22:29,582 For them, some of the amazing rock formations 343 00:22:29,582 --> 00:22:32,785 are sacred sites. 344 00:22:32,785 --> 00:22:37,089 Some indigenous people have strong spiritual beliefs, 345 00:22:37,089 --> 00:22:41,894 intrinsically connected to the landscape. 346 00:22:41,894 --> 00:22:45,497 This interweaving of spirituality and geology 347 00:22:45,497 --> 00:22:50,236 has been coined "Geomythology". 348 00:22:50,236 --> 00:22:52,605 It is the study of oral traditions 349 00:22:52,605 --> 00:22:55,407 created by pre-scientific cultures 350 00:22:55,407 --> 00:22:58,711 to explain geological phenomenon. 351 00:23:03,249 --> 00:23:07,253 >> My focus has always been the stories 352 00:23:07,253 --> 00:23:11,323 and being able to work here in Bruce Peninsula National Park, 353 00:23:11,323 --> 00:23:15,561 I then have the opportunity to take our people-- 354 00:23:15,561 --> 00:23:19,398 my people's traditional stories and connect these stories 355 00:23:19,398 --> 00:23:22,401 to the current geological research. 356 00:23:24,370 --> 00:23:29,375 >> One of the most striking stories is the legend of Standing Rock. 357 00:23:31,377 --> 00:23:36,315 For the Huron First Nation, the afterlife was referred to as 358 00:23:36,315 --> 00:23:41,320 "The Path to the Village of Souls". 359 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:46,325 This pathway was marked by a rock called "The Watcher". 360 00:23:46,325 --> 00:23:49,161 Here, the deceased waited for their turn 361 00:23:49,161 --> 00:23:52,898 to walk through a door and into the underworld- 362 00:23:52,898 --> 00:23:55,901 the Village of Souls. 363 00:23:58,671 --> 00:24:00,539 According to legend, 364 00:24:00,539 --> 00:24:03,409 to gain entry into the village of souls, 365 00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:06,612 the dead were required to enter a cabin 366 00:24:06,612 --> 00:24:10,582 where a man named "Pierce-head" waited . 367 00:24:12,251 --> 00:24:14,119 As the dead souls entered, 368 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,089 Pierce-head cracked their skulls open, 369 00:24:17,089 --> 00:24:21,126 pulled out their brains and kept them for himself. 370 00:24:22,895 --> 00:24:25,698 A macabre tale. 371 00:24:25,698 --> 00:24:28,400 But it was believed that as a rite of passage 372 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,169 to the afterlife, 373 00:24:30,169 --> 00:24:32,604 the brains of the dead needed to be removed 374 00:24:32,604 --> 00:24:34,840 as an act of mercy, 375 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,143 so they could not bring their memories to the afterlife 376 00:24:38,143 --> 00:24:41,146 or yearn for their past lives. 377 00:24:43,015 --> 00:24:45,584 This rock and these caves 378 00:24:45,584 --> 00:24:49,588 are physical representations of this mythology. 379 00:24:50,589 --> 00:24:54,927 To this day, the standing rock is a haunting site. 380 00:24:55,928 --> 00:24:58,330 It appears to change its appearance 381 00:24:58,330 --> 00:25:02,000 depending on lighting and vantage point. 382 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,602 Because of this, 383 00:25:03,602 --> 00:25:06,238 it is thought that the First Nations' people here 384 00:25:06,238 --> 00:25:10,676 saw it as both The Watcher and the Head Piercer. 385 00:25:13,245 --> 00:25:16,448 The cracks and fissures leading down to the rock 386 00:25:16,448 --> 00:25:19,184 might've been thought of as the meeting place 387 00:25:19,184 --> 00:25:22,621 of the upper, middle and the lower worlds. 388 00:25:26,692 --> 00:25:29,061 The varying rates of erosion 389 00:25:29,061 --> 00:25:31,597 of the dramatically different rock types here 390 00:25:31,597 --> 00:25:36,602 are one natural contributor to these unique formations. 