It's All DEAD. A Horrible Reality (Not Clickbait) SOLO Survival Challenge - Catch & Cook 

Hey guys, the thing about coral bleaching is it’s a sign of distress, bleached corals are not dead; they are just at a higher risk of dying if the stress conditions keep on getting worse. corals have a symbiotic relationship with a type of algae called zooxanthellae, which live in their tissues and are the source of their color. These algae give the coral some food through photosynthesis. when the water is too warm, corals get rid the zooxanthellae, leading to a loss of color and, more importantly, a significant reduction in the coral's food supply. without the algae, the corals receive less energy and are more susceptible to disease. some bleaching is completely natural but when it gets to the severity seen here it is a major concern for marine ecosystems, as this leads directly to the degradation of coral reefs, which are vital for marine biodiversity.

Rod you always cheer me up and I get a good laugh out of these vids. You picked a fish out of the ocean no one would usually go for, picked some local weeds as a side dish and topped it off with some house made salt. No one does it like you and that’s what I appreciate regardless of what’s going on around ya. Cheers 🍺

Thank you for sharing and taking us along your adventures. As an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, I understand your concern and sadness. My family and I live in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. The wild fires from a few years ago were absolutely devastating on our landscape. Several hundred thousand acres of forest and land were scorched. Hundreds of homes were either lost or destroyed. When I drive on Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe or Highways 88/89, I can't help but feel tremendous sorrow for the future generations that won't be able to enjoy what this area once had. I've met old timers who also live in this area who cry at their own loss. My two sons will be old men when the current saplings mature into fully grown pine trees.

We saw the same thing here in the Florida Keys last summer with record sea temps. Once the water temperatures dropped most of the corals seemed to have recovered. The algae that live within the corals are temperature sensitive, but the corals, not to the same degree. They do depend upon the algae as a food source, however.

Thankyou for producing this content Rod. The harsh reality of what is happening in our oceans is difficult to watch, but so important. Not alarmist at all, you're a realist.

I understand what you were trying to present here Rod. I know you're not a clickbait guy, or an alarmist. Just showing us what you see. Usually I am really pleased at how healthy the ecosystems you show are, but this one definitely has a problem. I hope it rebounds, and also that we gain a greater understanding of why this happens and what, if anything, we can do about it. Many of the places I have frequented over the last 60+ years have changed drastically, directly caused by intense, concentrated human activity - places that are being loved to death. Anyway good video as always, you made a good go of it under less than ideal conditions!

Thank you for raising awareness on such an important topic! Great video as always

In the early 80s when I fished as a kid "The Horseshoe Kelp" off Long Beach, Rocky point off Redondo, Huntington Flatts off Huntington Beach, Marine Land off San Pedro, and even Point Ferman off the coast in So-Cal was teeming with life. We'd catch Seabass, Yellowtail, Giant Callies, etc. etc. I was just out there last Sunday we metered around and found basically a dead zone. We have found out over the past years that over 25,000 barrels of DDT were dumped in the area back in the 70s that have killed the kelp forests off our coast and pretty much Eff'd up our program here. I always love watching your videos because it makes me long for the days of catching fish off our coast that aren't here (in abundance) anymore. Now when we are out there, IF we are lucky, we get to feed the family. The area that you fish is special, and I really hope it stays that way. ~Cheers

I share your sadness. I logged just shy of 1000 dives off Cairns in the backpacker boom of the 90s. To see the amount of bleaching that's happened in the last 20 years makes you feel such a sense of loss, more so when it's a coral garden you loved in particular, for whatever reason. It's not just the corals, they and the reefs they form support an entire ecosystem and it's literally shocking and traumatic to dive a place you've seen teeming with life and see it bleak, bleached and barren. It hits hard. If you unpack what you're feeling you'll find it's grief. Back in the day I was diving or snorkelling three times a week, two dives a day and nothing was as satisfying as taking people out to see those reefs, watching as nature blew minds, enhancing their one day with knowledge and experience to show visitors such a spectacle. My sister had just had three boys in as many years, and I was so stoked on the idea of, when they left the nest, taking them to the reef to see it themselves. Twenty years later, there's nothing to show. Nothing like it was, that top 10m zone of bright light, walls of colour with carpets of fish dancing across it. Just bleached slimy wastelands, not even a tenth of the life that was on it. It's easy to cruise around on the surface, jig off little bommies, fill your esky and go home thinking it's all good. It's not. If you spend any time under the water you know. Be thankful if you saw it if you did, and sorry you missed it if you didn't. Yes I've seen patches showing signs of recovery, but that's usually after cyclonic damage, not after extensive bleaching. When a small patch in the middle of a reef dies off, it's likely to be recolonized by the corals around it and grow back in several years. The less living coral there is left, the less spawn you'll get in November in that area, and the fewer planula (newly spawned corals) make it back down through the water column to a hard surface to colonize. Assuming we don't have further heat stress, that is. Islands tend to recover faster overall if there's deeper water on the seaward side with lot of living corals still on it. Go dive the edges at 20 to 40m, see what's out there, that's your best indication.

