8pm Thursday SOUTH PACIFIC - Nature Documentary - This landmark series explores the sheer scale and majesty of the largest ocean on Earth, the isolation of its islands, and the extraordinary journeys wildlife and humans have gone through to reach these specks of land.
Oceans of Volcanoes – Witness the birth, growth and death of an island in the greatest ocean on earth.
Millions of years are condensed into an hour revealing unforgettable images of an erupting underwater volcano; rivers of lava exploding below the waves; roads and houses buried by molten rivers of rock. From these violent beginnings emerge coral reefs of unparalleled richness, supporting large groups of grey reef sharks and giant manta rays.
The rising lands of the South Pacific have also given life to some very strange creatures, from the vampire bug that thrives in tropical snow, and the megapode, a bird that uses volcanic springs to incubate its eggs, to vast swarms of jellyfish trapped forever by a coral mountain. This is the Pacific as you've never seen it before.
9pm EXPEDITION WITH STEVE BACKSHALL - Nature Documentary - Go deep into uncharted territory to uncover the world’s last unknown places.
There are still parts of our planet yet to be explored. In this global series, adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall ventures into uncharted territory in pursuit of new discoveries and world firsts. He takes on extreme physical challenges, encounters extraordinary wildlife and meets remarkable people.
MEXICO - FLOODED CAVES - Return to Mexico, where Steve Backshall explores a honeycomb of subterranean Mexican caves that the ancient Maya believed were a portal to a terrifying underworld. In a dark and flooded cave, Steve finds incredible never-before-seen artifacts.
