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Episode "Swimming With Humpback Whales"
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Thanks
to Gene Flipse of Conscious Breath Adventures and his team of seasoned Humpback
Whale behaviorists, Scott had eye to eye encounters with majestic Humpback Whales.
These gentle giants spend the majority of the winter months breeding and giving
birth to calves in the Silver Bank Marine Sanctuary located 80 miles off the coast
of the Dominican Republic in the open ocean. Only after they have fasted all winter
do they then make the journey north to New England's Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary
where they feast on Krill and Sand Lance all summer and fall. The fact that Scott
would be swimming alongside the beautiful Humpback whales sent his mother into
a near frenzy, but as it turns out the taxi drive to the marina was far more dangerous.
In this episode, join Scott for his wild ride in the Dominican Republic.
"Snakes, People and Pheromones"
In
his seventy-fifth episode Scott takes you on a journey into the breeding activities
of the Northern Water snake as he encounters a female mating with two suitors
at once. But how did these creatures find each other? The answer is "Pheromones."
Chemical scent trails left by the female that help alert interested males on how
to find her when the time is right. As it turns out we humans have adapted the
same technique to attract mates but after years of conditions by the deodorant
and cologne companies we've all but eliminated this critical human trait.
Finally,
with the help of Dr. Lynne Chang of Harvard University we get a private tour into
cheek cells within Scott's daughter Daphne Tucker's mouth by using the help of
our magnificent Zeiss Microscope
Folks, this is a G-rated look at Northern Water
snakes mating
"The
Here and Now"
In
his seventy-fourth episode of Expedition New England, Scott Tucker makes his annual
escape from the winter chill of the North Eastern Atlantic Ocean to dive the Western
Caribbean Sea in Roatan, Honduras and Belize where he dives on the second largest
barrier reef system in the world known as the Mesoamerican Reef.
While
exploring the magnificent marine life he also introduces the un-nerving statistic
that our coral reefs could be wiped out by 2050 if the current trend continues.
Scientists have determined that our coral reefs are sustaining tremendous damage
due to the effects of a condition known as ocean acidification. It's all triggered
by our usage of fossil fuels which raises Carbon Dioxide levels in Earths' atmosphere
resulting in an increase in pH levels making it harder for coral to survive.
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The Last Blue Shark
In
his seventy-second episode of Expedition New England, Scott Tucker teams up with
Captain Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters out of Point Judith Rhode Island for
their 5th annual offshore Blue Shark Scuba diving encounter. Sharks, the most
spectacular "apex predator" are being systematically stripped from our
oceans to feed an unfounded Asian myth. Some estimates state that over 100 million
sharks are destroyed each year "just for the fins." What's the reason?
It's all in the name of an unfounded legend that declares "shark fin soup"
as an aphrodisiac.
In search of more evidence, Scott leads another expedition into New York City's famous Chinatown district to witness firsthand the horrible practice of "shark fining" where Spiny Dogfish "a common New England shark species" is spotted for only $1- per pound after its fins were sliced off.
Without ever stepping foot into
the cage, Scott proves once again that sharks are not the brutal killers that
mainstream media has played them as he and ENE faithfuls Chris Pimley and Neil
Cote swim face to face in open ocean with a solitary seven foot Blue Shark.
See a preview of this episode
The
Truth About Nonpoint Source Pollution
In
his seventy first episode of Expedition New England, Scott Tucker takes you on
a journey into the changing face of pollution. Instead of looking for pipes
and
smoke stacks as the usual suspects he ends up at your doorstep. Nonpoint
source
pollution is leaching into our ground water "as well as the rivers
and streams"
from poorly maintained septic systems, untreated dog waste
left on the lawn as
well as thousands of gallons of oil spilling daily into
our rivers and streams
all over North America. And true to Expedition New
England form Scott heads off
shore on a SCUBA adventure with trusted diving
partner Chris Pimley and Captain
Bill Lussier of the Northeast Charter Boat
Company to get a close up look at Harbor
Seals in the Gulf of Maine before
they begin the journey to Long Island Sound
for their winter respite. And
thanks to research by Dr. Susan Shaw it's clear
that these Harbor seals of
Maine are dying as a result of consumption of fish
contaminated from DDT and
PCB that came from nonpoint source pollution over 40
years ago.
