WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (Nov 29, 2025)

Podcast: Wow in the World

Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz
Special Segments Host: Dennis (President of the World Organization of Wowzers)
Characters/Guests: Reggie the Pigeon, Baby Dennis, Elmo (from Sesame Street)
Episode Theme: Fun with science, listener participation, and an engaging "rewatch" of a classic Wow in the World adventure at the Great Barrier Reef.

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Episode Overview

This "WeWow on the Weekend" episode blends giggle-worthy listener interaction with a deep-dive (literally!) relisten to the original Wow in the World episode "Save Our Reef." Host Dennis and his sidekick Reggie the Pigeon answer reviews, share a wow fact from Elmo, and then revisit an ocean-packed story where Mindy and Guy Raz confront the wonders and worries of the Great Barrier Reef. Energetic, silly, and sneakily packed with science, this weekend show is a celebration of curiosity and eco-adventure for kids (and their grownups).

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Guinness World Record Attempt: Most Wow Facts Shared!

[00:12 - 01:53]

• Mindy Thomas urges listeners to participate in the show's attempt to set a Guinness World Record for most submissions to a fact hotline.
• Elmo from Sesame Street drops in with a "wow":

  "Did you know that little babies can laugh before they can talk? ... Elmo hopes that his well in the world made you happy too. Bye bye. Elmo loves you." (Elmo, 01:21)

2. Listener Reviews Segment ("Reading Reviewsies")

[04:03 - 07:03]

• Dennis and Reggie read and respond to Apple Podcast and Spotify reviews.

  • Tupelo Love: Awards Dennis "first place" and "money emojis," and claims to sing the theme song in pigeon.
  • jgggghuyg: Points out a continuity goof in a past Snoop and Seek Robot episode.
  • BME2: Asks why Dennis' voice sounds like Baby Dennis—revealed to be a ventriloquist dummy.

• Classic Dennis humor:

  "Because baby Dennis is a ventriloquist dummy, right? I control him and I talk for him." (Dennis, 06:11)

3. "Inside Tinkercast Studios": Relistening to "Save Our Reef"

[07:56 - 33:05]

a. Setting off for the Great Barrier Reef

• Mindy and Guy Raz prepare for a research vacation to the Great Barrier Reef, bantering about their conflicting schedules—Mindy's is full of adventure, Guy Raz wants "rest and research" (10:03–11:19).
• Mindy reads off a comically long list written on toilet paper.

"It contains over 100 species of jellyfish, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. Wow." (Guy Raz, 10:51)

b. Learning about the Reef

• Reggie acts as pilot; the crew arrives at the vast, colorful reef—"the only living organism visible from space" (14:13).
• Mindy and Guy pack into a "deluxe two-person underwater ocean floor observatory" by unshrinking a toy submarine (16:15).

c. Coral Bleaching Explained

• The crew spots "white tree things"—bleached coral.
• Coral bleaching: Caused by stressors like warming oceans, pollution, too much sunlight.
• The relationship between coral and its colorful symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) is essential. When temperatures rise, the algae "pack their bags," leaving the coral colorless and vulnerable (17:26–20:29).

"When the temperature gets so unbearable, the zooxanthellae end up packing their bags and leaving the coral, taking all of their colors with them." (Guy Raz, 20:15)

d. Meet the "Coral Killer" – Crown of Thorns Starfish

Underwater Movie Theater Scene:

• Mindy and Guy visit an underwater drive-in to watch "The Coral Killer" (21:55).
• Discover that the "monster" is real: the Crown of Thorns Starfish, a voracious predator that eats coral (24:01).
• Population booms in starfish linked to climate changes and events like El Niño (25:12–25:49).
• Each starfish can lay up to 65 million eggs (!).

"These purplish blue starfish can grow as long as a medium sized dog...they’ll eat just about any coral you put in front of them." (Mindy Thomas, 24:01–24:31)

e. Tech to the Rescue: "COTZBot" the Starfish Slayer

• Mindy introduces the COTZBot—an underwater robot built by Queensland researchers to identify and inject starfish with sodium bisulfite (cow bile), saving the reef (27:14–28:41).
• The COTZBot learns to recognize starfish better with each encounter—robot learning in action.

