THE PUPFISH OF DEATH VALLEY CLIP

Updated on May 02, 2024

Think of a desert animal. You’re probably thinking of snakes, lizards and maybe bighorn sheep. What about fish? Travel to Death Valley, California, with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros to see the fish that call the desert home.

Peter and Dr. Rae travel to the heart of Death Valley to discover one of the most remarkable and most endangered fish species on Earth. Only a few hundred of these pupfish exist in the deep-water cavern, Devils Hole, so their population is carefully guarded by conservationists. The co-hosts witness this special species in their pristine ecosystem and help biologists carefully count their exact numbers. As divers descend into the deep caves, Dr. Rae and Peter help transport pupfish eggs to an exact replica of Devils Hole constructed to ensure captive pupfish can live and breed in ideal conditions.

Go behind the scenes of the episode. Plus, learn about the history of the Endangered Species Act, which helps protect the pupfish. Devils Hole pupfish have been on the endangered species list since 1967 — six years before the act was established.

Watch “The Pupfish of Death Valley” on NBC.com and the NBC app.