Lizard Filmed Breathing Underwater with 'Secret Scuba System' for the First Time — Watch

Lizard breathing underwater caught on film
Lizard breathing underwater caught on film

Robin Cox/National Geographic for Disney+

Tom Cruise does his own stunts, and so does this lizard.

While filming for the National Geographic series Super/Natural, the new show's crew captured a life-saving lizard behavior on film for the first time.

PEOPLE has a sneak peek at Super/Natural — a nature docuseries narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and premiering on Disney+ Sept. 21 — that includes this never-before-seen moment.

In the video below, a hungry motmot bird spies a lizard sitting out in the open ready to be snatched. The lizard runs from the bird until reaching a body of water. Cumberbatch, 46, notes in the clip that it seems "there is nowhere left to run" for the reptile — but he's wrong.

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The lizard dives into the water and sinks to the bottom to rest on the rock while the motmot bird watches. The colorful flier tries to wait out the lizard, but the bird is no match for the lizard's "unbelievable escape strategy, so recently discovered it's never been filmed before now."

According to Cumberbatch's narration, while the lizard is submerged in the water, tiny bubbles trapped between the reptile's scales join up and drift towards the lizard's head. This collection of bubbles acts as a "secret scuba system" for the lizard, allowing the creature to breathe underwater and stay submerged for more than 18 minutes.

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In the clip, this newly documented trick saves the lizard's life because, after waiting for the lizard to reappear for several minutes, the motmot bird decides to move on without a meal.

This lizard's impressive stunt is just one of many mesmerizing moments captured for Super/Natural — produced by director James Cameron. The new series utilizes the latest filmmaking technology to reveal the secret powers of the world's animals, inviting viewers to learn how many creatures can see, hear and move in ways beyond human capability.

Animal lovers can watch all the wonderous things the Earth's creatures can do by tuning into Super/Natural; the Disney+ original series from National Geographic starts streaming on Sept. 21 only on Disney+.