"We're injecting starfish with salty cow bile using a drone, all in an effort to save the reef?" (Guy Raz, 28:51)

f. Nature's Bodyguard: The Giant Triton Sea Snail

• Nature helps, too: The giant Triton sea snail (up to 1.5 feet long) eats Crown of Thorns but only about one starfish a week (29:19–31:06).
• Even the smell of the Triton snail scares starfish away and disrupts their breeding.

"Just the smell of the Triton in the water near the starfish is enough to send the starfish running." (Guy Raz, 31:17)

4. Light-Hearted Wrap-Up and Science Snack Talk

[33:05 - End]

• Dennis and Reggie chat about what made them hungriest: the underwater theater snacks or imagining Triton snails at work.
• "We should go make pancakes in the shape of starfish ... starry, starry brunch!" (Dennis, 33:20)
• Encouragement to send in questions for next weekend's show.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Laughter:

  "Did you know that little babies can laugh before they can talk?"
  – Elmo [01:21]

• On Coral Biodiversity:

  "The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet."
  – Guy Raz [10:51]

• On Coral-Algae Partnership:

  "The zooxanthellae turns sunlight into food for the coral, and the coral gives the algae a cozy place to live."
  – Guy Raz [19:08]

• On Robotic Solutions:

  "It's mind bogglingly cool, Mindy. But you know that these robots aren't the only ones bringing the fight to the starfish."
  – Guy Raz [29:04]

• On Natural Predators:

  "Just the smell of the Triton in the water near the starfish is enough to send the starfish running."
  – Guy Raz [31:17]

• On Listener Involvement:

  "If you leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I just might read it on We Wow on the Weekend."
  – Dennis [07:03]

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Guinness attempt/Elmo’s Wow: 00:12–01:53
• Reading reviews: 04:03–07:03
• Start of “Save Our Reef” relisten: 07:56
• Coral bleaching explained: 17:26–20:29
• Underwater theater—Crown of Thorns starfish: 21:55–25:12
• COTZBot—robotic starfish remover: 27:14–28:41
• Giant Triton sea snail introduced: 29:19–31:06
• Star-shaped brunch—wrap-up: 33:05–34:22

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Conclusion

This episode of WeWow on the Weekend is a whirlwind of science and silliness. Kids and adults get to laugh, learn, and (maybe) get hungry for a pancake shaped like a starfish—all while understanding why the Great Barrier Reef matters and how technology and nature are working together to save it. Listener messages and favorite moments make for an inclusive, "galaxy full of stars" kind of weekend.

For more amazing science stories and to get involved, call the Wow Fact hotline at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW!

Transcript

[Guy Raz]

Grown Ups Wondery subscribers can listen to wow in the World early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, did you know that you could be part of our attempt to set a Guinness World Record? That's right, Reg. We are attempting to be the record title holder for the most submissions to a fact hotline. And it's all thanks to you wowzers. So many of you have already called to share your wows with us. And since we started our wow Hotline Back in 2017, we've received calls from over 14,000 Wowzers. And now we're just a few thousand callers away from reaching our goal. So we need your help, wowzers to be part of our Guinness world Record attempt. Ask your grownups to call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW so. So that you can share a wow fact with us. If you're looking for some inspiration, we asked our special guest this week, Elmo, to share his wow. Here, take a listen. Hi, thanks for calling wow in the World. After the beep, get ready to record.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Hi, Mindy. Hi, Guy Raz. Elmo is calling all the way from Sesame street to share a special wow in the world about laughter. Did you know that little babies can laugh before they can talk? Yeah. That means baby Elmo was giggling before he could say mama and daddy. You know, laughing makes Elmo really happy. And Elmo hopes that his well in the world made you happy too. Bye bye. Elmo loves you.

[Mindy Thomas]

End of messages. Thanks for sharing your wow Elmo. To join Elmo and to be part of our Guinness World Record attempt. Just ask your grownups to give us a call at at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW and share your wow fact with us once again. That's 1-8887-wow. Wow. That's it. And now let's get back to the show.