391 00:25:38,203 --> 00:25:42,775 But there is another cause, winter. 392 00:25:44,176 --> 00:25:46,912 >> What ends up happening is water is continuously, 393 00:25:46,912 --> 00:25:50,649 kind of, seeping through the rock from high up on the cliffs. 394 00:25:50,649 --> 00:25:53,886 This limestone is full of fissures and tunnels 395 00:25:53,886 --> 00:25:55,654 and different cracks and crevices 396 00:25:55,654 --> 00:25:58,157 where water is continuously seeping into the cracks. 397 00:25:59,291 --> 00:26:02,961 As the water freezes in the fall and onwards to the winter time 398 00:26:02,961 --> 00:26:05,264 that that the ice expands 399 00:26:05,264 --> 00:26:08,100 and over time that thawing and freezing of that water 400 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:10,436 in those cracks and those fissures 401 00:26:10,436 --> 00:26:12,504 has the effect of breaking apart and crumbling apart 402 00:26:12,504 --> 00:26:14,139 the cliff face. 403 00:26:14,139 --> 00:26:16,308 And over time, of course, the rock breaks free 404 00:26:16,308 --> 00:26:19,812 and crashes down on the shoreline below. 405 00:26:19,812 --> 00:26:21,213 Now, the result of this 406 00:26:21,213 --> 00:26:23,682 is that you get everything from smaller plate-size rocks 407 00:26:23,682 --> 00:26:25,250 that are a little bit challenging to walk on 408 00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:26,351 but sometimes, 409 00:26:26,351 --> 00:26:28,921 you get these really incredible sized boulders. 410 00:26:28,921 --> 00:26:34,993 (♪♪♪) 411 00:26:34,993 --> 00:26:37,529 >> Imposing as it may seem, 412 00:26:37,529 --> 00:26:42,167 the escarpment is actually being pushed back, 413 00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:45,971 eroded bit by bit, 414 00:26:45,971 --> 00:26:48,874 by waves and weather from the outside 415 00:26:48,874 --> 00:26:52,177 and freeze and thaw from the inside. 416 00:26:55,681 --> 00:26:59,184 While it is hard to imagine that it will one day be gone, 417 00:26:59,184 --> 00:27:01,787 the effects of time are precisely 418 00:27:01,787 --> 00:27:04,957 what make it so compelling. 419 00:27:13,699 --> 00:27:17,536 Four miles off the coast of the Bruce Peninsula, 420 00:27:17,536 --> 00:27:19,738 sits one of the Niagara Escarpment's 421 00:27:19,738 --> 00:27:23,141 most remarkable sites. 422 00:27:23,141 --> 00:27:26,945 This is Flower Pot Island. 423 00:27:26,945 --> 00:27:31,517 These columns of rock were once part of the cliff face. 424 00:27:33,318 --> 00:27:35,587 Over millions of years, 425 00:27:35,587 --> 00:27:39,324 softer rock of the escarpment crumbled away, 426 00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:42,361 eroded by wind and rain, 427 00:27:42,361 --> 00:27:46,765 ice and pounding waves. 428 00:27:46,765 --> 00:27:51,770 Only the harder rock remained in the shape of flower pots. 429 00:27:54,907 --> 00:27:58,477 This extraordinary landmark of the escarpment 430 00:27:58,477 --> 00:28:03,549 is located in Fathom Five National Marine Park. 431 00:28:03,549 --> 00:28:06,885 It is accessible only by boat 432 00:28:06,885 --> 00:28:11,557 and it is a haven for hikers and explorers. 433 00:28:11,557 --> 00:28:16,562 The flower pots are each about 60 feet high. 434 00:28:16,562 --> 00:28:21,567 There was a third flower pot, until it collapsed in 1903. 435 00:28:24,636 --> 00:28:28,640 Someday, time will claim the remaining two. 436 00:28:30,142 --> 00:28:35,147 But until then, their hard dolomite caps will endure. 437 00:28:35,147 --> 00:28:47,659 (♪♪♪) 438 00:28:53,398 --> 00:28:58,403 The powers of the elements here are merciless. 