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(inspirational music)
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- [Announcer] Antarctica,
a vast, icy desert.
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In terms of rainfall, it's
the driest place on Earth,
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and yet the Antarctic
holds more than two-thirds
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of the planet's fresh water.
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With plunging temperatures
and powerful winds,
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our southernmost landmass
is an unrelenting habitat,
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but life persists and thrives.
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Once part of a connected
southern supercontinent,
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Antarctica is now isolated by a current
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so powerful it creates undersea highways
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back to each and every continent,
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where extraordinary lifeforms
answer the call of the seasons
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on icy islands and on
a land frozen by time.
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This is the Wildest Antarctic.
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- [Narrator] Antarctica is surrounded
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by the strongest ocean
current on the planet.
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It's a force that extends
right from the surface
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all the way to the sea floor.
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It's one of the many variables
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that keeps this continent isolated
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and the coldest place on Earth.
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Antarctica spans the South Pole
some 15 million kilometers,
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roughly the size of the United
States and Mexico combined.
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Here temperatures can plummet
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as low as 90 degrees celsius below zero.
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It's also the windiest place on Earth.
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Wind speed on one cape has been measured
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at over 300 kilometers an hour.
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(serene music)
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Some valleys have not seen
rain in some two million years.
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Antarctica was once as
warm as modern California,
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covered in lush forest
and roaming dinosaurs,
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when it was still joined to Africa,
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South America, and Australia
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in the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana.
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Since freezing over completely
some 20 million years ago,
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ice has locked in huge mountain ranges,
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frozen lakes in time,
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and created enormous glacial structures.
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The Antarctic Circumpolar Current
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perpetually moves eastward
some 21,000 kilometers.
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It carries 170 million cubic
meters of water every second.
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It's the equivalent of 68,000
Olympic swimming pools.
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(empowering music)
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The circumpolar current
connects the world's oceans,
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influencing currents to the north
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and creating pathways
for polar inhabitants
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to travel to other shores.
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Currents determine where this
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extraordinary marine life will travel,
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where they will mate, raise
their young, and hunt.
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These currents touch on the southern capes
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of our continents, the countries where
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lions share borders with penguins,
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kangaroos overlook seal colonies,
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and orcas stalk beaches
under the South American sun.
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Antarctica appears to
have less animal diversity
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than other regions, but the
surprisingly varied terrains
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force each group to
adapt in different ways.
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(walruses grunting)
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(serene music)
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Brown Bluff is on the
Antarctic continent itself,
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near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
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The peninsula is a long
arm of land and ice
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that reaches out toward South America.
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Excluding islands, it's Antarctica's
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closest point to any other continent.
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The bluff itself is a
towering basalt and lava cliff
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rising up from the beach.
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The rock is a remnant of
a massive ancient volcano
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that erupted through ice
over a million years ago.
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The brown cliff is peppered with glass,
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a result of the intense process
of lava rising and cooling
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so quickly in subglacial conditions.
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It overlooks a three kilometer
long bouldered beach.
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Vegetation is sparse.
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Lichen and moss cover rocks
well up into the cliffs,
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favoring areas of fresh water runoff
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from the melting glaciers.
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(water gurgling)
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However, it's difficult to get a glimpse
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of the terrain at Brown Bluff,
as it's covered in these:
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(penguins chattering)
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(impish music)
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Adelie penguins.
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East Antarctica is home
to six million Adelies.
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The few kilometers of Brown Bluff
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is one of the largest colonies,
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around 20,000 breeding pairs.
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At 70 centimeters tall,
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the Adelie is precisely mid-range
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when it comes to penguin sizes.
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Adelies have white
rings around their eyes.
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There isn't much noticeable difference
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between males and females.
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There are almost 20 types
of penguin worldwide,
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but only four of them actually live
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on the Antarctic continent itself.
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Adelies have soft feet with sharp talons,
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designed to walk across ice and rocks
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and to scale the steep
slopes of these beaches,
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though the cliffs here are
more difficult than most.
