All language subtitles for 2D579CB5B2C468F1785A17A44CAB174C_eng

Australia's ocean wilderness is one of
the most extraordinary places on earth.

It is both beautiful
and bountiful.

It starts with the
tiniest fish, which in turn

support an astonishing
array of larger creatures.

Dusky sharks are fast,
streamlined predators,

that can grow over
four metres in length.

Dense schools of
sardines on this Western

Australian coastline
attract their hungry mouths.

The fish are fast, and their quick
shimmering changes in direction make it

hard for the predators
to pick out an individual.

The fish are also very fast.

Their prey are herded
towards the shallows.

In the shallows, there's also
a group of young board riders.

Confident that the sharks
are keeping themselves busy,

the swimmers have entered
the fray for a close encounter.

There are 375 shark
species in the world, yet

only three are responsible
for most human attacks.

Dusky sharks are
not amongst them.

More and more sharks join
the feast, drawn far and wide.

Far

up, the sheer size of
the scene becomes clear.

They have begun
one colossal bait ball.

A seething mass of predators
and prey spreads along the coast.

In scale, rarely seen
anywhere else on the planet.

The abundance of
fish still teeming in

Australia's oceans supports
many marine predators.

But not all of them
remain underwater.

Just over 60 kilometres off
South Australia lies Pearson Island.

Often compared to the Galapagos,
this island is the most popular.

It's archipelago has a precious cargo
of species found nowhere else on Earth.

The Australian sea lion is amongst
the rarest of its kind in the world.

Its population reached
dangerously low levels

after being hunted for
close on two centuries.

The world's least
polluted and best stocked

waterways have helped
sea lions to survive.

The island's back from
the brink of extinction.

These are ideal fishing
grounds for a sea lion mum.

The island's small sandy bay
provides the perfect nursery for her pups.

He's not confident enough to follow
his mother into the waves just yet.

Alone, he watches the more experienced
youngsters mess about in the water.

Perhaps

someone close to his own
age will provide some company.

But mothers can be protective.

And fathers horribly hostile.

The colony can be a dangerous
place to wander in search of a playmate.

Mothers come ashore and
reunite with their pups for a feed.

But his wait continues.

In Pearson Island's Toddlers Pool,
the young pup has finally found a friend.

From a different species, a
long-nosed fur-sealed pup.

These rock pools at the back of the
bay provide the perfect playground.

Hunger

grows, he watches.

And his mother's return.

Sea lions are some of nature's
greatest ocean acrobats.

So simply coming
ashore should be easy.

She needs to
pick a landing spot.

But the crashing waves
are making it hard.

If she's not going to
clear a wave in time, she

needs to abandon the
plan for a wiser future.

The sandy beach is
surely an easier landing site.

As fast as his flippers
can carry him, the pup

runs to his mum, and
finally gets his milk.

He will rely on his mother
for 18 months before he

must catch his own
dinner like the older mother.

And he will be
back to the sea lions.

One of the reasons sea
lions can thrive in the seas

around southern Australia
is the abundance of prey.

And now, in winter, one of their favourite
foods is starting to mass in one of the

most intriguing and graceful animal
congregations known only in these waters.

In the wide shallows of Spencer Gulf
on Australia's south coast, as the water

temperature drops below 12 degrees in
winter, a magical phenomenon takes place.

Giant cuttlefish up to a metre in
length are found only in Australia.

Masters of disguise, they
can change the colour and

texture of their skin to
blend with their surroundings.

At this time of year, though, it's
all about standing out from a crowd.

This patch of reef, just over
a square kilometre in size,

has been inundated with
thousands of courting cuttles.

With a ratio of 11 males to every female,
not every male is going to get lucky.

This female has accepted
the protection of a larger male.

But now he must hold
on to his mating rights in

the face of constant
challenges from eager rivals.

The males quite literally
size each other up.

By splaying out his tentacles, turning
white, and angling his body at 45

degrees, this alpha male attempts
to appear larger than his challenger.

The female is hidden below, while waves
of black add to his display of strength.