[Dennis]

Ah ah, ah ah. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing, me and Reggie singing, laughing. And then we. Oh, wait, no, I said laughing twice. Whatever. We wow on the weekend.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

We wow on the weekend.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Laugh, clap.

[Dennis]

We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to We Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis, and that's Reggie the giant pigeon. Hey, Reggie, I have a question for you. Were you born giant or did you get really big after? Oh, I See, that's so interesting. Wow, thanks for clearing that up. Now let's.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Reggie, what do you mean?

[Dennis]

Was I born nosy or did I just get this way later? Because, Reggie, no one's born nosy. And I'm not nosy. I'm just a little curious and inquisitive and meddlesome and abrasive and. Right. And snoopy. Sure. Also eavesdroppy. Okay, enough about me already, Reggie. Enough about me already. I think we should get into some questions from some listeners. Well, what do you think today? Q and A or reviewsies? Yeah, let's do reviewsies. Because then people give us stars and it makes me feel like a galaxy that's like really popular and cool.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Hooray.

[Dennis]

Next up is a little segment I like to call Reading Reviewsies. Ahem. I'm reading reviewsies for me and for uzies. We've got us some doozies. So let's read Review.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Z's.

[Dennis]

Okay, this first reviewsy comes from Tupelo Love. The title reads, dennis, I love your show. Ah, thanks to PayLove. The message reads, your podcast deserves this. And then there's a bunch of first place metal emojis and money emojis.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Hooray. Money.

[Dennis]

And then it says, tell Reggie I can sing the wow in the world theme song in pigeon. What? Can you really do that? Okay, fine. Let me try.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

No, wait, hold on. No, wait. I can do this, Reggie. I can do it. Just let me get warmed up. Whatever. Next reviewsy. This next reviewsy comes from jgggghuyg. The title reads actually, and the message says, on wee wow. On the weekend, Dennis says, the Snoop and Seek robot has the Snoop sash. But on the actual episode, Snoop and Seek Robot, the robot trades the sash for 1,000 doll hairs to Grandma GeForce. Well, actually G G G G H U U Y G. You're right. I forgot that's how it went. Because Reggie, I can't remember all the endings to all the episodes because I'm the president of the World Organization of Wowzers and I'm very busy with presidential matters. Fine. After this we'll go upstairs and practice with the wow in the World trivia flashcards. Next reviews. This last Reviewsy comes from BME2. The title says 7 stars.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Alright, 7.

[Dennis]

And the message says, why does Dennis have a similar voice to baby Dennis? Suspicious face emoji. Well, that's easy, BME2. It's because baby Dennis is a ventriloquist dummy, right? I control him and I talk for him.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Baby Dennis, ears are burning.

[Dennis]

Ah, Baby Dennis don't sneak up on me like that.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Hee hee. And Big Dennis does not control baby Dennis.

[Dennis]

Yes, Big Dennis does.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Nuh uh.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Huh? Nuh yeah. Huh? Yeah.

[Dennis]

Okay, fine. Reggie's right. Lets calm down.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Thanks Reggie. Baby Dennis is gonna go take some deep cleansing breaths in his box. Bye bye.

[Dennis]

Bye. Bye Baby Dennis. Thank you everyone for all your reviewsies. Keep em coming. If you leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I just might read it on Wee Wow on the Weeknd. And please give us five stars or even better, five galaxies. Because Reggie, galaxies have lots and lots and lots of stars. I don't know how many. At least a hundred. Okay, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And today we're listening to wow in the World, Season 2, Episode 5 called oh My. Save Our Reef.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Oh, this is the one where Guy.

[Dennis]

And Mindy go in a submarine. It's like that song Reggie. We all live in an orange submarine, a blue submarine, a green submarine. We all live in a magenta submarine, a Pu submarine in an ultramarine submarine. We all What, Reggie?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What?

[Dennis]

Oh, right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Okay, let's put on the episode. Okay, here we go and play wow in the World.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

We'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey grownups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz here from wow in the World.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy and I have some brand new wow in the World toys out in the world. Just in time for the holidays.