Stellwagon
Bank Scuba
In
his seventieth episode of Expedition New England, Scott Tucker hires the help
of Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions of Salem Massachusetts to explore the Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Cape Cod Bay. In his deepest dive to date the
team led by David Caldwell and Heather Knowles explore the Pinthis where they
encounter Longhorn Sculpin, Spiny Sunstars and schools of Spiny Dogfish prowling
the rich waters for food.
Also on the team, ENE dive partner Chris Pimley
joins Scott and keeps a close eye on no-decompression stop time limits while they
each enjoy the dive experience of a life time. True to form, in flashback scenes
from reptile encounters over the summer of '09 Scott, Daphne, Race and Ava encounter
a six foot Eastern Black Rat Snake while hiking in Higganum. Then they find a
magnificent Eastern Milk Snake while visting with ENE faithful "Uncle Bennie T
Rayner. Last but not least, on the way home from diving the Pinthis, the dive
team encounter a pod of Minke Whales and a spectacular Humpback Whale as they
feast off the abundant array of sea life in Stellwagen Bank.
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The
Abyss
Scott
is finally convinced by trusted friend and scuba diving partner Chris Pimley to
explore the infamous "Connecticut River Abyss". Thanks to the guidance of Captain
Earl Hasselmark the three man team encounter bazaar freshwater sponges, a gigantic
'neon fish" as well many other species never encountered before.
Beyond
the 120-foot deep "Abyss", for dive two, the crew heads 20 miles north, up the
Connecticut River to another renowned dive site "the fallen Central Vermont RR
bridge." It's here that Scott documents strange "varves" in the river bed that
mark 18,000 years of Lake Hitchcock history as well as large schools of Rock Bass
roaming the train track debris. Finally, after getting caught up in the countryside
cornfields and pumpkin patches the crew makes a last minute tour of "Dinosaur
Footprints" in Holyoke Mass where Ava, Daphne and Race experience evidence of
prehistoric New England.
A Manatee's Garden In The Sound
True
to form, each year the Expedition New England crew heads south to escape the cold
but this year "the cold came too" and it was a good thing. Endanger
due to loss of habitat and numerous boating accidents each winter the West Indian
Manatee are drawn to hot springs in the Crystal River National Wild Life Refuge.
With daughter Daphne and Mom Helena on the snorkel team,
Scott captures fantastic underwater video of this peaceful herbivore.
Additionally, the Expedition New England team fast forwards to April '09 where
they team up with Mardi Hanson-d'Alessandro of Higganum CT who teaches us who
to cultivate and harvest a delicious "yard salad" loaded with vitamins
and minerals "beyond belief".
Finally, we tie it all together
with interviews of Daphne's top three Expedition New England Jr. Oceanographers
Tommy Knowles, Jayonna Holmes and Cameron Dreher who proclaim
their plans for protecting Long Island Sound.
The Time Is Now For Long Island Sound
In
this episode, with guidance from of Save the Sound, Scott makes
an urgent call for everyone to protect Long Island Sound from the proposed Liquefied
Nature Gas facility. He takes you on a journey into the past where he grew up
in southern Connecticut along the shores of East Haven and Branford. In addition,
he flashes back to a spectacular night scuba diving adventure with Chris Pimley
off the coast of Weekapaug Point Rhode Island where they encountered swarms of
sea life
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Arcadia On The Brain
Whoever
said getting there is half the fun? They never met Scott Tucker, a neurotic naturalist
who would rather stay home and film Carpenter Ants dismembering a Bald Faced Hornet
larvae than go on family adventure to Acadia National Park in August of 2007.
