JOSH GATES: On this episode of Expedition X...
In the Ancient Aztec canals near Mexico City,
my team investigates a haunted island
where thousands of demonic dolls are on the attack.
There are things on this island that can come after us.
Jessica, you don't wanna see this. Look at this.
I might be able to find a little back up for you.
World-renowned paranormal investigator Jason Hawes
joins the hunt...
-What the heck? -God!
...to make contact with the other side.
Holy *bleep*.
Just behind you there's a doll, it's moving.
What?
Oh, my god!
My name is Josh Gates.
In my travels, I've experienced strange things
that defy logic and made me question everything.
Oh, my god!
Now, I've put together a team
to investigate the stranger side of the unknown.
Let's go!
Phil Torres is a scientist who hunts for rational explanations.
Jessica Chobot's paranormal research has made her a true believer.
There is a monster living in this forest.
Phil, Phil, Phil! I just saw something run across!
Together, we're searching for answers...
What is that?
...to the world's most extraordinary mysteries.
This is Expedition X.
We have a case today that's really intriguing
and also terrifying.
We're talking about the paranormal, ghosts.
Now, ghosts are a very polarising subject.
In a recent poll, about 48% of Americans believe in ghost
so it's almost split down the middle, half and half.
Phil, what's your take on ghosts, are you a believer?
-I'm a sceptic. -Yeah.
But show me and maybe I'll believe.
Ever the scientist.
And what about you, believer in ghosts?
Yeah, I'm a believer.
I mean, think about it, everyone has a story
or they know someone that has a story
and I don't think you can just easily write that off.
So we've got our representation of America here.
(LAUGHS) 50% believe, 50% do not.
Let's see if we can sway your scepticism here, Phil.
OK.
I wanna show you a video from the Internet.
This is not the case that you're gonna be investigating
but it is related in a way. So check this video out.
This is a video that was shot
by a woman named Sheri Shone from Fresno, California.
And as you can see she has a truly creepy collection of dolls.
Already I don't understand this woman.
(LAUGHS) But, wait for it,
something really, really creepy is about to happen. Watch this.
-Oh!God! (LAUGHS) -OK!
Did you see it? OK, one more time, here we go.
-Back, I wanna see that again. -Back it up.
-Oh, my god! -Argh!
-Oh! -Oh! That doll's not...
-It's not right. -Not right at all.
So Phil, what do you think? Have I made you a true believer now?
I fully believe that, yes, room full of dolls is creepy.
-For sure. -Yeah, no question.
-We all agree on that. -No question, yes.
But the timing of it just,
when they plan to that doll that it moves its arm,
it just seems a little too convenient for me to really believe
that she caught something paranormal on camera.
Right. So you'd need a lot more evidence here?
Yeah.
And what about you Jess, what do you make of the doll?
-I'm totally into this. -Could be real?
Absolutely think that this could be real,
I'm with Phil that I think it needs more investigation.
Look, there's other examples out there.
We've got Annabelle the famous doll from Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Right, famous paranormal investigators
who investigated a case with a haunted doll,
-a doll they kept locked in a case. -Yeah.
...that nobody was supposed to disturb
and which they've made a bunch of very creepy movies about.
We tend to think of stories like this
as kind of the stuff of modern horror films.
But in fact belief in paranormal energy in dolls is old, really old.
There are instances that date back to Ancient Egypt.
In Ancient Egypt, there were small wax figures and effigies made
that were meant to contain supernatural power.
In Ancient Rome they used to use dolls
in all sort of rituals to commune with the gods.
And you find these little effigies and offerings
all over the world in ancient cultures
that are meant to be imbued with a kind of magic.
But there is one place in the world that has more paranormal dolls
per square inch than anywhere else on the planet
and it is a place known as the Island of the Dolls.
-Have you heard of this place? -Absolutely.
I've wanted to go there for so long.
Well, I've got some bad news for you.
(LAUGHS)
This is a place that I have had a chance to visit.
Is it in Mexico City.
It has a really fascinating back-story
and depending on your beliefs,
it is also a place that is filled with some seriously negative energy.
Check this out.
Mexico City was once the domain of the Aztecs.
And on the outskirts of the city there's a grouping of tiny islands
in a maze of canals called Xochimilco.
These waterways were used by indigenous people
more than 500 years ago, for agriculture and transportation.
At the same time,
the Aztecs started performing sacred and bloody rituals
at a nearby pyramid complex called Cerro de la Estrella.