[Mindy Thomas]

Made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't yet.

[Guy Raz]

From our 100 experiments, that wow kit to the telescope and astronomy kit, our wow in the World toys help your Wowzer learn about their world through play.

[Mindy Thomas]

Plus, you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your Wowzer discover even more wows.

[Guy Raz]

Grownups give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest wow in the World toys designed with your curious Wowzer in mind.

[Mindy Thomas]

You can shop our wow in the world [e-mail] toys. That's tinkercast.com toys.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

That's it. Back to the show.

[Guy Raz]

Okay. Okay. Let's see here. Beach towel. Check. Sandals.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Check.

[Guy Raz]

Bioacidification testing kit. Check. Don't wanna forget that.

[Mindy Thomas]

I keep forgetting you got that door blocking the entrance to your house.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

Good morning, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, hey, Mindy. You ready for the big trip?

[Mindy Thomas]

Am I ready? Let me tell you, I just came up with an entire schedule while I was in the bathroom doing my business. Anywho, allow me to unravel my list that I scribbled on the back of this roll of toilet paper. Wait, we've got snorkeling for apples, jet ski, horseback riding, maybe a little skydriving.

[Guy Raz]

Actually, Mindy, I was sort of looking forward to, you know, a little R.

[Mindy Thomas]

And R rollerblading and raccoon chasing. Yes, I had that written down, but I had to use that piece for, you know. Anyway, let me just jot it down again. Toilet paper keeps tearing on me.

[Guy Raz]

No, what I meant by R and R, Mindy, was rest and research.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Research?

[Mindy Thomas]

Man, Gar, this is supposed to be a friend vacation.

[Guy Raz]

I know, but I just can't help myself. Besides, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, Mindy. It contains over 100 species of jellyfish, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

So the Great Barrier Reef is home to all those animals.

[Guy Raz]

Yes.

[Mindy Thomas]

Like an underwater. Underwater mansion.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Guy Raz]

And although coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef only cover a teeny tiny part of the ocean floor.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

Those coral reefs are home to one out of every three sea creatures in the oceans, Mindy. Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, in that case, I think I might be up for a little rest and research myself. Guy Raz, you almost packed?

[Guy Raz]

Yep, just a couple more things here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, okay.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Is that. Is that going to.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

How does something like that even. Oh, I see.

[Guy Raz]

And done. Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, welp, it's time to go. Reggie's outside waiting on your tarmac driveway, and he charges by the minute, so come on.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry, Reggie.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, now just hand me your luggage.

[Guy Raz]

That's heavy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, I'm just gonna put it right here under Reggie's belly, and you just climb on top. You on?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

Just gonna hop on this bird myself here. All right, where's my PA System? Oh, here it is.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your co pilot speaking, and we've just been given the green light from the tower for takeoff and.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or does.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

Our destination today is Queensland, Australia, with a flight time of around 12 seconds. So strap in tight, sit back and enjoy the flight.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what happened to the seatbelts?

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

Flight crew, prepare for takeoff. And here we go.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Wow. Guy Raz, look at that. What? What? I can't hear you.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

I'll use the pa. Where'd I put.

[Mindy Thomas]

That pa. Oh, here it is.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

Hello, this is your flight captain co pilot speaking. If you'll kindly look over to the right hand side of the pigeon, you'll now be able to see the Great Barrier Reef.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. That stretches for miles.

[Mindy Thomas]

1,430 miles to be exact.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Oh, sorry.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,430 miles along Australia's eastern coastline, weighing in at about half the size of Texas.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. And Mindy, I read a the only living organism that's visible from space.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

And one more thing. The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism visible from space.

[Guy Raz]

That's what I just.

[Flight Captain/Co-pilot]

Ladies and gentlemen, we will now be starting our descent, so please hold on tight and prepare for a water landing. I hope that you've enjoyed enjoying your life. I mean your flight.

[Guy Raz]

Water landing. Oh no, not again.

[Mindy Thomas]

Nice water landing, Reggie. And happy international.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Talk like a pilot day.

