Into the Midnight Zone: Secrets of the Ocean Void

In the deep ocean, life is divided between very different worlds. In the midwater, pelagic wanderers tread migratory routes that span entire oceans, and planktonic drifters and their predators take part in bioluminescent light shows. It is separated into zones based on depth, including the sunlight zone (epipelagic), twilight zone (mesopelagic), midnight zone (bathypelagic), abyssal and hadal zones. And below, lies the deep sea floor. A kingdom of mud and ooze, where sessile creatures cling to any solid outcrop and corals craft kingdoms on the seamount crusts. The worlds of the deep sea could not be more different, and yet their stories are fundamentally intertwined. In this episode, we delve into the Midnight Zone, a pitch-black zone of the deep sea where life has found peculiar ways to survive the immense pressure, from anglerfish to vampire squid to giant sharks.

Episodes:
2 - The Midnight Zone - (this episode)
3 - The Abyssal Plain - coming soon
4 - Seamounts and Canyons - coming soon
5 - Hydrothermal Vents - coming soon

Written, narrated and edited by me, Leo Richards. This channel (Natural World Facts) is a solo passion project dedicated to exploring the wonders of the natural world and telling stories that inspire! I'm so excited to share this series with you at last.

Music Used:

00:00 - Introduction to the Deep Ocean
00:52 - The Zones of the Deep Ocean
03:32 - Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
04:50 - Entering the Midnight Zone (Bathypelagic)
06:22 - Deep Sea Adaptations - Soft Bodies
07:02 - Deep Sea Adaptations - Gigantism in Greenland Sharks
07:51 - Deep Sea Adaptations - Ctenophores (Comb Jellies)
09:54 - Deep Sea Anglerfish - Bioluminescence & Parasitic Males
11:16 - Fusiform, Compressiform & Globiform Fish
13:44 - Midnight Zone Fish - The Sawtooth Eel
14:29 - Midnight Zone Fish - The Snipe Eel
15:47 - Midnight Zone Fish - The Gulper Eel
16:34 - Deep Sea Adaptations - Ultra-Blackness
17:32 - Midnight Zone Fish - Dragonfish
18:09 - Midnight Zone Fish - Toothy Viperfish
19:06 - Midnight Zone Fish - Pacific Blackchin
19:54 - Midnight Zone Fish - Chimaera (Holocephali)
20:35 - Deep Sea Cephalopods - The Dumbo Octopus
21:55 - Deep Sea Cephalopods - An Overview
22:58 - Deep Sea Cephalopods - Whiplash Squid
24:40 - Deep Sea Cephalopods - Strawberry Squid
26:27 - [Sponsored Interlude]
27:36 - The Aphotic Zone
28:13 - Deep Sea Cephalopods - The Glass Octopus
30:07 - Active Predators - Twilight Zone Squid
30:54 - Active Predators - Humboldt Squid
32:12 - Deep Sea Detritivores - Marine Snow
32:33 - Deep Sea Detritivores - The Vampire Squid
33:22 - A Deep Sea Mother - The Black-eyed Squid
35:15 - The Barrel Amphipod (Phronima)
35:49 - Deep Sea Larvae
36:38 - Deep Sea Hitchhikers
37:43 - Deep Sea Jellyfish - Deepstaria
38:48 - Deep Sea Jellyfish - Big Red Jelly (Tiburonia)
39:23 - Deep Sea Jellyfish - Giant Phantom Jelly (Stygiomedusa)
42:12 - Deep Sea Jellyfish - An Overview
42:50 - Siphonophores - Structures and Varieties
45:34 - Siphonophores - Splitting the Stem
48:48 - Cycles of Life & Nutrients - A Woodland Parallel
52:16 - Swimming Sea Cucumbers
53:38 - Introducing the Deep Sea Floor

#deepsea #wildlife #nature #documentary #ocean #marinebiology #science #biology

[NaturalWorldFacts]

So this one took a while... 11 months from start to finish, while balancing it with my final year of University and some other work on the side. I'm super excited to share this AND to announce that now I've graduated, this YouTube channel and my wildlife film-making are my full-time job moving forward!! So hopefully, lots more films, much faster. Please let me know what you thought of this one. I had so much fun working on it. 😁

[AlyxForest]

Given how sensitive animals in the deep are to vibrations, I wonder how many animals we will never find just because the submersibles scare them off from miles away.