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In October, the start of the
Antarctic warming months,
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male Adelies come ashore in droves.
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The transition from porpoising in the sea
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to stumbling on land
is less than graceful,
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but this is the last leg of a race
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to reach the Bluff Beach
as soon as possible.
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(spirited music)
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How quickly they can get to work
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will have an important bearing
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on their breeding season ahead.
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The Adelie males make the
opening courting overture
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by building a nest.
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Their goal is to woo a female
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with the largest nest possible.
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However these penguins aren't exactly
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spoiled for choice when it
comes to building materials.
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The nest is simply a pile of small rocks
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collected from the beach.
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But it's where they stack their nests
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that adds that little extra appeal.
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The higher up the bluff,
the drier the nest
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and the more likely the female is
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to choose that nest builder.
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(penguins chattering)
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The long march from
shore to the higher sites
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can quickly become crowded
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with industrious males
and appraising females.
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These penguins are not above stealing
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from their neighbor if
the opportunity arises.
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When Adelies have paired
off and laid their eggs,
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both parents take turns at egg sittings.
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They need to remain vigilant.
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The further the penguins are from shore,
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the safer they are from sea
predators like leopard seals,
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but they are closer to threat from above:
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the Antarctic's ultimate
predator from the air, a Skua.
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Skuas are a large south polar bird.
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They can reach lengths of
more than half a meter.
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Ferocious anglers, they'll hunt
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fish and crustaceans close to shore,
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but in the penguin breeding months,
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eggs are a seasonal bounty.
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It only takes one parent
to be fishing at sea
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and the other to take a
brief break from nest duty
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for a Skua to seize opportunity.
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The Adelie sees the Skua at work
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as it returns uphill to its nest.
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There's only time for
the briefest of pauses.
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Adelies usually lay two eggs,
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and there's still time
to get back to the other.
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An heir and a spare is the breeding
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strategy of these penguins.
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(penguins chattering)
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(serene music)
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One chick will hatch just
days ahead of the other,
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but it will use the slim
head start to full advantage.
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The elder sibling dominates the nest.
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It stands over the later arrival,
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reaching in to the adult beak
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for the best morsels of food.
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It even maneuvers into position
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to stay closest to the parent's warmth.
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Often both chicks survive,
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but if food is scarce the
stronger one will be favored.
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(penguins chattering)
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(inquisitive music)
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(penguins chattering)
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It takes just a few weeks for the chicks
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to put on weight and reach
half the size of an adult.
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When parents change the guard
for fishing and feeding duty,
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they do so with noise and celebration.
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This serenading ceremony
of welcome and farewell
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is thought to strengthen the pair bond
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of the dutiful parents.
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The males are also showing
how robust they are.
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A penguin can lose weight faster
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in these long days without food.
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A fat penguin is a noisy and healthy one.
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With the bulk of nesting
left to the males,
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they'll lose weight in the
early days of parenting.
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(penguins chattering)
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By three or four weeks of age,
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the Adelie chicks are large
enough to be left on their own,
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but their growing girth
means they are ever hungry.
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Both parents must go to sea
now to hunt enough krill
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and fish for themselves and their brood.
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Warmed by thick brown jackets of down,
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the chicks bide their time
waiting for their next meal.
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(penguins chattering)
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When their parents are
away, the chicks form
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tight creches to deter predators.
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This is the Antarctic
equivalent of a daycare center,
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complete with guardian adults
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making sure wandering youngsters stay put.
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A freshly returned adult
with a beak full of food
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is always welcomed, at
times a little too heartily.
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(lively music)
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It's difficult to distinguish
one Adelie chick from another,
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even for an Adelie parent.
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To ensure it's feeding the
right chick, their own,
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an adult fending off a feeding
horde will move backwards.
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Usually the impostor will back away.
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Sometimes a parent knows best
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and will berate the unrelated chick.
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At other times, it's just
too difficult to tell.
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Running away entirely
from the hungry mouths
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is simply the easiest option.