439 00:28:59,671 --> 00:29:04,743 They carve and shape all parts of the Niagara Escarpment, 440 00:29:04,743 --> 00:29:08,747 leaving incredible rock formations in their wake. 441 00:29:16,021 --> 00:29:21,026 Just south of Flower Pot Island, is Indian Head Cove. 442 00:29:24,196 --> 00:29:29,201 Overlooking the cove is overhanging point. 443 00:29:30,369 --> 00:29:33,438 >> The top layer, the cap rock is dolomite, 444 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:36,908 which is much more resistant to erosion 445 00:29:36,908 --> 00:29:39,177 versus the softer material which is underneath. 446 00:29:39,177 --> 00:29:41,680 And you can see it's like plate. 447 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,682 So, the hard rock is just hanging out there 448 00:29:43,682 --> 00:29:46,685 as it's slowly being undercut. 449 00:29:48,420 --> 00:29:50,956 >> As you're walking up above on the cliff, 450 00:29:50,956 --> 00:29:54,326 there's an opportunity where there's a bit of a rock 451 00:29:54,326 --> 00:29:56,595 that comes right out 452 00:29:56,595 --> 00:29:58,063 and it gives you the opportunity to, kind of, 453 00:29:58,063 --> 00:29:59,498 stand out on that point 454 00:29:59,498 --> 00:30:02,601 and get almost 180° sweep of the water 455 00:30:02,601 --> 00:30:04,236 and the area around you. 456 00:30:04,236 --> 00:30:06,905 It's really quite impressive. 457 00:30:08,940 --> 00:30:10,876 Some of these incredible landscapes 458 00:30:10,876 --> 00:30:12,778 have incredible effect on people. 459 00:30:12,778 --> 00:30:14,646 When you stand out on the cliff edge 460 00:30:14,646 --> 00:30:16,481 and you're looking over these vistas, 461 00:30:16,481 --> 00:30:19,851 you can't help but feel tiny, you can't help but feel small. 462 00:30:19,851 --> 00:30:23,355 And at the same time, it really fills you up with, 463 00:30:23,355 --> 00:30:26,458 you know, with all the good stuff. 464 00:30:26,458 --> 00:30:28,093 You feel better, you feel healthier, 465 00:30:28,093 --> 00:30:31,229 you feel, like, you can, you know, go back 466 00:30:31,229 --> 00:30:34,733 and you're full of energy and it's-- 467 00:30:34,733 --> 00:30:39,738 it's a really nice place to be and to visit. 468 00:30:41,707 --> 00:30:44,209 >> Just underneath the overhang, 469 00:30:44,209 --> 00:30:47,045 is a view that is equally compelling 470 00:30:47,045 --> 00:30:48,847 but very different 471 00:30:48,847 --> 00:30:52,184 because it allows you to look back in time. 472 00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:58,223 >> Millions of years ago, that high cliff face now, 473 00:30:58,223 --> 00:31:00,358 was actually, right at sea level 474 00:31:00,358 --> 00:31:02,160 and the waves of the water at that time 475 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,863 were working away at that rock face 476 00:31:04,863 --> 00:31:07,933 and really chiseling it out and carving it out. 477 00:31:07,933 --> 00:31:10,402 What a lot of visitors will do is they'll actually hike down 478 00:31:10,402 --> 00:31:12,537 underneath the cliff top 479 00:31:12,537 --> 00:31:16,274 and what they find is a pretty remarkable geological formation 480 00:31:16,274 --> 00:31:19,811 where the rock has been carved or cut out, over time, 481 00:31:19,811 --> 00:31:24,216 from all the different forces of erosion and wave action. 482 00:31:29,521 --> 00:31:33,024 >> The opportunity to stand inside a natural structure 483 00:31:33,024 --> 00:31:35,927 created millions of years ago 484 00:31:35,927 --> 00:31:39,631 is one taken by more visitors each year. 485 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:47,706 (♪♪♪) 486 00:31:47,706 --> 00:31:51,042 >> Here you have within 3 to 4-hour drive 487 00:31:51,042 --> 00:31:52,577 large urban centers. 