In spite of this, Scott heads north with trusted SCUBA diving partner Chris Pimley
and experiences the most spectacular shore diving of the year. They encounter
hundreds of bazaar sea cucumbers, giant mussels and a lone Lump fish hiding in
the kelp. To break things up Scott flashes back to a May '07 visit with wildlife
rehabilitator Dawn Sotir who gives the Expedition New England team ( including
special guest Taylor Tucker) a lesson in raccoon day care. Finally, Daphne earns
her junior ranger certification with the help of Acadia's awesome park rangers.
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Where Have All The Blue Sharks Gone?
Two
years since the last trip with Captain Charlie Donilon, Scott leads a team of
divers off the coast
of Rhode Island back for another chance to encounter
Blue Sharks in the open ocean. But after years of over fishing and increased pressure
by Asian markets to harvest these animals for shark fin soup, will they even see
a shark? In addition, Scott goes undercover to Chinatown NYC where he confirms
the most horrible nightmare. "The shark fin soup trade is flourishing in
the US" Can we unite and stop the senseless slaughter or will this critically
important apex preditor be wiped off the face of earth? Finally, Marine Science
Educator Ian Gibson gives us insight to the plight of the sharks on the planet
and warms of sad ending if we don't change fast.
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Ants On The March
Ants
make a vast majority of animal matter in New England but the only time you hear
about them is when they've become a household pest. In this episode, Scott, Ava,
Daphne and Race lead you on a journey through Higganum, Connecticut where they
actually seek out a super organism of Alleghany Mound Ants living nearby. In addition,
they also gather a sample of ants living in their own backyard and take them to
Gale Ridge of the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station in New Haven, Connecticut
for positive identification. You won't believe what they discover.
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Toads In Heat
Scott
and Daphne explore the nighttime breeding migration of the American Toad. Also,
the Tuckers take you back to Guerrero, Mexico where they explore the ancient culture
of Soledad de Maciel and an ecological park in Ixtapa where they encounter an
exotic bird, ants, a gecko and more. Back at home, Scott, with the help of the
Hacker family, works to save an orphaned raccoon. Will he be successful?
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Nocturnal New England
Scott teams up with scuba diving faithful, Chris Pimley to explore the nocturnal
marine life at Fort Wetherill, RI. Then, Scott hooks up with his herpetological
mentor, Chuck Annicelli to capture footage of the rarest reptile in Southern New
England, the Timber Rattlesnake. Also, Daphne and cousin Sierra Tucker assist
Scott with the release of young painted turtle in the pouring rain. Finally, Ben
Rayner joins Scott on a spontaneous hike in the back woods of Higganum in search
of a little sanity. Will they find any?
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I was The Alien
Scott
teams up with Captains Bill Lussier and Debbie Jordan of the Northeast Charter
Boat Company on a mission to encounter a massive colony of Harbor Seals off the
coast of Maine. Additionally, Scott flashes back to an extraordinary hike in the
woods of Guilford Lakes with his cousin Brian Tucker's family. Finally, Scott
flashes back to a raccoon family trying to escape an unknown danger in broad daylight.
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Ansonia Nature Center
Scott
leads you on an extraordinary visit to the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center
where he presents a live exhibit of New England snakes. In addition, Alison Rublemann
introduces "Babe" the Red Tailed Boa. Finally, in a series of flashbacks,
Scott takes you back to an Expedition gone bad in Newport where he almost loses
his mind at the Breakers Mansion. How does he maintain sanity.
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The New England Jungle
Scott
documents the spectacular wildlife found in his own backyard of Higganum. With
the help of his daughter Daphne, Scott leads you through a time warp jump between
river snorkeling in July and the first frost of November 2006. Scott discovers
a moth so rare, it doesn't have a common name and is more likely to be found in
Nicaragua. Scott sums up the show with a spider story where he and Daphne encounter
a wonderful arachnid and take it entomologist Gale Ridge for closer examination
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Approaching Realtime
Scott
feels the pressure of managing his families construction company and bangs out
a show "approaching real time" in two hours. Scott, along with Daphne
and special guest Claudia Peissig literally walk across the street from their
house into a swamp adjacent to Candlewood Hill Brook and discover plants and insects
beyond belief. Then Scott takes you into his front yard where he brings you into
the wild world of ants.