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(inspiring music)
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As summer darkens and
daylight hours dwindle,
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the falling temperatures signal
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it's time for the Adelies to move on.
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The brown feathers of the youngsters
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are replaced with the
highly waterproof feathers
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these birds will need to explore
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the environment they were
born to live in: the sea.
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(penguins chattering)
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After just seven weeks, the fledglings
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are cautiously ready to join their colony
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as they return to the ocean.
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Their wings cannot fly,
they've evolved to be short,
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strong, and heavy to help propel them
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through the water at speeds of
up to 15 kilometers an hour.
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It only takes a couple
to brave the first plunge
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before hundreds follow in a dense pack.
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They porpoise out toward the horizon,
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leaping dolphin-like to take in air,
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pacing themselves for
the long voyage ahead.
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Over the winter the Adelies will travel
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hundreds of kilometers from the continent,
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following open water,
hunting fish and squid,
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and resting on bergs.
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They'll become part of an entire food web,
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following a course set by the currents.
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The current that circumnavigates
the Antarctic continent
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is the planet's strongest
for several reasons,
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but a significant one is that
it can form a complete circle.
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It isn't diverted by a landmass.
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This became possible
some 30 million years ago
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when it finally separated
from all other continents,
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the last being the southernmost
point of Australia.
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The island of Tasmania is now more
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than 3,000 kilometers away,
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and roaring westerly through the strait
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that separates the two
accelerates the current.
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In fact, Australia's small southern island
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is the meeting point for
four major ocean currents:
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(serene music)
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the Antarctic Circumpolar Current,
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the East Australian Current,
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it rounds the cape and heads westward,
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becoming the Flinders Current.
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Another, the Leeuwin, also
arrives from that direction.
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This unusual convergence of so many
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warm and freezing waters has created
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an astonishingly unique marine environment
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00:16:41,740 --> 00:16:43,753
and helped to shape the land above.
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The island of Tasmania became separated
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00:16:49,090 --> 00:16:53,193
from mainland Australia
around 85 million years ago.
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00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:57,870
Its vegetation includes some of the most
263
00:16:57,870 --> 00:17:00,103
ancient plant species on Earth.
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00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:06,880
Large tracts of cool-temperate rainforest
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00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:08,703
cover 10% of the island.
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00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:15,020
It once shared rainforest
with the southern continents,
267
00:17:15,020 --> 00:17:18,063
Africa, South America, and Antarctica.
268
00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,750
Plant fossils of these forests
269
00:17:22,750 --> 00:17:24,037
can even be found within sandstones
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00:17:24,037 --> 00:17:27,163
and mudstones in the Antarctic today.
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Tasmania's isolation as an island
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has meant fewer introduced predators
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00:17:35,210 --> 00:17:38,373
and allowed lineages of
animal species to continue,
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00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:40,800
including the world's largest
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00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,673
surviving carnivorous marsupial.
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00:17:43,762 --> 00:17:45,270
(Tasmanian devil groans)
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00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:48,190
The Tasmanian devil
died out on the mainland
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00:17:48,190 --> 00:17:53,190
some 3,000 years ago, long
before European settlers arrived,
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00:17:53,690 --> 00:17:57,963
but still lives in the dry
eucalypt forests of this island.
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Another of Tasmania's unique forests
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is more difficult to access.
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00:18:05,150 --> 00:18:06,996
It's well below the waterline.
283
00:18:06,996 --> 00:18:09,996
(inquisitive music)
284
00:18:11,260 --> 00:18:14,380
The cold ocean off Tasmania's east coast
285
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grows vast tracts of giant kelp forest.
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00:18:21,420 --> 00:18:23,540
Kelp is a type of seaweed,
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00:18:23,540 --> 00:18:25,770
and in the cold, nutrient-rich waters
288
00:18:25,770 --> 00:18:28,380
where the southern and
northern currents collide,
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00:18:28,380 --> 00:18:30,683
grows the biggest kelp in the world.
