Destination Truth – Spirits of Easter Island – The Moa – S03E15

Published April 29, 2010 | By RottenOne

Easter Island

Josh and team head to Easter Island to investigate mysterious spirits that are not only said to inhabit the island by may also be responsible for the creation of the Moai. (I have to admit right off I had no idea there were so many of those statues on the island. I thought there were a few dozen, not several hundred).

On the tiny island Josh talks with locals who believe they’ve seen and experienced the spirits. They describe them as shadows, and claim to hear workers calling out directions for the construction of the Moai. They are also told that the island itself contains energy and can either accept or reject you. Upon the advice of a local tribal leader and a local healer Josh seeks out a special plant that will protect them as well as increase their chances of the experiencing the spirits of the island. Following the special map the healer has created they inch their way along a sheer rock cliff until they find the leaf. I have to say this is one precarious climb and the crazy drink better be worth the trek! And was it me or did this entire segment seem like some sort of Holy Grail quest?

After bringing the leaf back they’re made a tea and drink to luck. Right afterward the team gets ready for the investigation. Of course, I fully expected Josh and Ryder to start hallucinating and speaking in tongues, but the drink didn’t seem to throw them off kilter any more than they already were.

Things move quickly with Josh and Ryder seeing a floating orb off in the distance. They give chase but end the pursuit as they literally come to the end of the island. They stop right at the foot of a Moai. No sooner have they stopped when Evan goes "straight up crazy bananas", throws his camera equipment down, rips off his shirt and starts screaming that something is all over him (are we sure Evan didn’t drink the crazy brew made by the old medicine woman from the strange plant?). It’s so bizarre and so out of character you have to wonder what the hell is going on. Evan claims he feels hands all over him, grabbing and pulling at him. He’s clearly unnerved and freaked out (and partially naked, in the rain no less). But there is no evidence of the assault so the team has no choice but to press on and continue the investigation (while Evan puts his shirt back on).

They soon come across a cave and start an EVP session (because you always go into the creepy cave during a rainstorm and start asking questions). They get some moans and groans in response to their questions, but nothing quite definitive. That is until the EMF meter goes off for no apparent reason. Clearly there is no electricity in there so that is a little strange.

Meanwhile, Rex and team are doing their own investigation in the woods when Rex hears someone calling his name. He hears quite a bit of movement and footsteps but they aren’t able to capture much. Are the spirits talking to Rex or is it just his imagination and the wind?

When all is said and done they capture some sounds and what could be a moan. Since most of the recordings come from their time in the cave, a lot of the sounds could be water, rocks, animals or other echoes. Clearly there is some spiritual energy out there and people believe in and respect that energy. Was it enough to be captured on tape? No, but that doesn’t make the island less mysterious and if you ask Evan, something is surely out there.

The Moa

The Moa is a real life bird that used to live in New Zealand and is thought to be extinct. But is it? People have recently begun to have sightings that may dispute that claim. The Moa is a wingless bird that can grow to over 10 feet tall and remains have been found in multiple locations.

But before they can even begin the investigation they are plagued with problems. First the GPS won’t actually give them directions in a language they can understand (technology, such a convenience). Next, Ryder feels compelled to show off her sheep herding skills. Sadly, she must have left those in her other adventurer pants and all we see if Ryder running back and forth across the field with great speed and dexterity, but alas, no sheep in hand. Good effort though… I guess…

After talking with some locals and the museum staff they formulate a plan (which includes a helicopter) to head into the high country to see where some of the remains of the Moa have been found. They head right up to the top of a snow packed mountain peak and while looking around Josh and Evan take a bit of a tumble. It certainly looks like they’re going to tumble down the mountain but they manage to dig in and keep from falling off the cliff. We don’t need a cliffhanger with Josh and Evan literally hanging off a cliff, that is a bit much.

Narrowly escaping disaster they head back to the low country to scout the area with the help of a plane and boat. Of course when it comes to boats and planes, who doesn’t want to play a game of chicken and Ryder buzzes Josh as she skims along the water. Considering their luck with motorized craft I half expected some sort of mechanized water disaster to occur. Luckily it was all good clean fun and no harm was done.

They made their way to shore and set up base camp. Josh and Ryder set off on a sweep and get a hit on the thermal. Considering the distance and the fact the thermal hit was a red blob, it could have been anything. But not to let an opportunity get away, Josh bolts down the path after it, and right over another cliff. With the audio completely "bleeped out" we see Josh go headlong into the bushes. Unfazed he jumps up and says whatever he was chasing is gone. That’s it Josh, walk it off!

As they continue looking around they find some feathers, a jawbone, and footprints. The teams also hears plenty of noises like rustling, footsteps and broken branches. They are in a forest so for the most part that is all pretty normal stuff, no?

And with that they head back to HQ to analyze the evidence.

Many of the sounds were of native birds. Rare birds, but regular birds none the less. Also, the feathers were from native birds and didn’t belong to the Moa family. The footprints were from a large bird, but not from the Moa. Strangely, the evidence gathered is from rare and hard to capture birds which does speak to a need for conservation, but doesn’t quite support that the Moa is still in existence. A wild ride to be sure with the team risking life and limb and falling down a lot. However, both of these cases will remain a mystery for now.

Destination Truth – Spirits of Easter Island – The Moa – S03E15

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