Hey RoKKiT KiT thanks for helping me through depression over the years, i will always appreciate your channel brother big love from South Africa🇿🇦

So many butt hurt people on here and Facebook about this video. Quite surprised actually. Good video Rod, don't worry about anyone who tries to put you down for it. Yes these environmental changes occur naturally in cycles over and over again, but our impact as humans is accelerating changes at an alarming rate, and you would have to be a moron to deny it.

Rod this makes me so sad, but im glad youre bringing more awareness to this. Im also dismayed to see a lot of these comments, but I understand this is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of folks. They'd rather bury their head in the sand.

Love the cute little yellow fish frolicking along beside you while you were swimming. It was like a race for him.

I saw that in the Maldives islands 15 years ago after 2 unusual warm years. Very sad. But life started to come back after a few years.

This was an important video. Thanks mate. I could see you were close to tears and I feel the same - what world are we leaving for our children? Very sad.

Thanks for cool videos. I truly enjoy them. I like your descriptions of places,and no,bullshit. You're a genuine man, no yuppie crap. Honesty in your narrative, so rare these days.

Man seeing this feels like Mike Tyson punched me in the gut, I don’t remember the last time I shed a tear but I definitely have a lump in my throat and want the world to see this exact video, my man Rok was so excited so pumped for this adventure and the peak of the excitement is at the beginning cuz you have so much time left , 3-4 days of no telling adventure , then it all makes sense why there wasn’t even a bite while flicking around the entire island. I felt your pain bro… hoping/praying to see color, life around the next bend. I’m gonna keep this special place on my mind till you take us back so we can all celebrate together as it beats this sickness ! 🙏🏼🤙🏼

great vid per usual, im lucky to have dived aus as a child. its sad to see what is becoming of our beautiful oceans

I could watch you swimming around under the water for hours, its so relaxing and peaceful.

Historical Video, we hear science talking, but you showed it up close. We all need to be active.

Hi Rod, very sad to see indeed. We experienced the same thing here in Key Largo Florida this past summer. Since it’s winter here, I haven’t been back in the water to see if gotten better. I hope so!! Keep up the adventures.

that close up of the little fish at 44:30 had me giggling, your muffled breaths sounded very happy

Beautiful and heartbreaking. I love your deep connection to the ocean. It’s not just “I fish and fuck yeah!” You remind us all in your vids that we are part of something bigger and beautiful. You always pay respects to the food you catch and to the ocean you enter into. I loved the beautiful moment you had with that little fish following you around. A poignant moment if you think about it. He was swimming with you because you provided shelter but it’s man that has caused the degradation of its home. Thank you Rod ❤

I think you will be really surprised at how much of that will come back. I saw quite a bit of pastel and base colour. Some more exposed places have that happen most years and by winter they are fully coloured up. That was all shallow water and if some has died it will become base substrate for the next generation. It is a very normal and in some cases needed part of the cycle to make room for the next generation and it’s genetics to stay relevant to current situated environment. Keep up the great vids, I hope to see some positive updates on it recovery.

Sorry about some of the negative comments. People get so blinded by their political views that they sometimes don't see what is right in front of them. Also, I can bet that the majority of your viewers agree with you, but unfortunately sometimes the small percentage of negative people have the loudest voices. It's not like you went on some political tangent, you're just showing what you found and how it made you feel. Regardless of the cause, it is always sad seeing nature in a state like that. Been watching you for a long time and love the solo island camping videos. Keep it up and never quit!

The landscape/ rock on that island is so interesting I have never seen vertical slices of rock like that

We weren’t born with shoes on our feet! Nothing better than our feet being connected to Mother Earth. 🙏🏼☺️

I liked the way you turned the salt pan around so that the water would be over the fire, completely ignoring gravity; it made me laugh. Among the horror and desperation I have to find something to laugh at.

Its all part of a natural cycle. As tempuratures fluctuate and sea levels rise and fall the prime locations for reefs change so youll see existing reefs diminish and new reefs forming. Have we as a soecies aided the decline, more then likely, but nature and coral reefs have been and will be here long before we existed and long after we are gone. The oceans circle of life will not be so easily destroyed.