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00:18:32,510 --> 00:18:35,770
Giant kelp reaches more
than 30 meters in height
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00:18:35,770 --> 00:18:38,420
and grows at an extraordinary rate,
292
00:18:38,420 --> 00:18:40,373
up to half a meter a day.
293
00:18:41,980 --> 00:18:43,500
The long plants are kept afloat
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00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:47,343
with small, gas-filled
bulbs called pneumatocysts.
295
00:18:49,860 --> 00:18:53,430
Like all seaweed, they don't
sink roots into the seabed,
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but anchor on rock and reef.
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00:18:57,370 --> 00:19:00,020
In these cool climes, the algae and coral
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00:19:00,020 --> 00:19:03,363
are deep yellow, rusty reds, and brown.
299
00:19:04,540 --> 00:19:07,150
The dense forests create
plenty of hiding spaces
300
00:19:07,150 --> 00:19:10,133
and respite from the
strong offshore currents,
301
00:19:11,170 --> 00:19:13,920
and like most macroalgae gardens,
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00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,103
kelp forests have an
accomplished resident mimic:
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00:19:18,623 --> 00:19:21,830
(inquisitive music)
304
00:19:21,830 --> 00:19:23,463
the weedy seadragon.
305
00:19:24,710 --> 00:19:27,280
A distant relative of the seahorse,
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00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,890
this elongated fish has a long snout
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00:19:29,890 --> 00:19:32,043
to suck up tiny shrimp for feeding.
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00:19:34,310 --> 00:19:37,960
It's covered in hard, bony
plates rather than scales,
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00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:39,403
which does limit mobility.
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00:19:41,669 --> 00:19:44,500
The only way the seadragon
can propel forward
311
00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:47,193
is by rapidly flickering
its tiny abdominal fins.
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00:19:51,950 --> 00:19:55,883
The slow, undulating pace
works in this fish's favor.
313
00:19:58,290 --> 00:20:01,263
The movements echo the gentle
sway of kelp in current,
314
00:20:02,350 --> 00:20:04,520
and it's grown additional features
315
00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,303
to polish the mimicry act.
316
00:20:08,090 --> 00:20:09,910
Elaborate, leaf-like appendages
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00:20:09,910 --> 00:20:12,563
extend from the head, body, and tail.
318
00:20:15,860 --> 00:20:17,490
The camouflage is so effective
319
00:20:17,490 --> 00:20:19,350
that once a weedy seadragon reaches
320
00:20:19,350 --> 00:20:22,460
its full adult size of 40 centimeters,
321
00:20:22,460 --> 00:20:24,410
it's rarely eaten by natural predators.
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00:20:31,802 --> 00:20:34,802
(inquisitive music)
323
00:20:37,260 --> 00:20:39,610
The red velvet fish also relies
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00:20:39,610 --> 00:20:41,573
on mimicry to avoid being eaten.
325
00:20:42,460 --> 00:20:46,103
It too is only found in these
cold South Australian climes.
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00:20:48,750 --> 00:20:50,970
The velvet fish's fins fan and sway
327
00:20:50,970 --> 00:20:52,980
like the seaweed around it,
328
00:20:52,980 --> 00:20:55,560
and although it's not
the strongest swimmer,
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00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,390
this fish will drop to the nearest plant
330
00:20:58,390 --> 00:21:00,483
and begin its best imitation.
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00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,680
If the ruse doesn't work,
its spines can deliver
332
00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,833
a powerful shot of toxic venom.
333
00:21:13,323 --> 00:21:16,323
(inquisitive music)
334
00:21:17,670 --> 00:21:20,710
Near the kelp forest but in deeper water,
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00:21:20,710 --> 00:21:23,203
sponge gardens claim the rock faces.
336
00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,810
Sponges are one of the most
ancient lifeforms on Earth,
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00:21:28,810 --> 00:21:30,740
with fossils of ancestors dating back
338
00:21:30,740 --> 00:21:33,363
more than 600 million years.