As rivals converge
on either side, it's

almost impossible to
keep his mate concealed.

While the alpha male is
distracted, his mate drifts from cover.

A smaller male sees an
opportunity and moves in.

The interloper drags
her as far as he can,

before forcing her into
his twisted embrace.

But the larger alpha male
is quick to reclaim his prize.

But the larger alpha male
is quick to reclaim his prize.

Like a fire hose, he flushes out
the sperm of previous copulators.

As the last to mate, he will
be the one to fertilize her eggs.

The pair can finally get down to the
business of finding a place to nest.

Any prospective home for their
eggs requires close inspection.

Satisfied, she begins
depositing their first clutch.

It takes around six minutes
before she can lay another egg.

So the male must
guard her closely.

It's a prime nesting place,
coveted by other cuttles, who

feel their way closer to the
crevice and the fertile female.

One by one, the
delicate nest begins.

The eggs are fixed.

To stop others entering
the cave, he flattens

his body, making him
appear even larger.

Doing his utmost to
impersonate a monstrous kraken.

Males venture closer,
testing his resolve.

His fatherhood is on the line.

It's a warning sign.

Stay away from
this monstrous lair.

Despite the show of brute
strength, challenges persist.

The monster allows
them even closer.

Until...

Cuttlefish expel ink
to confuse predators.

But this is a desperate attempt to
escape the clutches of one of their own.

The largest male on the reef.

This unique marine spectacle
was on the verge of being lost.

In a single season,
commercial fishermen caught

240 tons of cuttlefish
at this breeding site.

Before a fishing
ban was put in place.

Today, these calm
inshore shallows allow this

amorous gathering to
continue in relative peace.

While further out to
sea, storms are brewing.

In the depths of winter,
polar winds from Antarctica

whip up huge swells
across the Southern Ocean.

This is the ocean's engine room, generating
waves that will roll across the planet.

And Australia's southern coastline
is shaped by this powerful force.

As the ocean swell nears the outer
fringes of Australia, huge waves as high as

seven-story buildings have
been recorded off Tasmania.

In winter, many of the ocean
wanderers leave this violent seascape.

To seek refuge in the
great Australian Bight.

The arid Nullarbor Plain
reaches a dramatic end

as land plummets to the
ocean 150 meters below.

Every year in winter, southern right
whales gather in these cliffside coves.

This female left her feeding
ground in the Antarctic

and traveled over 4,000
kilometers to give birth.

The warmer water is gentle on her newborn,
yet to grow its insulating blubber.

She will nurse her calf
here until it's strong enough

to face the long migration
south at the start of spring.

But it's not all gentle play
for whales in these waters.

These cliffside coves are the
arena for spectacular mating events.

At nearly 15 meters and
each weighing as much as

100 tons, four males
close in on the lone female.

Dolphins become
curious on the host.

Females are known to go belly up in an
attempt to keep their genitals away from

males as they wield
their supersized anatomy.

Almost four meters
long, the penis of the

whale delivers a gallon
of sperm during mating.

Unlike the southern
right whales, this dolphin

pod remains by the
coast throughout the year.

And despite the size
difference, the dolphins are

happy to share their home
with the visiting giants.

The whale even appears to
mimic its more agile playmates.

Play is the most
important thing.

It tends to be a preoccupation for most
of the mammals in the southern seas.

In mid-winter, surfers
also take to the water.

It's a time when waves are often at their
best because of the southern ocean swell.

And when the surf picks up, it's
not just people trying to catch a wave.

It's also the dolphins.

Reaching up to 50 kilometers an
hour, they rocket through the waves.

Research has shown that these synchronized
displays help male dolphins form alliances.

Of course, surfing is also fun.

While dolphins frolic below the water's
surface, there are far darker goings-on.

Port Phillip Bay is on the
doorstep of Melbourne.

But very few of its residents,
including me, have ever witnessed the

eerie marine spectacle
that mysteriously unfolds

in these shallows for a
few weeks every winter.