[Guy Raz]

If I knew we were going to land in water, I would have worn my bathing suit.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Hi Reg. Thanks for the lift.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow, Arraz, here we are finally floating in the ocean above the Great Barrier Reef.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

So what do you want to do first? We can maybe go ashore and tour the inside of some sandcastles. Or chase some speedboats. Maybe get kicked out of a volleyball game.

[Guy Raz]

Well actually, Mindy, I've always wanted to explore underwater around the Great Barrier Reef. All those colors, all those marine species. There's a reason it's known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, great idea. Before we go, I just need to find my. Where is that thing? It's not it. How did Lawnmower get it? I have.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Oh, oh, here it is.

[Guy Raz]

What is that?

[Mindy Thomas]

What do your glasses need? Glasses? Guy Raz, it's obvious what this is. In fact, this is how we are going to explore the Great Barrier Reef.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, Mindy, that's a. That's a toy submarine.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, lucky for us, I remembered to bring my reverse shrink wand with me. Uh, just gotta find it here in my adventure toolbox.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Another cat?

[Guy Raz]

How would you need that?

[Mindy Thomas]

Because before you can even say the words Kail elbow, this reverse shrink wand is going to turn this teeny tiny submarine into a deluxe two person underwater ocean floor observatory.

[Guy Raz]

You mean to tell me.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep, I shrunk our submarine and I'm about to unshrink it. Well, abracaboody Kalamazaz. Make this tiny submarine bigger than Guy Raz.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Perfect.

[Mindy Thomas]

And yellow. All right, let me just open up the hatch here.

[Guy Raz]

And what about that leak did you. Did you get it fixed?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, turns out it was caused by the screen door I installed. Anyway, let's just say I fixed it.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, if you say so, I guess let's dive underwater.

[Mindy Thomas]

Let's do it. Um, Guy Raz, you think we're in the right place?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I'm sure of it. Let me just double check the gps.

[Mindy Thomas]

Cause I'm looking through the periscope and all I'm seeing are these weird white tree things.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What?

[Guy Raz]

I think I know what's happening here.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What's happening?

[Guy Raz]

I've been hearing about this. I think this might be the result of coral bleaching.

[Mindy Thomas]

Coral what?

[Guy Raz]

Ing coral bleaching. It's when the coral in the ocean loses its color and turns.

[Mindy Thomas]

But why does that even happen?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, when the coral gets a little bit stressed out.

[Mindy Thomas]

Stressed out? Guy Raz, what does coral have to be stressed out about?

[Guy Raz]

Well, a whole bunch of things, actually, Mindy, like pollution, like getting too much sunlight and rising temperatures.

[Mindy Thomas]

Temperatures? I don't know, Guy Raz. I'm just gonna roll down this window here and stick my hand out into the water and. Whoa, this water feels really comfy to me right now.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Pull in the window. Pull in the window. Whoops.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Big mistake. Won't happen again.

[Guy Raz]

Please don't do that again. Well, the water might feel nice and warm to us, but the coral and the symbiotic algae that live on the coral, well, they actually like it a lot cooler.

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, hold the phone, Guy Raz. The symbiotic what? That lives on who?

[Guy Raz]

The symbiotic algae that lives on the coral.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wait, so coral has little algae plants living on it?

[Guy Raz]

Yep. It's actually a microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae. And it's this algae that gives the coral its bright and vibrant colors.

[Mindy Thomas]

And doesn't symbiotic mean a relationship in nature where two different species work together to help each other out?

[Guy Raz]

Yes, exactly.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, just like you and me, Guy Raz. A symbiotic symbiote.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. And in this case, the zooxanthellae turns sunlight into food for the coral, and the coral gives the algae a cozy place to live.

[Mindy Thomas]

A cozy place to live inside it.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. But their relationship can get a little.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What?

[Guy Raz]

How do I put this? Well, a little testy when the ocean temperature gets too hot.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, that reminds me of the last time we took a friend vacation. Why is it so hot in here? Even my sweat is sweating.