And some believe there's a spiritual connection
between the pyramid and the canals.
Flash forward to the 1950s and the canals.
A man named Don Julian Santana Barrera
became the caretaker of one of these islands.
The story goes that one day
while Don Julian was fishing from the bank of his island,
he discovered the body of a drowned girl.
And just a few feet away, the girl's doll washed ashore.
Don Julian became fixated on this disturbing event
and he hung the girl's doll from a tree.
Some think he was warding off Ancient Aztec spirits,
others say the spirit of the drowned girl had possessed him.
Within a few years,
Don Julian had covered the island with strange broken dolls.
Then, in a terrifying twist to the story,
Don Julian's body was found in 2001 in the exact spot
where he discovered the drowned girl and her doll.
People have continued to bring dolls to the island,
attempting to ward off whatever evil spirits lurk there.
And now, there are thousands.
Oh!
Since I visited there,
the instances of what people claim are paranormal occurrences
have skyrocketed.
There's some sort of malevolent energy there.
So, if it's not real, what are people experiencing
and what is that rational explanation?
If it is real, can what's happening there be documented?
-That's the mission. Up for it? -OK. Yeah.
A 2600-mile flight lands Jessica and Phil in Mexico City.
Today, Mexico City is the second largest metropolis
in the western hemisphere.
It sits atop the ruins of what was once Tenochtitlan -
the soaring capital of the mighty Aztec Empire
that sat atop an island in what was then a vast lake.
Constructed more than 600 years ago,
it eventually fell to Spanish Conquistadors in 1521.
And even today this mix of cultures
can be seen everywhere you look in this historic metropolis.
We've arranged to meet our first eyewitness
in downtown Mexico City.
She's a woman who's had a terrifying experience
at the Island of the Dolls.
-Really? -Yeah?
Was the dare just to go to the island by yourself?
What happened when you first stepped on the island?
-Somebody was watching you? -Yeah.
She said she felt under attack and physically ill,
as if the spirits were chasing her off the island.
She left without the doll and says she won't ever go back.
Tania's story is consistent with other witnesses,
who say the phenomena out there seemed to be getting more dangerous.
-Ready to do this? -Yeah, let's go!
If we're going to get to the bottom
of what's happening on the Island of the Dolls,
it's time to get out there.
We board a traditional trajineras boat
that'll take us through ancient canals to the Island of the Dolls.
Our guide Miguel has been taking this boat trip to the island,
since he was six years old,
back when Don Julian still served as the island's caretaker.
So what did Don Julian actually say about the island?
(SPEAKS SPANISH) After Don Julian found the girl's body,
he was haunted by her ghost.
So Miguel, do you go out there anymore at night?
No, not anymore.
The last time I ever set foot on the island,
I had gone there with a friend. We were tying our boat to the dock
and as the sun went down, e noticed a drop in temperature.
We spotted a warrior-like figure walking toward the shack.
We hopped onto land and followed the path.
Once we got there, no-one was inside.
We both had a strong sense of dread in our stomachs,
it almost felt like sickness.
Whether you believe these stories or not,
there's definitely an eerie stillness out here on the canal.
(EERIE SOUND EFFECTS)
-Oh, my god! -Look at this place.
Holy *bleep*!
This is certifiably horrifying.
Oh, my god! Oh!
That is extremely messed up. It's smiling.
-Rogelio! -Rogelio?
Jessica and I have arranged to meet
with the island's current caretaker Rogelio Sanchez.
He's the nephew of the original caretaker Don Julian
who died on this island in 2001.
-Hola. -Hola. Como estas.
This place is overwhelmingly intense.
I'm eager to see the mysterious doll that belonged to the drowned girl.
It's the first doll that Don Julian hung
and some believe that act unleashed the dark forces here.
(SPEAKS SPANISH) This is the original doll.
She doesn't have any feet, she doesn't have any arms.
She's been here over 60 years.
She's the one that he found next to her body in the water?
-Si... Yes. -So this is where we begin.
As Rogelio talks about the dolls,
I sense a presence and start to feel uneasy.
This is followed by a sudden chill.
Perhaps a sign that spirits could be displacing the heat around me.
Oh, look at it, got the goosebumps. Oh, my god, I'm gonna start crying!
Oh. (SNIFFS)
You doing OK? (SIGHS) (SOBS) No, No, I'm not!
(CRYING) I'm getting out.