339
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,320
In Tasmanian waters today,
340
00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,193
they rely on the ocean
currents to bring them food.
341
00:21:45,190 --> 00:21:48,030
Unlike hard corals, these animals
342
00:21:48,030 --> 00:21:51,073
don't harbor algae that
photosynthesize sunlight.
343
00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:55,400
Instead, these sponges and sea whips
344
00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,400
flourish in depths past 30
meters, beyond the sun's rays,
345
00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:02,623
filtering nutrients as they float by.
346
00:22:07,330 --> 00:22:10,053
Other animals take shelter
by day in the depths.
347
00:22:16,860 --> 00:22:19,710
Some, like this cold water
southern rock lobster
348
00:22:19,710 --> 00:22:23,653
ascend to the kelp forests
nightly on foraging excursions.
349
00:22:26,270 --> 00:22:29,553
Cold water anemones also
unfurl to feed at dusk.
350
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,480
Closely related to coral
polyps and jellyfish,
351
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,970
these are animals that attach
to a hard surface with a foot,
352
00:22:36,970 --> 00:22:39,550
and have stinging tentacles to catch food
353
00:22:39,550 --> 00:22:42,063
and pass down to a central mouth and gut.
354
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:47,160
This swimming anemone attaches
to rocks but will often move
355
00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,600
to the end of kelp fronds after sundown
356
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:51,950
to get in better range
of the passing plankton.
357
00:22:55,870 --> 00:22:58,530
A smooth ray glides up from the sea bed
358
00:22:58,530 --> 00:23:00,983
and leaves a trail of sand over the kelp.
359
00:23:02,410 --> 00:23:05,970
This is the largest stingray in the world,
360
00:23:05,970 --> 00:23:09,460
but only uses the barb
on its tail in defense.
361
00:23:09,460 --> 00:23:13,263
To eat, it smothers and
crushes shrimp and crabs.
362
00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:18,340
As winter approaches, the
smooth ray heads north
363
00:23:18,340 --> 00:23:21,693
where an astonishing crab feast
is about to come on offer.
364
00:23:23,890 --> 00:23:26,220
The Great Australian Bight is bordered
365
00:23:26,220 --> 00:23:29,100
by the Southern Ocean
and the powerful force
366
00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:31,463
of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
367
00:23:32,750 --> 00:23:34,320
Along the continent shelf,
368
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,423
a westward current called the Flinders,
369
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,400
a surface current called the Leeuwin,
370
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,741
travels eastward seasonally
from the Indian Ocean.
371
00:23:42,741 --> 00:23:45,720
(inspirational music)
372
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,930
These currents and
countercurrents create upwellings,
373
00:23:49,930 --> 00:23:53,863
a process where deep, cold
water rises to the surface.
374
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,270
It replaces the warm surface water
375
00:23:57,270 --> 00:24:00,550
and brings with it a rush of nutrients.
376
00:24:00,550 --> 00:24:04,730
Single-celled plants called
phytoplankton and zooplankton,
377
00:24:04,730 --> 00:24:08,543
animal lifeforms, tiny
marine eggs, and larvae.
378
00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:11,980
These are the foundations that allow
379
00:24:11,980 --> 00:24:15,243
entire ecosystems to build and bloom.
380
00:24:16,470 --> 00:24:19,340
Cold water species thrive here,
381
00:24:19,340 --> 00:24:23,183
lobsters and sardines, whales and sharks.
382
00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,860
Its proximity to the South Pole
383
00:24:26,860 --> 00:24:29,330
and isolation from other continents
384
00:24:29,330 --> 00:24:33,500
has created spectacular
underwater adaptations.
385
00:24:33,500 --> 00:24:36,890
Over 90% of the plants and animals here
386
00:24:36,890 --> 00:24:38,973
are found nowhere else on Earth.
387
00:24:42,710 --> 00:24:45,770
The bight itself is home to enormous bays,
388
00:24:45,770 --> 00:24:47,930
basins that have thousands of kilometers
389
00:24:47,930 --> 00:24:50,363
of rivers and creeks pouring into it.