Wow that's depressing. I dive throughout SE Asia and just got back from Raja Ampat. I can happily report that their reefs are healthy and vibrant!

I miss watching the small boat island camps. Love the new boat content too but definately miss watching you get rained on in the hoochie🤣

Sadly a lot of fishos have their heads in the sand about these issues - as sad as it is to see, it’s good that you’re making people aware of the reality

Hey from Denmark. Here we don't have beautiful corals or anywhere near the diversity you have been used to. But we also no longer have fish. Many species are just gone from the coastal waters, and the ocean is full of brown algae and looks completely dead. I just started fishing last year after a 10 year break or so. And it literally broke my heart when i wandered around in waders, and was looking down with a headlamp. Everything is suffocated by algae, it's just a thick slushy brown goo covering and killing everything in it's path. We are destroying our planet. Thanks for raising awareness, a big comforting hug to you. I know i needed one when i realized the state of the waters ❤

Wish politicians cared more about what was going on with our planet than what was going into their pockets.

Always so sad to see the sheer amount of garbage left out there. From a little kid I was always taught to bring out anything I brought into the bush. Even Ciggy butts were pocketed. This video breaks my heart.

personally I don't think bringing useful footware takes anything away from the 'adventure'. your feets are everything. it only takes a single cut to ruin the trip and even potentially your life. we've all seen the mess people leave, it takes a tiny bit of broken glass to cause a world of hurt, then you've the oysters or just sharp rocks. anyways, i just don't think gamling with our feet of all things should be done on these types of things. in saying that though, they're your feet and you do what you want. always love your vids mate and always excited when i see a new one.

A bummer indeed. But a dose of reality that can help remind us to appreciate what we have. To always respect nature, not take it for granted, to never abuse it. Thanks RoKKiT your content is outstanding. But dang you for making me feel a bit soft 😉... $20 Kmart tent ... Not an area where I'd want to be so thrifty! 😁Best wishes!

That was a great little friend you picked up while snorkeling

So sad about the circumstances around that island,yes we are living in a challenging times .... we are really a virus to this planet !

Absolutely heartbreaking - our oceans are dying and we're just watching our environment crumble in slow motion

Glad u can just enjoy a little bit of the island.. but sad no fish hope it gets better soon

Always genuine content with a story to tell

I just looked back at your vlog from last year when you were here. It is even more devastating 😭😭

Haven't seen one of your videos in a while, it's a shame that I came back to see the reef in such a state. As you've mentioned, I really hope the reef recovers somehow in someway, but it was nice to watch one of your videos again.

Just came across your channel. Love the content! Keep up the great work. :) Love from Chicago!

I saw the same thing at Baía de Ilha Grande (Brazil) in 10 years, more than 90% of corals have been bleached and the fishes (the plural is because they are a lot of different species) are gone.

You're a great person and a total sweetheart. I wouldn't get too worried about this sample.

I love when you do catch and cook survival videos but also I appreciate you bringing attention to the conditions of the reef. Thank you for your content sir

Heart breaking to see. Hopefully it recovers. Cool to see the blacktip reef shark and turtle , but the vast amount of bleaching is alarming

One man's trash is another's treasure. Good fix for shoes

The bleaching looks so heartbreaking 😢 I feel your pain Ron!

The only thing that helps me sleep at night is knowing just how resilient life is and hoping that it can adapt. Coral reefs over the last 500 million years have adapted to the many mass extinctions and natural climate changes that have always occurred. The Great Barrier Reef has changed position many times historically as an adaptation to past changes and was able to always rebound. The only difference this time is instead of the temperatures changing over tens of thousands of years, we’ve artificially accelerated it to 100-200 years. My fingers are crossed that life can adapt this fast, but we really don’t know. But I have hope, and I hope you guys do too.

It's so sad to see this and one can only hope that the reefs will recover.

I've speared there before, there certainly are some large tiger sharks there. especially on the south east tip. very scary when its murky. you also have to watch out for crocs coming over from the river mouth about 5 klm away.

Hey Rod. I dove the same island 2 years ago and was the same, 6 months later it was all back through winter.

Your country is sooooooo beautiful. It breaks my heart to see what is happening. Thank you for taking us along. One of these days, I hope to swim in those waters. 💔 This is just devastating. I still see the beauty, but it has taken a hit, and not to mention those that depend on the reefs to exist. So, so very sad. 😥😥

I saw the article about 40 minutes ago. Keep your chin up Rokkit. George

Should bring water shoes with you there light they breat they dried in about 20 mins good for wearing in water where you can't see your feet so you don't step on anything that'll cut you

WONDERFUL, you found my jandal (The first one, with the string) Any chance of posting it back to me here in Brighton UK? Lol Nice video m8, Subscribed.