I'll just take a breather.
I'll come back in, I just need a second.
-You can stop right here. -Oh!
I've seen this before. I believe that the spirit of the child,
and the spirits of those who once lived here,
is contained in the dolls feeding off of your energy.
That is what you're feeling.
It seems like Jessica might not have been the only victim
of whatever phenomenon was happening in the shack.
-So, what happened with the cameras? -I am playing now.
But what did you see on it before?
It showed the clip from when we were inside,
like just coming onto the island.
Why? What's happening?
-So we've got a... -Stop for a second.
At what point when you walked inside did that happen?
All three of them had gotten together on the inside,
standing in that corner.
So, right before Jessica had her outburst?
Yeah, it just stopped recording
and now we can't even look at any of the footage.
It's just not there anymore.
What is going on here?
I've sent Phil and Jessica to the notorious Island of the Dolls,
a place that I found deeply disturbing
when I investigated it a decade ago.
But these days, paranormal activity here is reportedly even stronger.
Something that Jessica may have just experienced first-hand.
(SIGHS)
-You doing OK? -(SOBS) No, no I'm not.
I'm getting out.
I'll just take a breather. I'll come back in,.
-I just need a second. -You can stop right here.
Meanwhile, the crew realises
that Jessica may not have been the only target
of the energy in the room.
One of the cameras suffered a serious malfunction.
-So we've got... -Stop for a second.
The camera just completely seized...
-Really? -...and stopped recording.
Brad, my producing partner for nearly 15 years,
has seen plenty of production glitches.
But for an utterly reliable camera like this to fail,
he thinks could mean something else.
We've seen this sort of equipment failure and battery drain
and things not working right when there's paranormal activity around.
It's a phenomenon for TV crews who do this sort of thing, it happens.
Yeah, I felt like I got hit with a ton of bricks.
We saw all the clips from beginning,
and then as soon as you walked in we had one frame of...
-Seriously? -Yeah, that's it.
-Right when we walked in there? -Yeah.
We put the hard drive back in and it's just sitting there busy.
It won't play.
I was not comfortable in there at all.
But the incident is also an encouraging sign
that there's something going on here.
And because so many reports of the island's paranormal activity
have happened after dark,
we're eager to return to the island soon
to conduct a thorough overnight investigation.
We'd like to come back at night. We're gonna bring some gear,
we're gonna do our own investigations,
maybe even take some samples.
So we wanted to see if that would be OK with you?
But Rogelio has serious reservations.
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
TRANSLATION: "I used to live here on the island
"but I no longer stay here at night because the spirits are too intense.
"You've been here five minutes
"and you've already been attacked by the spirits.
"I need to think about it. I don't want to see you get hurt.
"Please, let's step outside."
I understand why Rogelio might be concerned
so soon after seeing me react to the island's spirits.
But I'm hoping that we can find some way
to convince him to allow us back.
Before we go,
we'd like to see the place where your uncle first saw the girl.
Si, por favor.
TRANSLATION: "This place, the girl died here in this spot.
"She drowned here in the canal."
Why did your uncle feel
that hanging up her doll would put her at peace?
"He believed that the girl's spirit was going to drag him into the water
"and he thought that hanging up the doll might appease the spirit."
But your uncle did die in this spot, didn't he?
"Yes. At the time of his death, he was here at the shore, fishing.
"I believe that he saw the spirit of the girl
"and got so scared that he had a heart attack and died."
So he was literally scared to death by the spirit?
"Yes. I believe so,
"and not just her the Ancient spirits are also strong here.
"They are a part of dolls now."
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
He said you can feel it 'cause you get goosebumps.
We told Rogelio that we understand the risks
but we still wanna conduct an overnight investigation.
For now, we take our boat and head back to the mainland.
Once there, we set up a Skype with Josh
to figure out a way to convince the caretaker to allow us to return.
Hey, guys, how are ya?
Let's talk Island of the Dolls. Did you make it to the island?
-We did, we did. -For me it was terrifying.
We had a moment where we walked into an area
where the original doll is kept,
and the minute I walked in,
I got hit hard with a huge wave of sadness.
-Wow! Are you OK? -Yeah, I'm OK, just, yeah,
it wasn't anything that I expected to have happened.
Now, when I was there, which was like a lifetime ago,
access was not a difficult thing. But I take it that's changed?
Yeah, the caretaker said we couldn't come back at night.
He was pretty adamant about it.