At nearly half a meter
in width, giant spider

crabs are amongst the
world's largest crustaceans.

Seldom seen, they spend the
years scavenging on the seabed.

But this crab's spider
senses are tinkling.

It's time for a change.

It's soon joined by others.

Normally dwelling in
depths of up to 800 meters,

these crabs migrate to
the shallows each winter.

Not to mate, but to molt.

To shed their old shells.

It's believed the winter's drop in
temperature triggers this mass migration.

Before long, the ocean floor
is writhing with a carpet of

claws and spindly legs,
sometimes several creatures thick.

In the world above,
life continues as usual.

While just a few meters below,
thousands of giant spider crabs are

entering the most
vulnerable stage in their lives.

A scratching at its face is a sure sign
this crab's transformation has begun.

In order to grow, the crab must remove
its old shell and reveal a new one beneath.

Its new orange shell,
though larger, is flexible

and able to bend as the
crab works its way out.

However, this temporary
softness will prove its downfall.

It's one of the first to
expose its new soft shell.

And its hard-bodied neighbors waste no
time in seizing an opportunity for a meal.

When growing a new shell,
crabs need as much protein

as they can get, no matter
how macabre the source.

Once a leg is plucked from a victim, the
attacker quickly retreats with its prize.

Despite the perils of
molting in the midst of

cannibals, these crabs are
playing a numbers game.

There's a greater
threat to their kind.

Smooth stingrays
armed with venom-tipped

tails have stalked the
crabs to the shallows.

These are the largest
stingrays in the world.

But they have no need
for toxic barbs here.

Swooping over the scrum of panicked
shellfish, the ray vacuums up the crabs.

Defenseless crustaceans are
sucked from their soft shells.

Which

continues well into the night, the rays
gorging themselves to bursting point.

Yet, with this many crabs
molting at once, even

the most insatiable
rays can't eat them all.

But then, a week or two later, just as
suddenly as they arrived, they are gone.

Disappearing back to the deep, where
their lives largely remain a mystery.

A few leftovers from the
feast of rays are all that remain.

One reason for Australia's
many marine marvels

is that one, the southern
ocean chills the south.

Two more oceans bring warm
tropical water from the north.

In the west, it's
the Indian Ocean.

In the east, the mighty Pacific.

The huge area of continental
shelf shapes life here.

It forms gentle, sloping beaches
and the coast is dotted with islands.

Off the New South Wales
coast sits a rather special place.

Cabbage Tree Island
is the only island in the

entire region which
remains covered in rainforest.

The tall, slender palms have
given rise to an extraordinary

sea bird, evolved for
this very specific habitat.

Beneath the forest canopy, the rocky slopes
are littered with nooks and crannies.

And at the right time
of year, a little ball of

fluff can invariably be
found inside each one.

It is the world's only breeding
colony of Gould's Petrel.

This chick is around
three weeks old.

It's left alone while its
parents are fishing at sea.

A spider poses no real threat.

But best not to take your
chances when a spider's

fifteen centimetre leg
span is wider than you are.

By nightfall, there's still
no sign of mum or dad.

But then...

a somewhat undignified entrance.

But landing takes practice.

And it's a skill seldom
used by petrels.

This species spends years at
sea without touching dry land.

So walking over a rocky
forest floor is an alien sensation.

To make matters
trickier, almost every

available hole under
a rock has a chick in it.

It's believed the adults
use a keen sense of

smell to find their way
back to their nest hole.

But it doesn't appear
to be a fail-safe method.

Wrong hole.

Finally, after some searching,
mum and chick are reunited.

It's a meal of
regurgitated squid.

Over the next 12 weeks, night after
night, crash landing after crash landing,

chicks all over this tiny island
will wait for parents to return.

Until the one night when
they won't come back.

Four months later, with only
a tiny crown of fluffy down

left, the petrol chick has
been abandoned by its parents.

It's been weeks since it's
had anything to eat at all.

Hunger, desperation, and
instinct need to sufficiently

combine before it has
the will to make its move.

For those who don't,
it holds no future.