Wicked Rod, jeez 40 k run. Thinking of buying an electric moped. Love the channel. 💜

It is a shame to see what we have done to our home. We have known since the '70's that this was coming and I for one didn't do everything I could have done to stop, or at least slow it down. I hope we can change before it is too late for us.

Thanks for the video Rokkit. I find it sad that some of the comments are just trolling when you are actually talking about an issue that majority of Australians probably have never experienced but think trying to put you down pumps their tyres up. There are bleaching events from the most northern parts to the most southern parts, on top of other struggles like the crown of thorns starfish populations and other events decimating areas. It is disgraceful seeing others taking it out on Rokkit because he is making a videos showing the changes he has experienced and if you have watched this channel long enough you would also see that from his past trips to this island. He is not trying to be political but is showing his own experience. I think what you do to promote the GBR in the videos showing its potential is not only inspiring to Aussie’s like myself but to the international community, who have an even slimmer chance of seeing it for themself. I believe those who do not live near these important areas don’t have the ability to see its worth. Living in the south east of Australia, I had never seen the GBR before 3 years ago and living in North Queensland now, I understand the importance not only to the environment but to the local communities for personal recreation, employment, to the $6+ billion economic value it creates. Keep up the good work Rokkit and I look forward to your next video

Oh my good GOLD on this Island there are so much quartz veins... start digging! 😂😂🤣🤣 22:53

goooooood morning rokkit! perfect timing whilst i get some work done! 🤙

Very interesting . I live in North Devon UK. At a place called Croyde the rocks are exactly the same.

Oh Rod - my heart is just breaking. 💔Not just for all the people of Australia, but the entire planet. I knew coral bleaching was happening, but it feels so much worse when you actually see it. I remember how shocked I was hearing about the water temperatures around the southern tip of Florida and The Keys last summer (40 C), so clearly this is happening everywhere. 😬😧😭 I still enjoyed your exploration of the island, & your catch & cook 😁😎 I understand why you left early, though. Thank you for releasing this video despite your distress. 🤗 It ought to serve as an extreme wake-up call for any climate change deniers who watch this. 😮‍💨 Stay well, and take comfort in your family & friends, and remember that "it is still a beautiful world." See you next time. 😊💖👍👋

You were talking about having no thongs or shoes, it only takes one piece of an oyster still on a rock to change everything, or kicking a buried rock on the beach and breaking your toes…. I have done both and also in a remote place and I tell you what! I will NEVER go anywhere without at least a pair of thongs or old gardening shoes.. or old vans. Basically, if I could give anyone advice, always take a pair of shoes, Sandals or thongs just in case. If your motor dies and you need to go for help or get food and water, it can be the difference between life and death. Dont do what rokkit does. ❤

Incredible video Rod keep it up and loving the long videos. Also that little clip at the end of the time-lapse with stoking the fire at sunset was a PERFECT way to end off

I own reef tanks. It's almost near impossible to bring coral back from bleaching in perfect water conditions.. 50% of the great barrier reef is dead. Its just getting that bad.

Well, I didn't see the Coral problem till later in the video. When I saw how sad you were at your discovery it bothered me quite a bit. I had always been envious. of you because of the videos you posted and I wished I had grown up where you lived. I found something that might make you feel better. Its whats going on in the Florida Keys. 2:56 / 8:13 Cinema mode Restoring Florida's Dying Coral Reefs | Refurbished The sight is called the(Insider.) I hope the best for your beautiful reefs. Hope the sight makes you feel better. Love you brother George.

"I wonder what happened to the fella wearing these" 🤣😆 But awesome video man. As always. I'll watch your videos until the end of time. I know bleaching is pretty sad, but it did add an interesting dimension to the video. Gotta have a few rainy days to appreciate the sunlight, right?

As a Norwegian i wouldnt need any water on that island because the heat would kill me long before i got there, most Norwegians love warm weather but i hate everything more than 20c for some reason and at 25 i just get sick and it takes me about a week to adjust. At 30 i stay in my basement wich is under the earth surface and nice and cool.

Perhaps the long set of steps was to reduce human impact on an already severely eroded pathway. Like a boardwalk through wetlands.

🙏 much love brother always support you no matter what 🤝

Greetings Mr. Robinson Friday from Angola!

That was heartbreaking too see as soon as your dive started I couldnt believe it something is going on for that much and that fast to go Ive heard its climate change freah water in the salt also the tides I wish someone could give us a answer alot of animals rely on the reefs so when the reef dies the fish.and all the living animals die too birds leave or die its one big cycle of life very sad but also thanks for showing so people kmow whats going on.