Yeah, you have any thoughts on how to change his mind?
OK. So, hey, guys. I have a very unusual roll index.
Let me go through it, I might be able to
find a little backup for you.
Might take me a couple of days to find the right person.
-Alright. -That'll be great.
Listen guys, keep your eyes and ears open.
-I look forward to hearing about it. -Will do.
While I round up some resources
to help with the overnight investigation of the island,
Jessica and Phil decide to investigate a nearby location
that many people believe
is responsible for the paranormal activity at the island -
the Cerro de la Estrella pyramid complex.
Built around the same time as the Xochimilco canals,
this was the location of the Aztec's sacred fire ritual.
Every 52 years, the Aztecs conducted human sacrifices here,
offering the still-beating hearts of their captives to the gods.
They believed this was necessary
to keep the sun shining on the vast Aztec Empire.
Starting in the 1970s,
the water from this sacred mountain was diverted
to feed the canals of Xochimilco
and I'm wondering if there's something about that water
that could account for the experiences
people are reporting out at the island.
And I'm wondering if the paranormal energy from the pyramid
could be flowing there as well.
But it's below the surface of the ruins
where it gets really interesting.
It's a dizzying maize of miles and miles of tunnels
where rainwater and runoff flows out to the canals
and to the Island of the Dolls.
In these tunnels,
the Aztecs performed bloody and brutal sacrifices to their gods.
Just get our headlamps on.
-There's a spider, oh! You good? -Yeah, I'm good.
-Alright. -Oh, it is dark in here.
Jessica you're gonna wanna see this, look at this, look at this!
Holy *bleep*!
What is that?
I know the symbol looks ominous
but it's probably been put here to ward off evil spirits.
But who knows why the person put it here.
It could be to actually lock in the evil here
so that it doesn't escape out into the real world.
So, evils may be locked in over there?
You should go further into the cave.
That's the way we're going, excellent.
-Ooh! -What's that smell?
Yeah, I'm getting a whiff of something subtly sweet.
Could be a sign of ethylene or could even be methane in here.
Is that dangerous?
It can be if you're exposed to high enough levels.
Ethylene is a naturally occurring gas
that is sometimes emitted from fissures and limestone.
And there's a significant amount of limestone beneath Mexico City.
Breathing ethylene or methane in high levels
can cause dizziness, nausea, hallucinations
or even loss of consciousness.
Could that explain the strange feelings
that people are having on the Island of the Dolls?
It really makes you wonder how far through these caves go.
I mean, there is a lot happening underneath this temple,
and underneath Mexico City, and it's given me some ideas
about what could be happening at the Island of the Dolls.
I think I need to do some more digging into it though.
It's just ghosts, Phil, it's not that complicated.
So Jess and I head back to Mexico City
where I've arranged for us to meet Alejandro Echeverria.
He's one of the foremost experts on the local Subterranean geology.
It feels like we're standing on layers and layers of history,
both culturally and geologically.
Like underneath this there's like, Jell-O and water and gas.
And when the earth shakes, some weird things happen, yeah?
We're surrounded by volcanoes, one is active, it's fuming.
In the past months it's thrown molten rock.
And also with volcanoes, there's gonna be gases.
So some natural, some man-made,
and it's all coming together right here.
-And especially around Xochimilco. -Exactly.
So having chattered with you about kind of the gas pockets
and the sediments and everything, and then us going
and seeing what we saw over at the island and the caves.
I am leaning slightly more into your direction,
that yes, maybe something natural,
interaction with humans and the gases.
All are an oracle of Delphi's situation in the Pythia
where she ended up having these visions.
And then you came to find out that it wasn't the gods,
-it was actually... -It was the gases there!
Right.
-So right, Phil. -Yeah, 'cause it was methane
and I think ethylene was the big one there.
Mhmm. And it had a sweet smell,
kinda like they were saying they smelled there
and it can cause hallucinations.
Do you know if anyone's ever tested for weird gases up here?
I think about the methane but not really,
-I'm not very aware of that. -Actually, we should do that.
-I'm down for that. -Yeah?
I know of a good idea
of what I wanna test for during our overnight investigation.
We have one more night before our after-dark investigation.
I've arranged for us to consult with the local Shaman
who has a powerful spiritual connection
to the Island of the Dolls.
And the only way to get to his remote location is with these ATVs.
Woo! Let's do this!
The terrain is rough and the location remote,
turning our five-mile ride, into a gruelling journey.