[Guy Raz]

I don't know. I think this Thermostat must be broken. Let me just fidget with this for a sec.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

I'm melting. I'm melting.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, calm down. You're not gonna melt.

[Mindy Thomas]

Fine, Then I'm just gonna get out of this vacation guy. Raz. I'm going home, Reggie.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, okay. So. So, yeah, when you were so hot and you had to race off. Well, that's basically what's happening here on the reef, Mindy. The temperature gets so unbearable that the zooxanthellae end up packing their bags and leaving the coral, taking all of their colors with them.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, so the bleached coral that we see left behind is really just the regular coral without all of it colorful friends attached?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

It's kind of sad.

[Guy Raz]

It is. And Mindy, as you know, climate change is making our planet warmer, and that means that our oceans are also getting warmer. And as the oceans in this part of Australia get warmer and warmer, these bleaching events could possibly spread to the rest of the reef.

[Mindy Thomas]

And then the entire coral reef is just dead.

[Guy Raz]

Bleached coral doesn't necessarily mean that it's. But without the zooxanthellae protecting it, it can get sicker and sicker faster and faster.

[Mindy Thomas]

Kinda like how Grandma G Force always tells me to put on a coat or I'll catch a cold.

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now if we could only get the temperature of the oceans to drop, then the Zooxanthellae can return to the reef and make a full recovery.

[Guy Raz]

Well? Well what?

[Mindy Thomas]

I just realized something. This means that we would also have to deal with. With the Coral Killer.

[Guy Raz]

The what?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, you haven't heard of the Coral Killer?

[Guy Raz]

No, but it sounds a little scary.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, man. It's like something straight out of one of those horror movies where everything's more hilarious than it is horrifying.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

I got an idea. What do you say we hang a Roger and pilot this submarine due east? Gonna turn this thing to the right.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

There we go.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, where are we going?

[Mindy Thomas]

Almost there, guy.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Raz, is.

[Guy Raz]

Is that a movie theater?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

Bet you weren't expecting to find one of those at the bottom of the ocean, were ya?

[Guy Raz]

So weird that they put one all the way out here and underwater. Are you sure we can take our submarine in there?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah, it's an underwater drive in movie theater. You just float right in an underwater.

[Guy Raz]

Drive in movie theater.

[Mindy Thomas]

Just gonna float. Load on up to the ticket booth here and. Where are the brakes on this thing? Uh oh, here we go. I'm just gonna open up this window so I can order our Tickets.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What? Mindy, shut the window.

[Mindy Thomas]

Almost forgot. We're in an underwater submarine. Got a microphone for this kind of thing? Um, hi. Two tickets to the Coral Killer, please. Oh, let me ask my friend. Hey, Guy Raz. She wants to know if we want any snacks before we head in. They've got krill nuggets, shrimp cocktails, sea pickles. Hey, you like sea pickles, right? Actually, no time for that. The movie's about to start. Well, and I see the perfect seat for our submarine, right in the middle of all the other submarines.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Come on. Excuse us.

[Mindy Thomas]

Coming through.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Sorry, we're just gonna squeeze on by. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me.

[Dennis]

Pardon me.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, just in time.

[Guy Raz]

Now.

[Mindy Thomas]

Here, Guy Raz put on these headphones so you can hear the movie.

[Movie Theater Attendant]

They thought the worst of it was over.

[Guy Raz]

Phew.

[Dennis]

I think the worst of it's over.

[Movie Theater Attendant]

But then came the Coral Killer. Feasting on the living flesh of coral, devouring reefs the world over, numbering in the hundreds, hundreds of thousands.

[Sports Commentator]

There's thousands of them.

[Movie Theater Attendant]

They are the crown of thrones starfish.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

You know what, Guy Raz, we should.

[Mindy Thomas]

Probably get out of here.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Pardon me.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me. Thank you.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Excuse me.

[Guy Raz]

Pardon me.

[Dennis]

Sorry.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Whew.

[Mindy Thomas]

Pretty scary movie, huh, Mindy?

[Guy Raz]

That was horrifying. A giant starfish eating the coral reef. It's not real, is it?