390
00:24:53,610 --> 00:24:56,010
One such bay is Port Phillip.
391
00:24:56,010 --> 00:24:58,550
It's north of the island of Tasmania
392
00:24:58,550 --> 00:25:00,430
and happens to also be the backyard
393
00:25:00,430 --> 00:25:03,743
of Australia's second
largest city, Melbourne.
394
00:25:05,162 --> 00:25:08,162
(inquisitive music)
395
00:25:10,310 --> 00:25:13,150
As the water temperatures
drop each winter,
396
00:25:13,150 --> 00:25:15,830
visitors from the cold depths beyond
397
00:25:15,830 --> 00:25:18,890
begin a steady march up
the continental shelf
398
00:25:18,890 --> 00:25:20,633
into the shallows of the bay.
399
00:25:22,140 --> 00:25:25,730
Long encased legs move
steadily with purpose
400
00:25:25,730 --> 00:25:28,563
towards a central meeting
point on the seabed.
401
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,630
These are giant spider crabs,
402
00:25:35,630 --> 00:25:38,273
the largest crustacean on Earth.
403
00:25:39,830 --> 00:25:42,173
They can live to 100 years old.
404
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,393
Each crab has a leg span
of nearly half a meter.
405
00:25:47,260 --> 00:25:51,610
Despite its size, a single
crab is difficult to spot,
406
00:25:51,610 --> 00:25:54,893
hiding amongst macroalgae
and sponge gardens.
407
00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:01,760
But once a year they undertake
a massive undersea migration.
408
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,533
They come to Port Phillip Bay
in the hundreds of thousands.
409
00:26:11,590 --> 00:26:14,350
The water becomes clouded with sand
410
00:26:14,350 --> 00:26:16,870
as giant spider crabs
clamor over each other
411
00:26:16,870 --> 00:26:19,200
without hierarchy or order,
412
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,863
sometimes as many as 10 crabs deep.
413
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:29,620
They're here for an annual
event in their lifecycle,
414
00:26:29,620 --> 00:26:32,723
and it's one that will
require safety in numbers.
415
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,000
Giant spider crabs have exoskeleton shells
416
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,240
called carapaces to
protect their soft insides.
417
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,723
However, the carapaces don't grow.
418
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,260
The crabs must shed their shells
419
00:26:51,260 --> 00:26:53,493
in a process called molting.
420
00:26:57,120 --> 00:26:59,160
For several weeks prior, it begins
421
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,903
growing a new, soft shell underneath.
422
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,550
A day before the crab is ready to molt,
423
00:27:06,550 --> 00:27:09,523
it absorbs sea water and
swells like a balloon.
424
00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:13,070
The shell comes apart at the seams,
425
00:27:13,070 --> 00:27:16,633
the old one popping up
like a lid sitting atop.
426
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,263
Then it's time to change.
427
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,010
Over about 20 minutes, the spider crab
428
00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:26,730
pushes backwards on all of its legs
429
00:27:26,730 --> 00:27:29,143
slowly backing out of the shell.
430
00:27:30,610 --> 00:27:34,000
Finally it pulls its long legs free
431
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,043
and it's a new, slightly larger crab.
432
00:27:39,450 --> 00:27:42,363
The old skeleton is left
sitting on the sea floor.
433
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,090
The new shell is very
soft for a number of days
434
00:27:48,090 --> 00:27:51,360
and it will take a month to fully harden.
435
00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:54,093
Predators know this is a
vulnerable time for the crab.
436
00:27:55,983 --> 00:27:58,560
When it comes to molting,
safety in numbers
437
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,653
is a necessary survival strategy.
438
00:28:03,030 --> 00:28:06,333
They'll come back to this
same place year after year.
439
00:28:10,470 --> 00:28:12,520
When the molting season ends,
440
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,070
it's time to once again head south
441
00:28:15,070 --> 00:28:19,083
to return to a solitary
life 300 meters below.