Maybe it's just the adrenaline rush from the ride,
but as soon as we reach the shaman,
I can feel the charge of spirituality in the air.
As the sun sets, the shaman cleanses us with smoke
before we enter a stone structure known as a Temazcal.
Then the shaman tells us to state our purpose to the gods.
I wanna go to the Island of the Dolls and spend the night there.
To discover the spirits that are there.
Investigating the truth and find out what's really happening.
We brush ourselves with sacred herbs,
while the shaman offers prayers to the spirits.
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
TRANSLATION: "The spirits will communicate with me.
"We will go outside where we can hear them by the fire."
Here, the spirits decide
if they will give us their blessing and protection
as we conduct our overnight investigation.
"The spirits have spoken."
He tells us that the spirits believe we have pure hearts and intentions.
And therefore they will grant us protection
when we return to the Island of the Dolls at night.
With the protection beads in our pockets,
we thank the shaman and head back down the mountain.
Muchas gracias.
With a new day comes a new development.
We've received word that the caretaker is allowing us to return,
thanks to the presence of a special guest
that Josh has arranged to join us -
veteran paranormal investigator Jason Hawes.
Over the past two decades, Jason and his team have investigated
thousands of claims of paranormal activity.
-Hey, look who it is. -Hi.
-How you doing man? -Good, good, splendid.
-Shall we do it? -Yeah, let's go.
Now, what do you guys think about the island,
your own perception, your own take on it?
As a person who had a breakdown
in front of Phil and the entire crew,
I was shocked at how quickly I felt like sobbingly sad.
Listen, for me, why this particular place?
Like what flipped the switch for me here,
at the exact moment that apparently one of our cameras died.
Now, that's weird.
Any kind of plans how we should approach this?
Has anybody checked any of the levels of gas
or anything of that nature?
So, yes, I'm gonna be testing for methane, those types of gases.
Because some of them, legit, can make people...
Absolutely. ..feel weird or even hallucinate.
There's a hypersensitivity
where people feel nausea, fatigue, hallucinations, paranoia.
When you remove that, a lot of times you remove their experiences
because it's nothing to do with the paranormal in the first place!
Jason, check this out up ahead.
Jason, do you wanna come with me because I actually found a spot
that's pretty decent for a home base.
-Yeah, that's fine. -Carry on?
-OK, I'll be on the shore over here. -OK.
While Phil goes to test environmental factors
that might explain some of the island's strange phenomena,
Jason and I agree to set up a camera grid
to monitor the sweeps we will conduct during our investigation.
So I was thinking right here.
Smack dab in the middle of a lot of dolls.
Yeah, I figured that way if anything happens, we can, kinda,
but equal opportunity to get there as fast as possible.
I can't imagine how much time it took to put all these dolls up.
It's years. Years and years.
-Do you wanna go do some recon? -Let's do it, you're the boss.
Alright.
Oh, I just don't like it in here.
This is the doll that Don Julian found in the water,
next to the little girl's body.
While Jessica and Jason scout, I'm setting up
where most of the paranormal activity has been reported -
by the water where both the girl and Don Julian died.
I start off-shore with the tech tool
that's never been used before in this location -
an underwater ROV camera.
I'm looking for bubbles in the water
that would indicate the presence of a natural gas like ethylene.
Wow, this water is murky.
It's gonna be really challenging. I'm seeing tons of gas bubbles.
Whoa! What was that?
Veteran paranormal investigator Jason Hawes
has joined Jessica and Phil on the Island of the Dolls.
While he and Jessica prepare for tonight's investigation,
Phil is using an underwater ROV
to probe the area where both the little girl and Don Julian drowned.
He's exploring a theory that toxic gases might be making people ill,
giving them symptoms that feel like paranormal phenomena.
Whoa! What was that?
I think I just saw a doll down there.
I tried to put the image of this sunken doll out of my mind
and get back to the task at hand.
Every time I get to the bottom and kinda put it in place,
gas is just flowing everywhere.
So now I've just gotta figure out what that gas is.
I collect water samples near the area
that has the highest concentration of bubbles.
I'm thinking there could be toxic gases in the water
but I won't know for sure until I send these samples to the lab.
Alright.
While Phil collects additional samples...
Right back at base camp,
Jason and I select the gear we'll need for tonight's investigation
and discuss our strategy.
Yeah, I thought these would be a good idea
to cover the island and areas where we can't be.