[Mindy Thomas]

Actually, Guy Raz, it is. These purplish blue starfish can grow as long as a medium sized dog, over two and a half feet. They're also known as corrilivores, corillivores.

[Guy Raz]

Now, I know a carnivore is an animal that only eats meat. And an herbivore is an animal that only eats plants. So does that mean that this starfish only eats coral?

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactoritos, Guy Raz. And it turns out they're not too picky when it comes to their food either. They'll eat just about any coral you put in front of them.

[Movie Theater Attendant]

Bonjour, monsieur.

[Guy Raz]

May I take your order?

[Sports Commentator]

Yeah, I'll take an order of the branching and table corals.

[Movie Theater Attendant]

Very good, sir.

[Sports Commentator]

And some of the porites. Porites or folios.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Corals.

[Guy Raz]

Excellent.

[Sports Commentator]

I'm also gonna take an order of the soft coral, the encrusted organisms. And what sponges do you have on special tonight, huh?

[Guy Raz]

Interesting. So why have they only just become a problem now?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, some scientists think that this recent outbreak of flesh eating starfish might be related to a weather event called El Nino.

[Guy Raz]

El Nino?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. It's this crazy phenomenon that happens once every 10 years or so when a lot of warm water from the oceans around the equator near South America travels to the east coast of Australia.

[Guy Raz]

So the increased water temperatures from climate change and El Nino are not only bleaching the coral, but also making its number one natural predator's population go bonkerball.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, that's my word. Well, but yeah, that's exactly what happens. Just one of these starfish can lay up to 65 million egg at a time.

[Guy Raz]

65 million eggs. This reef is gonna be overrun. We've gotta get out of here, Mindy. I mean, the coral killers are gonna come for us.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz, calm down. I know someone who can help.

[Guy Raz]

You do?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Uh huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

But we gotta get out of here. Just back this baby on up, all right? Oh, now listen to that, Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

What's that sound?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Boo.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, there it is. Do you see it?

[Guy Raz]

What is that? Wow, it looks like a tiny yellow submarine. Actually kind of looks like ours.

[Mindy Thomas]

That, Guy Raz, is the hot spot. Or as I like to call it, the Starfish Slayer.

[Sports Commentator]

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us here on the Great Barrier Reef for this world class bout between the Starfish Slayer and the Coral Killer. Now Mark, what can you tell me about these two competitors?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Steve, the Coral Killer has been around for several millions of years now, and during that time has really been able to hone its skill. Okay, that's enough tv.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, I was watching that.

[Guy Raz]

Well, no time for TV right now. By the way, what is this starfish slayer cot spots thing?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh yeah. So the Cotzbot cots, meaning crown of thorns starfish, is this underwater drone developed by robotic researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. And its whole mission is to hunt down these sinister starfish.

[Guy Raz]

Wow, that's so cool. So it's like a little submarine that just swims around the reef identifying crown of thorns starfish with those cameras on the front of it?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. And every time it sees a new crown of thorns starfish, it snaps a picture and then puts that picture in its little robot brain to help it identify or better pick out future starfish when it comes across them.

[Guy Raz]

So once it identifies one of these starfish, what happens next?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, take a look.

[Guy Raz]

What is that? It looks like some sort of arm is coming out of the copper. Oh yeah, look at it go. Ah, got it. Mindy. What? What's it doing?

[Mindy Thomas]

What's it doing? It's injecting that coral killing starfish with poison.

[Guy Raz]

Poison?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, I mean, the technical term is sodium bisulfite.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, well, I know sodium is the chemical form of salt. But bisulfite, what is that?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, glad you asked. It's bisol.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Bile.

[Guy Raz]

Bile? You mean that mucusy liquid that lines our intestines?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep.

[Guy Raz]

They're injecting that into these starfish.

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it, Guy Raz. In fact, the bile that they're injecting into these starfish comes from cows.

[Guy Raz]

Wait a minute. We're injecting starfish with salty cow bile using a drone, all in an effort to save the reef?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, how cool is that?

[Guy Raz]

It's mind bogglingly cool, Mindy. But you know that these robots aren't the only ones bringing the fight to the starfish.