442
00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:32,540
A little further west
along the Flinders Current,
443
00:28:32,540 --> 00:28:34,310
the winter calling of the water
444
00:28:34,310 --> 00:28:37,993
heralds the start of another
extraordinary migration.
445
00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:43,070
In the upper reaches of the Spencer Gulf,
446
00:28:43,070 --> 00:28:46,440
an enormous catchment
for creeks and rivers,
447
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,860
another of the Southern Ocean giants
448
00:28:48,860 --> 00:28:50,654
has come in from the deep.
449
00:28:50,654 --> 00:28:53,600
(serene music)
450
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:55,700
The giant Australian cuttlefish
451
00:28:55,700 --> 00:28:58,053
is the largest of its kind in the world.
452
00:28:59,300 --> 00:29:02,000
They reach 60 centimeters in length
453
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,063
and weigh up to 10 kilograms.
454
00:29:07,619 --> 00:29:10,840
In a small corner of the
gulf is a flat rock ledge
455
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,620
where the water temperature
remains fairly constant,
456
00:29:13,620 --> 00:29:16,160
between 12 and 15 degrees.
457
00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,743
It's the ideal place for
females to deposit their eggs.
458
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,090
It's the only such place
for hundreds of kilometers,
459
00:29:27,090 --> 00:29:30,750
and so the oceanic
giants come here yearly,
460
00:29:30,750 --> 00:29:33,473
more than 100,000 of them.
461
00:29:35,700 --> 00:29:37,740
This is the densest mass cuttlefish
462
00:29:37,740 --> 00:29:39,203
aggregation in the world.
463
00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:49,680
The male giant cuttlefish
are here for one reason,
464
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,363
to impress the females.
465
00:29:52,220 --> 00:29:55,910
The bulls are much
larger than the females.
466
00:29:55,910 --> 00:29:58,743
They flash colors to show
off their size and health.
467
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,180
(tense music)
468
00:30:05,450 --> 00:30:08,700
When they find a female
who seems wiling to mate,
469
00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:10,593
competition is fierce.
470
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,100
A large male bull will guard a female,
471
00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:18,410
hovering over her, hiding
her under rock ledges,
472
00:30:18,410 --> 00:30:21,733
and fending off the constant
attention of other males.
473
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,600
Scientists refer to these animals
474
00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,770
as the rock stars of the marine world.
475
00:30:33,770 --> 00:30:36,660
Closely related to octopus and squid,
476
00:30:36,660 --> 00:30:39,603
cuttlefish live fast and die young.
477
00:30:42,180 --> 00:30:45,150
They only live for 12 to 18 months
478
00:30:45,150 --> 00:30:46,690
and each breeding season is their
479
00:30:46,690 --> 00:30:50,033
one opportunity to continue their genes.
480
00:30:51,140 --> 00:30:54,120
With such high stakes, the bull males
481
00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,223
resort to physically blocking
access to the females.
482
00:31:02,250 --> 00:31:03,810
The males try their hardest
483
00:31:03,810 --> 00:31:06,600
to get within arm's reach of the females.
484
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,073
One of their tentacles contains
a packet of spermatophores.
485
00:31:12,550 --> 00:31:15,560
If the female accepts the male's advances,
486
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,300
he'll need to reach into
the cavity of her head
487
00:31:18,300 --> 00:31:20,843
to deposit it into her oviduct.
488
00:31:28,570 --> 00:31:31,533
That's if he can get close
enough in the first place.
489
00:31:32,970 --> 00:31:35,250
As well as the large dominant males,
490
00:31:35,250 --> 00:31:37,940
there are smaller males in the water,
491
00:31:37,940 --> 00:31:41,033
and they have their own
strategy for mating.
492
00:31:47,830 --> 00:31:49,200
They'll take on the coloration
493
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,833
of a female to seem unimposing.
494
00:31:53,910 --> 00:31:55,300
The small male will then attempt
495
00:31:55,300 --> 00:31:57,770
to sneak past the giant bull guard
496
00:31:57,770 --> 00:32:01,157
and reach the female while
the larger males fight it out.