-Thermal, everybody needs thermal. -Perfect.
-Let's do it. -Alright.
Jason and I move about the island,
setting up a series of cameras in the key paranormal hot spots.
The nice thing about these cameras is you're able to get a wide shot.
-We were covering from here... -Mhmm.
-where you had your experience... -Mhmm.
...and all the way to this wall and everything.
We have a shot of the original doll
that was found next to the drowned girl.
And one on the outside of the shack.
One where the little girl's body was found
and where Don Julian also died.
Even in low light,
these can pick up all kinds of movements and disturbances
that have recently been reported here.
Perfect. So no trolls or ghosts will pass these bridges
-without us seeing them. -Don't trolls go under bridges?
-They live under bridges. -Touche. Touche, sir.
-Hey. -Hi.
-Hey, what's going on, man. -Guys, this looks great.
While we go do a sweep, do you mind monitoring these?
-Yeah, alright. -Alright.
-You look out there. -We'll leave you here.
Jason grabs the thermal imager
which renders infrared radiation as visible light,
and may be able to detect head signatures
attributed to the energy of a spirit...
Alright, cool.
...while I go straight for a high tech tool
that Jason has brought with him to the island.
Now, your goggles. Now, it's gonna make you feel like you're in VR
when you're wearing 'em. But you'll be able to get used to it.
-OK, yeah. -Alright.
-Let's head up the area where... -To the water?
Yeah, to the water where the girl was drowned.
The cool deal about the using the IR
is we're able to catch the things that people claim to see most.
Things that emit their own white, or shadow type entities.
Two people died here - is there a way to measure?
What would you look for, for the emotional trauma,
and build-up of something
that was very scary and traumatic for those people?
People losing their lives dramatically
are what usually leads to residual type haunts.
Now, the difference between types of haunts you have,
an intelligent with you and I after we pass,
we're trying to communicate.
So tugging on the clothes, letting people know we're there.
A residual is like a tape player. It's always the same thing,
it's the same type of activity at the same time
when it's rewinding and playing itself over and over again.
-Yeah. Did you hear that? -What the heck?
I thought I heard splashing but I don't see anything. Do you?
I'm not getting any heat signatures over here.
I'm not seeing anything.
Do you wanna maybe head to that area where you had your experience
-and see? -Yeah.
Maybe you're able to pick up anything with that.
We head to where I felt a very strong energy presence before.
Be careful.
The shack where the doll belong to the drowned little hangs.
Like right now, I'm actually starting to feel freaked out.
You're starting to feel freaked out?
A little bit, yeah.
And that's the same thing that happened the other day.
Got the goosebumps. Oh, my god, I'm gonna start crying!
Did you just hear something? Oh, do you hear that?
-Do you know, I heard that. -I heard it like right over here.
Jee... No, go. Oh, my god, no. Did you hear that?
-It sounded like a voice? -Yeah, that's right.
We think we might've heard a disembodied voice.
I can't tell it's too faint.
But to communicate with it in Spanish, we'll need some help.
I don't speak Spanish.
I don't speak enough to actually have a conversation.
-Phil speaks Spanish. -Get Phil?
Well , I think Phil would be the ideal person to have out here.
OK.
Alright.
Jason and I head back out towards the shack
to the spot where he and Jessica heard the disembodied voice.
Right, we're recording, so...
(PHIL SPEAKS SPANISH)
Part of the big mystery for back then
is that there's just this girl that drowned.
It must've been really tragic
for Don Julian who was the caretaker here
to just have this kind of placed upon him on the silent.
Yeah, absolutely. You think of it like a lantern in the woods,
if there's something it's gonna try to be around where the energy is.
That's pretty much us.
Could be her, could be him, could be some...
What's that? What's that sound?
-There's a lot of noises out here. -Yeah, there is.
But you don't know if it's something else
that somebody came here and brought to the island,
-did a ritual or contamination. -Yeah.
Well, I think we've given 'em enough time.
So let's go back to base camp and we'll check back later
and see if we've picked up anything on the recorder.
-Alright. -Good job, man.
Have you thought about maybe going back
to that location where you had the experience
and just trying to spend some time there?
See if you're able to have a similar experience
-or see if you get it again, or...? -Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to do that.
Jason and I definitely heard something over by the shack
where Don Julian hung the drowned girl's doll.
It's the same spot where I felt under attack
by a powerful spiritual entity.