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Forgotten Dive
Scott
explores the marine environment off the Rhode Island coast with faithful dive
partner Chris Pimley. There they encounter a gigantic winter flounder that decided
to spend her summer at the shore of Fort Adams instead of heading to deeper water.
Next Scott takes you on another dive into the uncharted world of his own mouth
as Dr. Connolly, Scott's dentist, attempts a root canal procedure. You'll freak
at the wildlife found living in Scott's mouth, sucking the life out of his teeth.
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Bluff
Head
Naturalist
Scott Tucker along with daughter Daphne, son Race and wife Ava climbs Bluff Head
in Guilford, Connecticut. There they explore the incredible geology, flora and
fauna that exists so close to home. Also, in a flashback to winter the family
sifts through soil from a small pond to discover salamanders and insects that
live through the bitter cold.
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Mojave
Desert
Naturalist
Scott Tucker and his family take you on a journey into the Joshua Tree National
Park where they encounter lizards, toads and snakes of the Mojave Desert. Additionally,
Ava and Daphne discover that life erupts at dusk while they encounter a breading
population of Red Spotted Toads in the Barker Dam oasis. Finally, Scott takes
you into the high dessert looking for his first rattlesnake. Does he get skunked
again?
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Spring
Emergence
Naturalist
Scott Tucker and his family take you on a journey though out New England where
they encounter a northern copperhead in a forgotten wilderness. Also, Scott's
daughter Daphne snorkels in Fort Wetherill for the first time and sees remarkable
marine life at 4 years old. Finally, Scott shows us a wildlife crossing tunnel
installed under Rt 66 in Middlefield, CT that is designed to reduce animal road
mortality.
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Nedobity
Preserve
Naturalist
Scott Tucker and his family take you through a typical weekend in New England
where they perform a herpetology survey for the haddam land trust at the nedobity
preserve. They encounter a vernal pool loaded with spotted salamander larvae,
several two- lined salamanders, a dusky salamander, and a myriad of insects and
flora.
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Haddam
Land Trust
Along with his wife Ava and daughter Daphne, Scott
takes you on amphibian and reptile hunting adventures in Haddam, Conn., and get
more than they bargained for. Also featured is Chris Camacho and Sierra Tucker
who join in the search. Runtime 30 minutes.
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New
England Scuba
Forget
the Keys, the Bahamas, and Florida, we've got an incredible marine life aquarium
in our own backyard - you wouldn't believe it. Join Scott Tucker as he introduces
you to the blue sharks and marine life off the coast of Rhode Island. Runtime
28 minutes.
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Search
For Reptiles
Naturalist
Scott Tucker, with special guest Chris Camacho, takes you on a snake hunting adventure
in New England where they search of the eastern hognose snake and get more than
they bargain for. Added feature is Matt Harris with his pet hybrid crocodile.
Runtime 30 minutes.
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More
Than A Creek
Naturalist
Scott Tucker along with special guest Mary Head leads you on a journey through
an unexpected urban jewel called Old Field Creek in West Haven, Connecticut. Approximately
400 acres of watershed that acts as a major estuary for amazing animals like fox,
eastern box turtles, and the black skimmer which exists as far south as Sandy
Point. Runtime 28 min 26 sec.
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Diamondback
Terrapin.
Naturalist
Scott Tucker along with his daughter Daphne, take you on their adventures in New
England where they introduce you to a Diamondback Terrapin. Also, in a flashback
to winter, they are found feeding the closest living relative to the dinosaur.
And finally, Scott is joined by Chris Pimley in his first winter dive at Fort
Wetherhill, Rhode Island.
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The
Amphibians
Here
Scott takes you through the remarkable amphibian migrations in New England where
he focuses on the spotted salamander, vernal pools, aquatic insect life, and the
issue of road mortality. Runtime 28 minutes.