sea turtles have been swimming in the world's oceans for 65 million years since the time of the dinosaurs
自从恐龙诞生以来，海龟已经在世界海洋中游弋了6500万年
it may be surprising that these animals could be endangered after existing for so long on earth
令人惊讶的是这些动物在地球上生存这么久可能会濒临灭绝
but it's true there are only a few places left where sea turtles still thrive
但是，能供海龟繁衍生息的地方确实不多
and this is one of those places
这就是其中一个地方
I've come all the way to support an island in Malaysia to explore one of the world's most incredible sea turtle sanctuaries
我远道而来是为了在马来西亚的一个岛屿上去探索世界上海龟保护区之一
I'm Jonathan bird and welcome to my world
我是乔纳森·伯德，欢迎来到我的世界
well now we go
现在出发
we head out towards the reefs of Sipadan Island
我们朝西巴丹岛的暗礁走去
this island is so small that you can walk all the way around it on the beach in an hour
这个岛很小，一小时内你就可以游完整个岛
yet it has a huge population of sea turtles
岛上有大量的海龟
I suit up for a dive to explore the reefs and hopefully find a few sea turtles
我穿上潜水服去珊瑚礁探险一番，希望能找到几只
immediately I end up right in the middle of a huge school of jacks
我立刻游到了鱼群的中间位置
sip Aden is known for massive schools of fish
这里以鱼群众多而闻名
as the school of jacks swims away
当鱼游走了
I spot my first sea turtle a green sea turtle swimming over the reef
我找到了第一只海龟——绿海龟，它正在礁石上游泳
it wasn't hard because they're everywhere
找到海龟并不难，因为海龟无处不在
some are swimming around while others are napping on and in the reef
有的在游泳，有的在礁石上打盹
see turtles actually sleep underwater while holding their breath
看到海龟屏住呼吸在水下睡觉了吗
a sea turtle can easily hold its breath over an hour
对它们来说，屏吸一个多小时是轻而易举的事
a few hundred feet away, I find a hawksbill sea turtle munching on the reef
几百英尺外，我发现一只玳瑁海龟正在礁石上用力咀嚼

she's plucking out tasty sponges and invertebrates that hide in the coral
她正在把藏在珊瑚里美味的海绵动物和无脊椎动物叼出来
rather than eat the coral itself
而不是在吃珊瑚
it takes a tough stomach to digest this stuff
得需要多强大的胃才能消化这些东西
that was incredible I have never seen such big schools of fish anywhere
太神奇了，我从没见过这么大的鱼群
but two sea turtles man I must have seen 30 sea turtles on one dive, amazing
还有两只海龟，我刚才肯定见有30只海龟，太不可思议了
as we circle the island
当我们环岛航行的时候
I can see the tracks left in the sand by females that have climbed the beach to lay their eggs
我能看到雌海龟爬上沙滩产卵时留下的痕迹
it all starts when a male identified by his long tail catches up with a cooperative female and courts her
最开始的时候，雄性海龟（根据长尾巴来识别）追上了一只雌性海龟，并向它求爱
from the surface I see the action and I prepare to film it
我在水面上看到了这一切，我准备把它拍下来
here's the plan I'm gonna slip in, quietly grab the camera and off I go
我打算悄悄地跟进，静静地拿起相机，然后下水
and I need somebody stand on the bow just pointing at the turtles okay
我需要有人站在船头指着海龟的位置，
just so I can see where the heck they are
这样我就能知道它们在哪里了
as we approach closer I get up to head in
当船靠近的时候，我一头钻进了水里
the mating has begun and they quietly approached to film the action
交配开始了，两只海龟在彼此靠近，我准备把这一幕给拍下来
mating is not easy for the female sea turtle
雌性海龟交配并不容易
she must swim and rise to breathe for both of them
它必须游到海面好让它们都可以呼吸
the male's long tail holds the female and fertilizes the eggs
雄性海龟的长尾巴抓住雌性海龟并使其受精
while claws on his front flippers give him the ability to grasp the females shell
而雄性海龟的前爪抓住雌性海龟的壳
the commotion doesn't go unnoticed by other males in the area
该地区的其他雄性海龟都注意到这一情况
they flock to the mating pair which have drifted away from the reef
它们蜂拥奔向漂到礁石外的一对海龟
in competition for a limited number of females the other males look for ways to dislodge the suitor
为争夺数量有限的雌性海龟，其他雄性会想方设法赶走求爱的海龟
one Challenger bites his flipper
一个“挑战者”咬住他的鳍
when that doesn't work he tries a blast of air bubbles
咬鳍不起作用，它又试着吹气泡
he tries sticking his head between the mating pair hoping to wedge them apart
它试着把头伸进两只海龟的中间，希望能借机把它们分开
through it all the mating male must hang on and tough it out
所有交配的雄性海龟都必须坚持到底
fighting back would mean losing his grip and that's just what his rivals won
反击意味着将没办法抓住雌性海龟，而这正给对手创造了机会
eventually no less than four additional male turtles arrived to challenge the sooner
最终，多达4只的雄性海龟前来挑战
they all try the same techniques and it's starting to wear him down
它们都尝试用同样的技巧，雄性海龟累的不行了
meanwhile the female is near exhaustion
与此同时，这只雌性海龟几乎精疲力竭
the male is only struggling to hold on
雄性只能挣扎着坚持
the female is struggling to survive
这只雌性海龟正在挣扎中求生