The young bird decides
it's time to leave the nest.

Sea birds, like petrels, rely on the wind
to give them the lift needed for take-off.

But down here, beneath the
forest canopy, the air is listless.

An ill-judged effort at
flight could be its last.

Sharp palms and jagged rocks
don't make for good crash mats.

If it's going to stand any
chance of getting off the

island, it will need to get
out from under the canopy.

But trees cover
the whole island.

There's only one thing for it.

And webbed feet and wings
are not ideal climbing equipment.

But the petrels here
have evolved sharp

claws and a hooked
beak to aid their ascent.

As the saying goes, if at first you
don't succeed, you'll be deceived.

Attempting the climb again pushes the
starving fledgling closer to exhaustion.

Panting, the fledgling wraps its wings
around the trunk for a moment's respite,

using its tail feathers
as a prop to rest.

Frantic wing flapping helps
to propel the bird up the tree.

Having made it to the top,
more obstacles lie in wait.

The thick stems at the center of the
palm fronds are lined with sharp spikes.

Feathers are easily entangled.

Part fall, part flight,
either way it's airborne.

And it won't touch land
again for five or six years.

As the ghoul's petrels head off to a life
far out at sea, other ocean wanderers are

being drawn to
Australia's Pacific coastline.

Once a year, humpback whales pass
Cabbage Tree Island on their journey north.

They have come to give birth to
their young in the warm shallows.

The most famous of all
is one of myth and legend.

Migaloo.

The albino humpback whale.

His name means white
fella in aboriginal language.

His pale color is most likely
due to a rare genetic mutation.

Believed to be 32 years
old, Migaloo is in his prime.

And he knows how to
demonstrate his power.

Scientists believe that
tail slapping and rolling

is a form of communication
between whales.

His companion applauds
with a tail slap of its own.

First sighted in 1991, Migaloo was thought
to be the only white whale in existence.

Since that time, newborn
white calves have been spotted

in the Pacific around
New Zealand and Australia.

It's thought that Migaloo may be the
father of some of these pale youngsters.

Migaloo travels up and
down the humpback highway.

As he makes the journey from
Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef.

And while the reef is famously home
to some of the ocean's most colorful

characters, it's also home to some
of the ocean's most endangered.

Ancient mariners such as
the green sea turtle have

for thousands of generations
returned here every year.

She has come back to lay her eggs in
the very same place where her life began.

With flippers designed for
sea and not sand, hauling her

200 kilo body up onto the
shore is an enormous effort.

The expectant mother is able to
carefully carve out a nest in the sand.

Her one and only
act of parental care.

She deposits a clutch
of around 100 eggs.

As she returns to the waves,
more mothers clamber up the beach.

In fact, many, many more.

14,000 turtles could come
ashore here in a single night.

In a single year,
the turtles of Rain

Island could lay as
many as 36 million eggs.

Two months later,
the sand begins to stir.

A hatchling begins its
frantic race to the water.

But by night, ghost
crabs haunt this beach.

Flapping flippers are its only defense
in a desperate attempt to get free.

Exhausted from its
escape, it unwittingly walks

right into the arms of
a waiting ghost crab.

But luck is on its side.

Running the gauntlet, the baby
turtle makes it to the open ocean.

It's estimated that just about one in a
thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood.

From here, the young turtles
travel on currents circling Australia.

Some will swim further
east into the South Pacific.

Others may travel
north towards Asia.

The separation of the land
between Asia and Australia

creates a passageway
for tropical water to flow.

Because of this,
it's the only continent

with warm water flowing
south on both coasts.

Currents jettison into the
Indian Ocean, and the rush of

tropical water spills south along
the Western Australian shore.

This coastline is the
world's most pristine.

An example of what marine
ecosystems should look like.

Healthy, interconnected,
teeming with life.

Thirty kilometres off the Kimberley
coast lie the Pacific islands.

Eighteen thousand pairs
of brown boobies nest here.

A new pair of boobies
is hoping to start a family.

Their courtship is underway.

With a weedy offering,
he attempts to woo her.

