Ils sauvent les tortues de la Réunion

"FROM REUNION TO MAYOTTE" / In the Southern Hemisphere, thousands of kilometers from mainland France, Reunion Island and its spectacular natural wonders are Cécile Botta's daily playground. Having fallen head over heels in love with the island, this former Air Force captain, now at the controls of her helicopter, takes us on a journey to discover extraordinary landscapes. Alongside her is Dominique de France, a mobile nurse, who accompanies her on a unique public service mission in France: providing healthcare to the small, perched hamlets of the Mafate cirque, a natural enclave inaccessible by road. 35 km away, passionate volcanologists are trying to unravel the mysteries of Piton de la Fournaise, the basalt giant that has shaped southern Reunion for nearly 500,000 years. Alain Bertil, raised to the rhythm of the eruptions of this volcano, one of the most active on the planet, leads an exceptional scientific expedition. He delves into the secret heart of the island's last forbidden territory: the remains of the "eruption of the century" in 2007. An architecture specialist, Bernard Leveneur has been championing the legacy of Réunion's builders for over 20 years. With Raphaël Gastebois, the new architect of the Buildings of France, this native son takes us on a journey tracing four centuries of mixed-race history on the former Île Bourbon, from the traditions of the Highland civilization to the forgotten monuments of the Malbar culture. Between steep ravines and impenetrable forests, the National Park teams tirelessly protect Réunion's ancient landscapes, fragile tropical ecosystems now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next stop: the shores of Mayotte, 1,400 km northwest of Réunion. Bathing the shores of France's 101st department, its lagoon, a tapestry of blues and one of the largest in the world, harbors exceptional biodiversity. A sanctuary for 2,300 species, classified as a marine natural park, Yannick Stéphan, a Mahoran by adoption, knows every treasure. A nature guide and photographer, this Breton crisscrosses the lagoon in search of its rarest underwater inhabitants, such as the majestic manta ray, the devil of the seas. On Bandrelé beach, in the south of the archipelago, Sidi Naouirdine, a ranger at the Natural Park, is fighting to preserve the riches of his native land by raising awareness among the children of his village about the fragility of their environment. Hidden in the shade of the central rainforests lies another treasure of Mayotte's terroir: ylang-ylang, the queen of flowers, used by the greatest perfumers since the late 19th century for its monoi and jasmine aromas. At 26, Hassani Soulaïma, the son of a farmer, decided to save this island know-how that has sustained generations of Mahorans. For the final leg of our journey through the Indian Ocean, we set off for the first time to discover the most secret jewel of French natural heritage: the Scattered Islands. These extraordinary biodiversity hotspots, scattered around Madagascar, resemble tiny confetti of France, and access is strictly reserved for the military and a select few scientists. Among them, marine biologists Jérôme Bourjea and Stéphane Ciccione are heading south to the Mozambique Channel for one of the rare military rotations, a veritable commando mission on Europa, the largest of the Scattered Islands. From the island's deserted coral beaches, the most important nesting site for green turtles in the Indian Ocean, to the pristine expanses of its mangrove forest, one of the oldest on the planet, they have less than 24 hours to carry out their capture and tagging operations. #documentary #society #report First broadcast: October 9, 2013 A report by Franck Dhelens 🟢 Subscribe to 100% Docs    / @100docs   🟢 Produced by CAPA: https://www.capatv.com/ 🟢 Welcome to 100% Docs, THE channel for all kinds of documentaries that opens a window onto the world around us. Immersive reports, impactful images: your daily dose of curiosity. Immersive and impactful investigations in France and around the world.