PRESS ROOM

Nature: Jaguar Beach Premiers Wednesday, November 12 at 8/7c on PBS

Press Contact:  

Chelsey Saatkamp, The WNET Group, 513.266.1748, [email protected] 

Press Materials: pbs.org/pressroom or thirteen.org/pressroom 

 

Nature: Jaguar Beach
Premieres Wednesday, November 12 at 8/7c on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/nature,YouTube and the PBS App 


Synopsis:  

On a remote stretch of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, the lush, volcanic landscape gives way to a startlingly different world: a dry tropical forest — one of the last of its kind on the planet—where a newly resurgent population of jaguars has reclaimed their kingdom. In the waters at its edge, legions of olive ridley sea turtles emerge from the ocean for one of nature’s most spectacular events, a mass nesting ritual called the arribada. Here, the two unlikely creatures meet, with spectacular consequences for both their species and the vastly different ecosystems they inhabit. Narrated by Chris Morgan.    

 

Long: Discover Jaguar Beach, a remote stretch of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast where two worlds collide – dry tropical forest and the open ocean. A coastal oasis where two unlikely creatures — the sea turtle and the jaguar are inseparably intertwined. Narrated by Chris Morgan. 

 

Short: Discover Jaguar Beach, a coastal oasis where two unlikely creatures — the sea turtle and the jaguar are inseparably intertwined.

 

Featured Creatures:

  • Olive ridley sea turtle
  • Jaguar
  • Magnificent frigatebird
  • Capuchin monkey
  • Iguana
  • Black-handed spider monkey
  • Fiddler crab
  • Belted kingfisher
  • Western honeybee
  • White-tailed deer


Noteworthy Facts & Moments:

  • In 1971, Costa Rica created Santa Rosa National Park after it was clearcut for agriculture. The park sprawls 200 square miles, and the forest is home to more than 250 species of birds.
  • With the growing population of jaguars after a major decline, other predators have altered their behavior due to the new dynamics and presence of these apex predators. In rare footage, jaguars are seen mating, wrestling and even towing an unlucky dolphin for their next meal.
  • Jaguars have the most powerful bite of any cat, and their tongues are lined with back-facing barbs that help with hunting and consuming their prey, including sea turtles.
  • Santa Rosa National Park is one of the few places in the world where olive ridley sea turtles nest en masse.
  • Olive ridley sea turtles are one of the only two turtle species that gather in a synchronized mass nesting event called arribada - Spanish for ‘arrival’.
  • Only about one in a thousand turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood.
     

Series Overview:  

Since 1982, Nature has brought the natural world to millions of viewers, pioneering a television genre that is now widely emulated in the broadcast industry. The series has won more than 800 honors from the television industry, the international wildlife film communities and environmental organizations, including 21 Emmys and three Peabodys. Consistently among the most-watched primetime series on PBS, Nature continues to innovate through original digital programming, such as the Anthem Award-winning podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and digital series Animal IQ and Untold Earth. Nature’s award-winning website, pbs.org/nature, features full episodes, short films, digital series, behind-the-scenes content, news articles, educational resources and more. 
 

Nature is available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. Classic episodes are available on various FAST channel platforms and on PBS Passport. 

 

Production Credits: 

Nature: Jaguar Beach is a production of The WNET Group, Terra Mater Studios GmbH, Coneflower Studios and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. The documentary is produced by Filipe DeAndrade, Brian Moghari, Ann Johnson Prum and Doug Shultz. Narrated by Chris Morgan. Ivo Filatsch and Sabine Holzer are the Executive Producers for Terra Mater Studios. John Rubin, Sean B. Carroll and Jared Lipworth are the Executive Producers for HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. For Nature, Fred Kaufman is Executive Producer. Bill Murphy is Series Producer. Janet Hess is Series Editor. Danielle Broza is Digital Content & Strategy Lead. Nature is a production of The WNET Group.

 

Underwriters:

Support for Nature: Jaguar Beach is provided in part by The Hite Foundation, Bradley L. Goldberg Family Foundation, Perpetual Kindness Foundation and Sun Hill Renewal Fund. Series funding for Nature is made possible in part by The Arnhold Family in memory of Henry and Clarisse Arnhold, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles Rosenblum, Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao, Sarah and Sandra Lyu in memory of Seung and Dorothy Lyu, Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, Dr. George Stanley and Sandra Caruso, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation, Gregg Peters Monsees Foundation, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Seton J. Melvin, Sandra Atlas Bass, and public television viewers.

 

Websites:  
pbs.org/nature; facebook.com/PBSNature; instagram.com/pbsnature; youtube.com/naturepbs, tiktok.com/@pbsnature, #NaturePBS

 

About The WNET Group  

The WNET Group creates inspiring media content and meaningful experiences for diverse audiences nationwide. It is the community-supported home of New York’s THIRTEEN – America’s flagship PBS station – WLIW21, THIRTEEN PBS KIDS, WLIW World and Create; NJ PBS, New Jersey’s statewide public television network; Long Island’s only NPR station WLIW-FM; ALL ARTS, the arts and culture media provider; newsroom NJ Spotlight News; and FAST channel PBS Nature. Through these channels and streaming platforms, The WNET Group brings arts, culture, education, news, documentary, entertainment, and DIY programming to more than five million viewers each month. The WNET Group’s award-winning productions include signature PBS series Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, and Amanpour and Company and trusted local news programs like NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi. Inspiring curiosity and nurturing dreams, The WNET Group’s award-winning Kids’ Media and Education team produces the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase, interactive Mission US history games, and resources for families, teachers and caregivers. A leading nonprofit public media producer for more than 60 years, The WNET Group presents and distributes content that fosters lifelong learning, including initiatives addressing poverty, jobs, economic opportunity, social justice, understanding, and the environment. Through Passport, station members can stream new and archival programming anytime, anywhere. The WNET Group represents the best in public media. Join us.

 

About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that shines a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent projects include The Birds, Blue Carbon, Every Little Thing, Wild Hope, Wilding, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants, and Oscar-nominated All That Breathes, the only film to win best documentary at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. Other notable films include Emmy Award-winners Hunt for the Oldest DNA, The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated My Garden of a Thousand Bees, The Battle to Beat Malaria, and Nature’s Fear Factor; and Peabody Award winner Inventing Tomorrow. 

To extend the reach and impact of each film, the studio produces robust educational and public outreach initiatives in collaboration with mission-aligned partners. For more information, please visit www.tangledbankstudios.org.