War Wrecks of the Coral Seas

The great naval and air battles of World War II brought terrible death and destruction to the islands and lagoons of the South Pacific. When the war ended, the wrecks of countless ships and aircraft were left behind, on the beds of the formerly pristine shallow waters. Surprisingly, this invasion of paradise did not repel wildlife from the waters. Instead, it attracted it.

Transformed by time and tide, rusting hulks and ruined cockpits have become spectacular artificial reefs, where underwater ecosystems find a foothold and grow. Gray reef sharks, giant manta rays, and a profusion of tropical fish, corals and sponges now thrive here, claiming this foreign territory as their own, creating new life where once there was none. Complemented by eyewitness accounts from American and Japanese servicemen who took part in the fighting, the film explores the unexpected beauty that has become the final legacy of the dark days of war. The victory belongs to the natural world.