488 00:31:52,577 --> 00:31:55,514 And within 20 minutes from the parking lot, 489 00:31:55,514 --> 00:31:57,816 you can find yourself completely alone 490 00:31:57,816 --> 00:32:01,653 in this amazing, spectacular area 491 00:32:01,653 --> 00:32:04,790 with these sweeping vistas of these cliffs 492 00:32:04,790 --> 00:32:08,393 and this Georgian Bay water and this pristine landscape. 493 00:32:08,393 --> 00:32:11,830 And it's pretty incredible to have that accessibility 494 00:32:11,830 --> 00:32:16,334 in such a short distance from major urban centers. 495 00:32:16,334 --> 00:32:22,340 (♪♪♪) 496 00:32:22,340 --> 00:32:24,509 If we were to go back 10 years, 497 00:32:24,509 --> 00:32:27,345 we'd be looking at our visitation in the park here, 498 00:32:27,345 --> 00:32:31,016 which would be around 150,000 visitors a year. 499 00:32:31,016 --> 00:32:33,218 What we've seen in the last 8 years 500 00:32:33,218 --> 00:32:35,320 is a meteoric rise in visitation, 501 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,455 to the point where now in Bruce Peninsula National Park, 502 00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:40,292 we're getting about 300,000 visitors a year. 503 00:32:40,292 --> 00:32:41,927 When you combined that with Fathom Five, 504 00:32:41,927 --> 00:32:44,930 the number is roughly up around half a million. 505 00:32:46,198 --> 00:32:49,034 For visitors to Bruce Peninsula National Park 506 00:32:49,034 --> 00:32:51,269 to get the full experience, 507 00:32:51,269 --> 00:32:56,274 they need to go beyond dry land and be prepared to get wet. 508 00:32:58,677 --> 00:33:01,580 This is the Grotto. 509 00:33:03,014 --> 00:33:05,317 >> This carbon here is very striking. 510 00:33:05,317 --> 00:33:08,587 There aren't too many areas south of the Bruce Peninsula 511 00:33:08,587 --> 00:33:11,489 where you see these sea caves, the sinkholes, 512 00:33:11,489 --> 00:33:13,592 some of the different features. 513 00:33:13,592 --> 00:33:17,262 So, the landscape here is really quite dramatic. 514 00:33:20,765 --> 00:33:23,568 >> The Grotto is an example of a feature 515 00:33:23,568 --> 00:33:26,972 that was formed by wave action. 516 00:33:26,972 --> 00:33:29,007 Waves beating against the shoreline 517 00:33:29,007 --> 00:33:33,879 was able to erode out and create the grotto. 518 00:33:33,879 --> 00:33:36,514 You can see areas, that popcorny lookin' rock- 519 00:33:36,514 --> 00:33:38,550 that's evidence of an old reef. 520 00:33:38,550 --> 00:33:42,187 So, that's rock that's 400 million years ago 521 00:33:42,187 --> 00:33:46,291 during the Silurian period, there was reefs there. 522 00:33:46,291 --> 00:33:47,859 >> For geologists, 523 00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:51,763 the Grotto is yet another marvelous puzzle piece, 524 00:33:51,763 --> 00:33:56,768 used to uncover the vast geological history here. 525 00:33:57,769 --> 00:34:00,739 For the ancient humans who lived off this land 526 00:34:00,739 --> 00:34:02,974 for thousands of years, 527 00:34:02,974 --> 00:34:05,977 it provided shelter along the coast. 528 00:34:08,346 --> 00:34:11,516 Today, for hikers and divers alike, 529 00:34:11,516 --> 00:34:14,753 it's an experience of a lifetime. 530 00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,623 >> The Grotto it's cool. 531 00:34:18,623 --> 00:34:20,025 It's a sea cave. 532 00:34:20,025 --> 00:34:22,227 The shoreline has lots of sea caves. 533 00:34:22,227 --> 00:34:23,395 But the Grotto is different 534 00:34:23,395 --> 00:34:25,830 because it also has the obvious entrance 535 00:34:25,830 --> 00:34:28,600 that people scramble down to and that's an experience. 