Plot Synopsis

THE LAST UNKNOWN follows nature photographer Ian Shive on his journey to the Aleutian Islands located in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Aleutian Islands in Alaska are a rugged, wild network of 2,500+ islands which swing out from a small fishing village out into the middle of the Bering Sea. They are not only protected by remote isolation, but also in their designation as a wildlife refuge. THE LAST UNKNOWN debuted on Thursday, March 18, 2021, as discovery+ released one 40-minute episode, three 10-minute episodes, and a 10-minute special:

"The Aleutian Islands" (41 minutes): A daring, high-seas adventure in remote Alaska reveals a series of wildlife spectacles including an active volcano, a forgotten war bunker, and the great battles of the Northern Fur Seals, as seen through the lens of photographer Ian Shive.

"Palmyra Atoll" (10 minutes): On a remote, uninhabited coral atoll teeming with sharks and seabirds, Ian dives into the mysteries of an ecosystem that is so well protected, it offers a glimpse of what the Pacific Ocean would look like without human impacts.

"Rose Atoll" (10 minutes): Ian joins a team of scientists on one of the world's most remote islands, a coral atoll that is the birthplace of countless wildlife, and which holds vital information that may help save coral reefs around the world.

"The Channel Islands" (10 minutes): Ian explores one of America's most spectacular and least known national parks and documents one of the greatest endangered species recovery stories ever told.

"Beyond The Aleutian Islands" (10-minute special): Ian joins a group of researchers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the remote Aleutian Islands on a risky attempt to assess the wildlife populations of some of the largest seabird and marine mammal colonies in the world.