[Mindy Thomas]

Really?

[Guy Raz]

Really. Look, here comes one now. Still coming. Still coming. Wait for it.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

What are we waiting for? I don't have this kind of patience.

[Guy Raz]

Wait for it.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

There.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh my gosh. Googly eyed cat. What is that?

[Guy Raz]

Bat, Mindy, is the giant triton sea snail.

[Mindy Thomas]

That thing is gargantuan. I mean, I've seen some snails in my day. In fact, I've got three in my pocket right now.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

But I have never seen anything that looked like that.

[Guy Raz]

Yep, 50 centimeters long, as long as a cat.

[Sports Commentator]

Coming in at 1.5ft. He hails from the coast coastal waters of the Indo Pacific region. He eats crown of thorn starfish for breakfast. It's the Triton, Terrell.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, no, I've totally heard about these guys. They're one of the crown of thorns starfish. Only natural predators, right?

[Guy Raz]

That's right. The Australian Institute of Marine Science here in North Queensland is currently doing a study to try and breed or make more of these starfish swallowers across the reef to try and stop this outbreak of crown of thorns starfish.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hold the phone, Guy Raz. So these starfish have millions of babies at a time, right?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

So how in the world do you expect these giant snails to eat them all? Well, I mean, I've got a big appetite, but I max out at like three starfish in a sitting.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

What? What I mean to say is that there are way more starfish than there are snails.

[Guy Raz]

That's. That's true, Mindy. And yes, these giant sea snails typically eat about one starfish a week.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

One starfish a week?

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz, I'm no math magician, but by my calculations, we're gonna be like 300 years old by the time these snails finish their dinner. Yeah, it's like they're eating at a snail's pace.

[Guy Raz]

That's true. But Mindy here's the thing. The researchers at the Australian Institute of Marine Science found out that just the smell of the Triton in the water near the starfish is enough to send the starfish running.

[Mindy Thomas]

Just like how some of the smells I make send you running.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Excuse me.

[Guy Raz]

True, but the Triton snail and the the crown of thorn starfish are able to smell each other by detecting the chemicals that each of them give off in the water in the same way that we humans detect chemicals in the air with our noses.

[Mindy Thomas]

And nothing smells better to a Triton sea snail than a crown of thorns starfish. Mm, mm, mm.

[Guy Raz]

Yep, just like every time you smell my double chocolate fudge brownies.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or every time you smell my homemade, freshly cooked, made from scratch kelp noodles that I buy frozen from the store.

[Guy Raz]

Ooh, those noodles are so good.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, so basically what you're saying here is that when the crown of thorns starfish smells the Triton sea snail coming for it, it freaks out and bolts.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. And the further away these snails can drive the starfish away from each other, well, the harder it is for them to breed and make more babies.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Whoa.

[Mindy Thomas]

Check it out. Looks like that Triton snail finally made it to an unsuspecting starfish.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, man, he's really going to town on that starfish, Mindy. He must be hungry.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Look at him go.

[Mindy Thomas]

Saving the reef one bite at a time.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Go, go, Triton. Go, Triton. Go get him, Triton. Wow, that was amazing.

[Dennis]

What was your favorite part, Reggie? What? The part where the Triton sea snail ate up the crown of thorns starfish. You're just saying that because it was the last thing we heard. It made you hungry, Reggie. Ew. Actually, I got hungry during the part where Mindy and Guy submarined up to the underwater movie theater and looked at all the snacks before the movie. Oh, we should go upstairs and make pancakes in the shape of starfish. Yeah, and eat them with a side of fresh star fruit. We'll call it a starry, starry brunch. Oh, this is gonna be so fun. Let's wrap this thing up. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-88-8-7, wow wow. That's 1-888-7- wow wow. I just might answer your question on WeWow on the weekend. Oh, yeah. Let's do the goodbye song. That's the end of the show. I need to go and eat all the stars and the starry starry brunch, but I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show.

[Reggie the Pigeon]

Bye.

[Mindy Thomas]

Grown ups. If you like wow in the world, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mindy Thomas]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.