536 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:31,269 You feel rewarded when you get down 537 00:34:31,269 --> 00:34:34,072 and, actually, more rewarded when you get back out. 538 00:34:37,309 --> 00:34:38,944 There's also an underwater entrance 539 00:34:38,944 --> 00:34:40,178 where light can come through 540 00:34:40,178 --> 00:34:41,846 and it creates a bit of a hue in there 541 00:34:41,846 --> 00:34:43,148 and it's because of the light from the outside. 542 00:34:43,148 --> 00:34:44,783 So, diver's know there's that entrance 543 00:34:44,783 --> 00:34:46,318 and they come through there. 544 00:34:46,318 --> 00:34:48,186 So, you have these two entrances 545 00:34:48,186 --> 00:34:50,455 and it's just in a remarkable location. 546 00:34:50,455 --> 00:34:53,391 It's just a nice place to visit. 547 00:34:54,526 --> 00:34:56,161 >> For new visitors, 548 00:34:56,161 --> 00:34:59,664 one of the most surprising aspects of this place 549 00:34:59,664 --> 00:35:02,233 is the water. 550 00:35:03,501 --> 00:35:07,072 In this part of the world, this far north, 551 00:35:07,072 --> 00:35:11,743 crystal clear turquoise water is not a common sight. 552 00:35:13,979 --> 00:35:17,916 >> When you look at the water, it's remarkable. 553 00:35:17,916 --> 00:35:20,051 You feel this could be Mediterranean and Caribbean, 554 00:35:20,051 --> 00:35:23,688 it's just crystal clear or gin-clear water. 555 00:35:23,688 --> 00:35:27,592 You can see down 20 meters, 30 meters, 556 00:35:27,592 --> 00:35:30,662 40 meters actually to the bottom. 557 00:35:30,662 --> 00:35:35,667 And in simple terms, water, H2O, is a blue chemical. 558 00:35:35,667 --> 00:35:40,338 So, pure water is clear, blueish chemical. 559 00:35:40,338 --> 00:35:43,008 So, what you're looking at is water 560 00:35:43,008 --> 00:35:44,709 almost in its purest form. 561 00:35:44,709 --> 00:35:46,745 So, there is very little other stuff in it. 562 00:35:46,745 --> 00:35:49,047 So, there's very other little, let's say, silt, 563 00:35:49,047 --> 00:35:50,715 which is gonna change the color of it 564 00:35:50,715 --> 00:35:52,851 and change how far light can penetrate. 565 00:35:52,851 --> 00:35:56,421 Or life, like, algae, like phytoplankton. 566 00:35:56,421 --> 00:35:59,190 So, the more stuff that's in the water, 567 00:35:59,190 --> 00:36:00,592 it's gonna effect it's colors, 568 00:36:00,592 --> 00:36:04,129 it's gonna effect how far light can penetrate. 569 00:36:04,129 --> 00:36:06,431 >> Under normal circumstances, 570 00:36:06,431 --> 00:36:10,535 freshwater in this region wouldn't look this way. 571 00:36:11,970 --> 00:36:14,506 But there is a unique combination of factors 572 00:36:14,506 --> 00:36:16,508 at play here. 573 00:36:18,076 --> 00:36:21,780 This water has been filtered. 574 00:36:21,780 --> 00:36:24,883 >> Zebra and quagga mussels, which are an invasive species 575 00:36:24,883 --> 00:36:27,519 that have colonized the Great Lakes, 576 00:36:27,519 --> 00:36:30,989 have drawn so much nutrients and energy to the lake bottom, 577 00:36:30,989 --> 00:36:33,792 to themselves that the lake is less productive. 578 00:36:33,792 --> 00:36:35,493 So, in the spring time, 579 00:36:35,493 --> 00:36:38,830 this area would have had a large algal boom, diatom bloom 580 00:36:38,830 --> 00:36:41,166 that would've affected the water clarity. 581 00:36:41,166 --> 00:36:42,967 You wouldn't be able to see as much. 582 00:36:42,967 --> 00:36:44,769 But we're not getting those large algal blooms, 583 00:36:44,769 --> 00:36:46,638 so our water clarity in spring time 584 00:36:46,638 --> 00:36:49,941 is even more clear than it historically was. 585 00:36:49,941 --> 00:36:51,176 And that's a shift. 