So I'm going to conduct
what paranormal investigators call a solo session.
This means I'll be sitting inside the shack alone for 30 minutes
and we'll see if my presence triggers any paranormal activity.
OK, I'm gonna put a light here
so we can see what's happening around you.
OK.
Once Phil leaves, I'll be completely alone in the shack.
No crew, no extra gear,
it's just me and whatever spirits haunt this room.
We are gonna set the timer for 30 minutes.
OK.
30 minutes starts now.
(LONG SIGH)
OK, so all I'm hearing right now
is like a little scary kind of around the area.
(SHIVERS),
-God! -What the heck?
After a disturbing encounter in the island shack earlier in the week
I volunteered to conduct a solo session in the same spot.
Almost immediately I continue to have strange experiences.
-God! -What the heck?
-Hey, guys, are you there? -Yeah, we just saw it.
Right when I asked if anybody was here,
the lights just suddenly surged to full power.
Well, ask if something's there, if it can turn off the light.
See what happens.
Phil, how would I say that in Spanish?
(SPEAKS SPANISH) Puedes apagar la luz?
That is... Oh, it did it again! OK.
-Hey. -Hey.
Just in case there's like a faulty wire, flat battery.
I think we should take this out of the equation.
We could get a different light in here
-and then see what happens. -OK.
I'll get this outta here then.
-I'm gonna leave you with this. -OK, thank you.
(RATTLING)
What's she hearing?
I'm hearing some kind of taps against the back wall behind me.
Do you guys see anything on the monitors?
Some shadows or something there.
Yeah, I can't tell if it's your shadow, though.
Jess, behind you, there's a doll, it's moving.
You should turn around, we'll get it.
What? Oh, I don't want to...
Holy *bleep*!
Yeah, it's totally moving, I see it now.
Yeah, what's really weird is none of the other ones are moving.
It's just that one.
And there's not a breeze in here or anything.
*bleep*! Oh, my god, Phil!
Something just started talking from one of the dolls in here.
Came over to a little shrine area that's built here
and heard a voice saying 'mama'.
-OK, that is so weird. -Alright, I'm coming out.
-That's crazy! -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You did not hear 'mama'. I most certainly did.
One of the dolls absolutely started talking.
We head back into the shack with Jess
but we don't hear anything else.
We also can't find any reason why the doll above her was swaying.
The amount of activity that only you have had
and we've been able to document, I think, is intriguing enough.
It's really interesting.
Well, we've got a long boat ride back
so I think we should pack up our gear and get outta here.
-I'm down for that. -Let's do it.
Although we're leaving,
our investigation of the Island of the Dolls is far from over.
(BICYCLE BELL)
After spending several hours analysing the recordings,
we were able to isolate some really strange sounds.
Jason and I thought we heard a voice calling out to us,
that he and Phil recorded.
Could be him, could be some...
What's that?
Yep, right there.
We listen back to the audio
and after amplifying the recording, we heard this...
-I hear something. -Let me rewind it a little bit.
I mean, to me that almost sounds like 'ayudame',
which means 'help me' in Spanish.
Then came Jessica's 30-minute solo session.
Jason and I both saw a shadow figure against the back wall.
-There! -Oh, yep, I see it.
But after looking at it closely,
we can't rule out that it could've been a shadow cast by an animal
or something outside the shack.
I will give you the light thing.
-That is.. -Oh! It did it again! OK.
And finally, there was the moment when the doll above me moved
and I distinctly heard
what sounded like one of the dolls saying 'mama'.
I really do think something really weird
is going on over there, like 100%.
We can all agree
that the Island of the Dolls is a deeply disturbing place.
It is a fact that a young girl and the island's original caretaker
both drowned here for reasons unknown.
But as to whether the young girl's ghost
or the victims of nearby Aztec rituals haunt the island
is a matter of spirited debate.
Oh! It did it again! OK.
Phil's tests revealed
that although there are elevated gas levels around the island,
they're not high enough to cause hallucinations.
It is also worth noting that Mexico City
is a place of deeply-held religious beliefs,
that may shape people's experiences -
Catholicism brought by the Spanish Conquistadors
mixed with ancient rituals
that are still conducted to honour Aztec heritage.
But Jess's encounters in the shack, both by day...
Oh, my god! I'm gonna start crying.
...and at night, are hard to explain away.
As are the noises captured on the island -
voices that seem to cry out from the beyond.
Subtitle Caption by ZestCorp