That is really sad to see. No colors, not so many creatures out there, everything looks dead unfortunately. Thank you for making this more visible, and higher awareness about this dangerous and sad phenomenon

I have seen it too unfortunately. Worst I have seen though is red tide. It kills everything. Our entire bay was killed off, fish, crabs, manatees, dolphins..... still haven't recovered.

Hey Rod, long time fan, been watching your vids for years. The reef is a sad sight but more and more a reality. Do you reckon you could visit the island once a year? Even once every couple years. It would be an interesting study to see how the reef morphs for the better or worse over the coming decade. Despite the bleaching, I'm happy to see you're not shying away from showing us. Any avid fisherman should have a level of respect for the ocean and the huge impact we have on it.

8.000.000.000 demanding products food cars whatever. Things are bound to happen and change we are just in the beginning iam afraid change are gonna come. Its irreverseble long time already, progress wil leave its scars 🌏🐢🙏🕊🦋🕊🙏🐢🌏

It’s not all doom and gloom, life will always find a way! No ones talking about all these new reefs and corals thriving and growing further south and deeper than ever before! But yes the planet it’s certainly HOT atm!

No seaweed. Same in UK, seaweed non existent. Used to be massive amounts of seaweed.

It's sad what we're doing to this beautiful planet!

Rokkit, the Florida Keys are having some issues. Sawfish have been seen beaching themselves. Small fish are doing somersaults in the water. Our state is looking into it? We have pouring out of Lake Okeechobee run off water from farm lands that empties into the Gulf. Perhaps you have heard of red tide. Every year all kinds of sea creatures die the pollution. There's an article on you tube titled: "Officials looking into bizarre behavior by fish In the Florida Keys"

I would be suing the Bleach company and make them put the coral back the way it was.

Your brave, with no shoes on

Forecasts for worsening temperature rises to start with from a number very credible sources,does not bode well for the reef,only small rises in temp can do harm.

I get why you wouldn't show it but- did you gut the fish first or just cook it whole? I just want to be sure I know what's going on- I plan to live similar to this in the future.

Thanks for sharing. Sad it is, but a natural reaction to reef stressors - we can only hope that 1. These reefs recover, before they die and 2. We (as humans) stop adding to the stress, so we can all enjoy places like the GBR for human lifetimes to come.

In a positive note the reef will move further south and be closer to home 👍

Hey Rokkit, why don’t people take coconuts from up north and plant or transplant them on the islands or mainland where you are or even more south? 🤙🏻

your coral bleaching is due to sediment runoff after the cyclones and flooding the reef will recover. The great barrier reef is growing year by year and slowly expanding south with the changing pacific currents. It is all cyclical.

Sobering vid Rod. Years ago we scuba dived a lot - underwater photography was out thing. Our favourite Qld island off Gladstone was somewhere we went to over 10 times over a couple of decades. In the last 10 years Coral bleaching has exploded around this island & now (in our opinion anyway) is not somewhere we'd recommend. Is it cyclical? We don't know either, but all we have from that island is photos & memories. Underwater it's like a desert...😢

Unfortunately, (idk about Australia) but in the US, oftentimes if you do your work to clean up pollution and throw it in the garbage, that same garbage will be sold to an East Asian country where garbage processing is cheap and has little restriction and that trash will make it back into the ocean one way or another

😢 How devastating. It's like a person lives in a forest setting and fire burnt it all down! 48 known reefs effected is hard to wrap my mind around.

Wonderful. Thank you.

Very sad to see the reefs in such a state. I remember your videos from this island just a year ago, and it's hard to believe it's gotten this bad in such a short time. Aside from that, these videos are my favorites from you. The camping, foraging, diving, campfire cooking videos are the most fun to watch. I even became a bit nostalgic for the little red boat (and the older gray boat), so I'm glad you brought that back too. Keep doing what you do, mate! I hope to shake hands with you someday. 🤙

Thanks for showing it how it is and keeping it real. For me it seem more real when you show it. Not hyped, just what you see and have seen. I can understand you wanting to show beauty and being optimistic but it is what it is. Sad. It’s a reminder for me to do my own personal bit for the planet.

Why people can't accept corals are dying or dead is beyond me. It is the fact..it is clearly in the video as well. Hopefully water temperature can regulate back to its normal and healthy status so our kids grandkids can enjoy the ocean too! Trying to be as optimistic as I can.

This is devastating to me. Friends of the Earth let's hope the coral survives.