586 00:36:51,176 --> 00:36:53,044 It's a shift in the whole food web 587 00:36:53,044 --> 00:36:55,113 and the whole dynamics of the lake. 588 00:36:55,113 --> 00:36:57,048 >> Not surprisingly, 589 00:36:57,048 --> 00:36:59,851 these waters offer some of the best snorkeling 590 00:36:59,851 --> 00:37:03,555 and scuba diving in North America. 591 00:37:03,555 --> 00:37:07,292 The water offers incredible visibility. 592 00:37:07,292 --> 00:37:10,462 The submerged rock formations in the lake 593 00:37:10,462 --> 00:37:15,133 are just as beautiful as those on dry land. 594 00:37:15,133 --> 00:37:20,038 And there are shipwrecks. 595 00:37:20,038 --> 00:37:24,175 There are hundreds of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. 596 00:37:24,175 --> 00:37:28,379 Some as shallow as 10 to 20 feet below the surface. 597 00:37:30,281 --> 00:37:33,852 The number of shipwrecks here might surprise some 598 00:37:33,852 --> 00:37:37,355 but the Great Lakes waterway is a busy shipping route 599 00:37:37,355 --> 00:37:40,258 that runs all the way to the Atlantic Ocean 600 00:37:40,258 --> 00:37:43,728 and is subject to powerful storms. 601 00:37:45,830 --> 00:37:48,900 The shipwrecks along this part of the escarpment 602 00:37:48,900 --> 00:37:52,670 are among the best in the world for underwater explorers. 603 00:37:55,940 --> 00:37:58,910 >> Our visitors, even if they don't have any experience snorkeling 604 00:37:58,910 --> 00:38:00,645 or scuba diving, 605 00:38:00,645 --> 00:38:02,447 can relatively easily get out to these shipwrecks 606 00:38:02,447 --> 00:38:03,715 and go for a swim 607 00:38:03,715 --> 00:38:05,283 and experience them and see them. 608 00:38:05,283 --> 00:38:08,219 But again, that clear water, 609 00:38:08,219 --> 00:38:11,322 you know, makes for an incredible diving experience. 610 00:38:12,657 --> 00:38:16,794 >> These shipwrecks are protected by Canada's National Parks 611 00:38:16,794 --> 00:38:21,299 and by the gentle fresh water in which they rest. 612 00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:26,304 Salt water is not so forgiving. 613 00:38:26,304 --> 00:38:28,806 Sea worms in the ocean bore into 614 00:38:28,806 --> 00:38:32,677 and eventually destroy shipwrecks. 615 00:38:32,677 --> 00:38:34,846 But not here. 616 00:38:34,846 --> 00:38:37,482 The rarity of this level of preservation 617 00:38:37,482 --> 00:38:40,351 is a big draw for divers. 618 00:38:41,753 --> 00:38:44,656 Ships frozen in time 619 00:38:44,656 --> 00:38:48,593 help make this one of the top freshwater diving locations 620 00:38:48,593 --> 00:38:51,095 in the world. 621 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,136 For the advanced diver, 622 00:38:58,136 --> 00:39:02,507 a deeper look can bring you much farther back in time. 623 00:39:04,342 --> 00:39:07,445 Between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago, 624 00:39:07,445 --> 00:39:10,048 before the glaciers fully melted; 625 00:39:10,048 --> 00:39:13,418 dry land, rivers and massive waterfalls 626 00:39:13,418 --> 00:39:17,155 connected the Bruce Peninsula with Manitoulin Island 627 00:39:17,155 --> 00:39:20,124 some 50 miles north. 628 00:39:21,426 --> 00:39:23,261 >> If we were to take away the water, 629 00:39:23,261 --> 00:39:25,063 it looks like what a river 630 00:39:25,063 --> 00:39:26,764 or a fall system would look like today. 631 00:39:26,764 --> 00:39:29,467 It's quite-- still quite evident on the lake bottom. 632 00:39:29,467 --> 00:39:32,704 And that continues on down 90 meters deep. 633 00:39:32,704 --> 00:39:35,506 And that's just to the surface of the sediment. 