Perhaps another try.

No.

Surely his efforts
have been sufficient.

But maybe not.

At the height of the breeding season,
chicks of all sizes crowd the rocky shore.

As with humans, boobies approach
parenting in a variety of styles.

Some respond to the nagging
of the chicks immediately.

Others are less attentive.

Chicks born earlier in the season
are taking part in beak skills lessons.

Becoming adept at
flipping sticks and stones will

help with manipulating
slippery fish mid-flight.

As the temperature
rises to over forty degrees,

parents hover like a beach
umbrella over their chicks.

Communication between
this pair is on point.

They have the perfect tag team,
taking domestic duties in turn,

allowing the
other to go fishing.

Out at sea, the
boobies move en masse.

They have spotted
splashing in the distance.

A school of tuna and sharks have driven
a bait ball of sardines to the surface.

Before long, frigate
birds join the plunder.

Having got their fill, the birds
head home to their hungry chicks.

Some frigate birds haven't
bothered to head out to sea.

There's good reason these birds
are known as the Pirates of the Skies.

Larger and faster than
the boobies, they can bully

the smaller sea birds
into giving up their lunch.

Outmaneuvered, it's forced
to disgorge its food in mid-air.

Yet another chick
will go hungry.

On shore, the chicks wait for
a meal should finally be over.

The mates greet each
other but lunch was stolen.

Now the onus of providing a meal falls
to the other parent with added pressure.

Fortunately, it's the time of
year when the westerly winds

strengthen the flow of currents
fueling the plankton blooms.

The sudden bounty of
food attracts many mouths.

Including the biggest fish
of them all, the whale shark.

Despite their imposing size,
they feed on microscopic plankton.

Chemicals released by the plankton
are carried on the ocean current.

The whale sharks follow
their sensitive noses

to find these blooms in
the waters of Ningaloo.

With a large resident population of whale
sharks in the area, scientists want to

understand how individuals
are related to each other.

To do this, the scientist needs a
sample of each whale shark's DNA.

And he's come up with a
rather unusual way of doing this.

Remarkably, the giant
animal will hang very calmly

in the water column
whilst its nose is scratched.

Completely relaxed, the shark
seems to enter a dream-like state.

Allowing the scientist to scrape
tiny parasites off the shark's body.

These parasites, known as copepods, chew
the shark's skin and drink their blood.

In return for the DNA sample, the
whale sharks get rid of a few free-loaders.

Research has now shown that Australian
whale sharks are the offspring of

ocean-wandering parents from as far
away as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Where they can be targeted
by commercial fishermen.

Here in Ningaloo, the
juvenile giants have a

precious sanctuary where
they are protected species.

These gentle creatures prove not
all sharks are ravenous meat-eaters.

But in Australian waters there are
always other sharks who fit the stereotype.

Shark Bay in Western Australia
and the water is as warm as a bath.

The faintest trace of blood
in the water sends a signal.

While an entire whale
carcass is like a siren

going off alerting
sharks for miles around.

Tiger sharks.

Threatened globally
but here it's a recently

discovered hotspot for
these majestic predators.

A frail old whale having succumbed to
its end becomes a banquet for the tigers.

These perfect predators
have hunted the

world's oceans for more
than 50 million years.

But they are not above
a bit of scavenging.

The feeding frenzy
has attracted tour boats.

The passengers are treated to
ringside seats for the grizzly feast.

Such impressive schools
of predators show that

Australia's ocean wilderness
is still filled with life.

Predators are the ultimate
expression of a healthy ocean.

But while scenes like this once dominated
our planet today they are ever diminishing.

Such a rare and remarkable
spectacle is also a

reminder of whose
territory the ocean really is.

The abundance and diversity of Australia's
ocean realm provides another opportunity

for the island nation to
lead the world in marine

conservation at a time when
global oceans are under threat.

Australian waters not only nurture
unique species found nowhere else but also

provide protection to
species from distant shores.

And because of this there
is no underwater world more

worthy of safeguarding than
here in the magical land of Oz.