[gamerkathan]

I gotta say...this channel has some of the highest quality videos on the deep sea. Video, narrator, rarity of animals, not recycled content and unique behaviors. Ty!!

[rawrrxgnome]

I’ve grown up with Blue Planet and this episode contains some of the most beautiful shots I’ve ever seen- an inspiration for anyone interested in marine biology

[besusbb]

i was just rewatching twilight zone for the 3rd time recently and then this just dropped, really excited to see this, grats on finishing it

[kellyharrison]

Another highly intelligent, beautifully filmed and edited documentary that doesn't rely on AI for writing or narration. Kudos!

[rasvega_]

I WAS going to sleep. Just seen this. Guess I’m listening to this until I end up in the ocean deep in my REM cycle. Thanks for the dope topic. Respect from SF, CA 415

[umbrellacorp.]

This top teir Nature Documentary right here. This guy has a natural voice and skill for this thing. He'll be like David Attenborough one day.😎👍💯

[Danika_Nadzan]

Beautiful work, Leo! You always manage to find the best footage to highlight the stunning beauty and amazing diversity of ocean life. I am always left feeling humbled and awed.

[IKKAIWINS]

Absolutely stunning once again, my absolute favorite style of nature documentary. Incredible sound design as well and great narration. Much love and hope to see more ❤

[crapsound]

The video is great but what makes this a lot better for me is the proper subtitles. It helps me understand the video much better especially when mentioning the types of species or phenomenons etc. Thank you very much!

[purplehaze]

These videos always feel like something I should be watching on a TV or streaming service; the fact this level of quality is in a YouTube documentary is awesome in the most literal sense of the word - quite literally inspiring awe.

[roastbeast]

i used to watch attenborough’s blue planet episode on the deep sea over and over again as a child, entranced by the mystery and tranquility of the deep. its a rare treat to have channels like this that take me back to those times and that i can still learn something new about our oceans

[pimpozza]

👏 *WOW!* I loved The Twilight Zone.. but _this_ has to be your very best film to date, Leo!
Such a professional production with hauntingly beautiful footage (many thanks to Schmidt Ocean Institute too).. I was mesmerised from start to finish!
Your writing and narration are top notch too..
I am forever fascinated by the weird and wonderful creatures of the deep.. Thank you for sharing your work and talent with us and the very best of luck with future projects and officially becoming a marine biologist! 🎊👍🙋🏻‍♀️

[janetseidlitz]

Leo, this is stunning. Really top notch work. I've been watching documentaries for most of my 59 years. You've got a special talent for this. Not everyone has the ability to teach this kind of thing and not bore their audience in the process.

[SnowblindOtter]

31:27 is the most BADASS visual of a squid I've ever seen. Humboldt Squid _really_ earning its epithet of "Red Devil" in that shot.

[mtrotter]

Such incredible work to make these documentaries: marine equipment, scripting, photography, lighting, narration, etc. I was completely enthralled from beginning to end. Thank you for the fabulous works.

[pimpozza]

So happy all is going well for you, Leo.. 👏 I have so enjoyed following your progress over the years..

[lazchurchyard]

Im enjoying the sparse, but effective, little sound effects youre using. The occasional fwoosh etc. enhances rather than distracts from.

Some television channels over use effects like that, to the point it seems a fiction.

[angelomaestroni]

It's incredible how you manage to make these videos extremely beautiful and relaxing at the same time