634 00:39:35,506 --> 00:39:37,575 Keep in mind, the bedrock is actually probably 635 00:39:37,575 --> 00:39:40,345 another 100 meters below that. 636 00:39:43,181 --> 00:39:45,917 >> Melted glacial water from Lake Huron 637 00:39:45,917 --> 00:39:48,086 drained into Georgian Bay 638 00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:52,056 down a giant, prehistoric waterfall. 639 00:39:53,391 --> 00:39:55,360 It's roar was so loud, 640 00:39:55,360 --> 00:40:00,064 it's estimated that it could be heard almost 10 miles away. 641 00:40:01,099 --> 00:40:04,569 But the glaciers continue to melt, 642 00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:08,573 water levels at the base of the falls rose. 643 00:40:10,441 --> 00:40:14,178 The Great Lakes as we know them, came to be. 644 00:40:14,178 --> 00:40:16,547 And this ancient waterfall 645 00:40:16,547 --> 00:40:19,817 large enough to rival even Niagara Falls 646 00:40:19,817 --> 00:40:23,121 became completely submerged. 647 00:40:25,990 --> 00:40:28,159 For visitors to the Niagara Escarpment 648 00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:30,962 who prefer staying above the waterline, 649 00:40:30,962 --> 00:40:34,132 there are still waterfalls that have not been claimed 650 00:40:34,132 --> 00:40:37,201 by the great glacial melt. 651 00:40:38,569 --> 00:40:43,574 This is Inglis Falls, a stunning waterfall. 652 00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:47,945 A gentle cascade. 653 00:40:47,945 --> 00:40:52,083 A 60 foot brush stroke. 654 00:40:52,083 --> 00:40:56,587 Left behind by time and erosion. 655 00:40:56,587 --> 00:41:00,992 This is where the Sydenham River meets the Niagara Escarpment 656 00:41:00,992 --> 00:41:05,630 along the Bruce Trail near Owen Sound, Ontario. 657 00:41:06,831 --> 00:41:11,402 Here, water seeps through the dolomite cap rock 658 00:41:11,402 --> 00:41:15,873 and slowly erodes the softer rock underneath. 659 00:41:15,873 --> 00:41:17,408 Through the ages, 660 00:41:17,408 --> 00:41:21,913 hunks of dolomite lose their support and tumble down. 661 00:41:21,913 --> 00:41:24,349 Bit by bit. 662 00:41:24,349 --> 00:41:28,219 It's a process called "Spring Sapping" 663 00:41:28,219 --> 00:41:32,957 and Inglis Falls is the stunning result. 664 00:41:32,957 --> 00:41:35,593 The falls are part of the region recognized 665 00:41:35,593 --> 00:41:38,363 by the United Nations Education, 666 00:41:38,363 --> 00:41:40,798 Scientific and Cultural Organization, 667 00:41:40,798 --> 00:41:43,868 as a World Biosphere Reserve. 668 00:41:44,869 --> 00:41:46,971 >> UNESCO's World Biosphere Reserve 669 00:41:46,971 --> 00:41:49,640 concept or idea is about 40 years old now. 670 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:53,111 And it tries to promote and recognize 671 00:41:53,111 --> 00:41:55,713 the ideas of conservation. 672 00:41:55,713 --> 00:42:05,289 (♪♪♪) 673 00:42:05,289 --> 00:42:09,794 There's lots of change happening on the landscape 674 00:42:09,794 --> 00:42:13,798 and I can't help but think of the foresight 675 00:42:13,798 --> 00:42:15,400 of those individuals 676 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:19,303 who envisioned the importance of this corridor. 677 00:42:22,907 --> 00:42:26,811 I'm not sure if it weren't for those protective measures, 678 00:42:26,811 --> 00:42:28,780 whether we'd be standing here 679 00:42:28,780 --> 00:42:31,182 or somebody would be telling us to get off their property. 680 00:42:31,182 --> 00:42:32,283 But the fact is 681 00:42:32,283 --> 00:42:34,485 anyone can come and experience this firsthand, 682 00:42:34,485 --> 00:42:36,888 can develop their own connection to this place 683 00:42:36,888 --> 00:42:39,857 and see the importance of it firsthand. 684 00:42:46,931 --> 00:42:48,900 People have a connection to this area 685 00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:50,535 because it's authentic. 686 00:42:50,535 --> 00:42:52,403 It's a real place. 687 00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:54,372 We haven't manufactured a theme park. 688 00:42:54,372 --> 00:42:57,708 This is a real place, where you can get cold and wet 689 00:42:57,708 --> 00:42:59,944 and stub your toe on rocks and you can swim 690 00:42:59,944 --> 00:43:02,780 and climb up cliffs, you can see trees, 691 00:43:02,780 --> 00:43:06,484 you can hear birds, it's real. 692 00:43:06,484 --> 00:43:10,354 >> The peninsula has always drawn people here. 693 00:43:10,354 --> 00:43:14,292 And for the native people, this is where they hunted, 694 00:43:14,292 --> 00:43:19,263 this is where they harvested for food and for medicine. 695 00:43:19,263 --> 00:43:21,999 They fished out in these waters. 696 00:43:21,999 --> 00:43:25,736 And they actually still do that to this very day. 697 00:43:25,736 --> 00:43:27,805 I think for all people, 698 00:43:27,805 --> 00:43:31,542 it's the sheer beauty of this place, 699 00:43:31,542 --> 00:43:34,479 helps them or draws them, brings them 700 00:43:34,479 --> 00:43:37,582 and keeps them connected to the peninsula, 701 00:43:37,582 --> 00:43:42,186 so that they keep coming back again and again and again. 702 00:43:42,186 --> 00:43:45,156 Taking a group of school children 703 00:43:45,156 --> 00:43:48,926 out to Indian Head Cove and the Grotto 704 00:43:48,926 --> 00:43:53,931 and coming out to the shoreline and hearing them say, "Wow". 705 00:43:54,932 --> 00:43:58,436 That's-- yeah, that's what makes me... 706 00:43:59,937 --> 00:44:00,938 ...feel good. 707 00:44:00,938 --> 00:44:03,174 And I'd-- for me, it's always a blessed day 708 00:44:03,174 --> 00:44:05,610 when I can take a group of school children out 709 00:44:05,610 --> 00:44:09,480 and show them this place. 710 00:44:10,615 --> 00:44:12,049 >> It's a moving experience. 711 00:44:12,049 --> 00:44:14,352 It moves you. 712 00:44:14,352 --> 00:44:16,654 You feel something. 713 00:44:16,654 --> 00:44:18,556 I was speaking with a colleague 714 00:44:18,556 --> 00:44:21,225 who took some visitors out in the escarpments 715 00:44:21,225 --> 00:44:24,795 and one of the women on their tour, 716 00:44:24,795 --> 00:44:29,367 who was from overseas broke down and started crying. 717 00:44:29,367 --> 00:44:31,769 And he couldn't understand what was wrong 718 00:44:31,769 --> 00:44:33,504 and he went to her and he said, you know, "Is everything okay? 719 00:44:33,504 --> 00:44:35,206 What can I do?" 720 00:44:35,206 --> 00:44:40,211 And she was so overwhelmed with the vastness of this space, 721 00:44:40,211 --> 00:44:43,548 the water and these-- the vastness and the size 722 00:44:43,548 --> 00:44:47,151 and the scope of the escarpment that it moved her to tears. 723 00:44:47,151 --> 00:44:48,419 That's something. 724 00:44:48,419 --> 00:44:50,688 I mean, that's-- it's special. 725 00:44:50,688 --> 00:44:58,129 (♪♪♪) 726 00:44:58,129 --> 00:45:03,200 >> Here on the Niagara Escarpment, the stillness can be beautiful, 727 00:45:05,202 --> 00:45:07,371 spiritual... 728 00:45:08,372 --> 00:45:11,375 ...and chilling, all at once. 729 00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:17,815 (♪♪♪) 730 00:45:17,815 --> 00:45:21,285 Born at sea, 731 00:45:21,285 --> 00:45:25,323 scored by ice, 732 00:45:25,323 --> 00:45:28,893 ground down by time. 733 00:45:28,893 --> 00:45:32,163 It is forever a work in progress, 734 00:45:32,163 --> 00:45:35,666 an unresolved geological masterpiece. 735 00:45:37,568 --> 00:45:47,612 (♪♪♪) 736 00:45:47,612 --> 00:45:57,588 (♪♪♪) 737 00:45:57,588 --> 00:46:07,698 (♪♪♪) 738 00:46:07,698 --> 00:46:17,241 (♪♪♪)