497
00:32:12,170 --> 00:32:16,680
Sometimes it works, but
today this small male
498
00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,423
has been denied access.
499
00:32:22,780 --> 00:32:26,800
At times the female simply gets fed up.
500
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,660
She makes her escape, leaving the bulls
501
00:32:29,660 --> 00:32:31,433
alone in each other's company.
502
00:32:37,220 --> 00:32:39,660
The males don't have a great success rate,
503
00:32:39,660 --> 00:32:42,850
only one in four attempts.
504
00:32:42,850 --> 00:32:45,820
They continue to flash
colors at each other.
505
00:32:45,820 --> 00:32:48,690
This is the cuttlefish
equivalent of flexing muscles
506
00:32:48,690 --> 00:32:51,053
and showing they are strong competitors,
507
00:32:58,460 --> 00:33:03,403
and every so often the swoop-in
approach is timed perfectly.
508
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,223
A bull male hesitates for a moment.
509
00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,120
The female is receptive and accepts,
510
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,527
and a successful mating ensues.
511
00:33:16,527 --> 00:33:19,110
(serene music)
512
00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:23,660
The giant cuttlefish will attempt
513
00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:25,470
as many couplings as they can
514
00:33:25,470 --> 00:33:28,123
in this one short window
of time they have.
515
00:33:31,590 --> 00:33:33,397
If they are lucky, they may survive
516
00:33:33,397 --> 00:33:35,423
to see another breeding season,
517
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,020
but most of these giants
will die off at winter's end,
518
00:33:40,020 --> 00:33:41,790
not long after they have retreated
519
00:33:41,790 --> 00:33:44,773
back to the deeper water
of the Southern Ocean.
520
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,640
The area where the cold waters
521
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,910
of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
522
00:33:52,910 --> 00:33:55,340
mingle with the warmer waters of the north
523
00:33:55,340 --> 00:33:58,490
is known as the Antarctic Convergence.
524
00:33:58,490 --> 00:34:01,350
Here a higher concentration of nutrients
525
00:34:01,350 --> 00:34:03,741
means a great abundance of marine life.
526
00:34:03,741 --> 00:34:06,960
(spirited music)
527
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,560
Prion Island is a tiny outcrop
that sits on the convergence,
528
00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:13,890
midway between mainland South America
529
00:34:13,890 --> 00:34:15,993
and the tip of the Antarctic continent.
530
00:34:18,410 --> 00:34:21,090
Just under 2.5 kilometers long,
531
00:34:21,090 --> 00:34:23,100
this rocky island is one of the world's
532
00:34:23,100 --> 00:34:27,263
most important sanctuaries
for seabirds and seals.
533
00:34:31,150 --> 00:34:33,750
In the southern summer, temperatures rise
534
00:34:33,750 --> 00:34:36,390
to a couple of degrees below zero
535
00:34:36,390 --> 00:34:39,323
and Prion Island becomes almost ice-free.
536
00:34:40,350 --> 00:34:43,103
Thick tufts of grass
burst through the snow.
537
00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,950
Unlike most Antarctic islands visited
538
00:34:46,950 --> 00:34:48,900
by whaling ships in the past,
539
00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:51,343
Prion Island remains free of rats.
540
00:34:53,170 --> 00:34:56,060
That means eggs are save
from the ubiquitous vermin
541
00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,593
and the seabird population has
flourished here as a result.
542
00:35:03,130 --> 00:35:06,730
Prion Island is one of
the few places you can see
543
00:35:06,730 --> 00:35:10,563
the world's largest flying
bird return to land,
544
00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:13,883
the wandering albatross.
545
00:35:15,630 --> 00:35:18,190
Albatross are renowned for their size
546
00:35:18,190 --> 00:35:20,853
and this is the biggest of its kind.
547
00:35:21,810 --> 00:35:25,040
The wanderer weighs up to 12 kilograms
548
00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:29,103
and has a wingspan of three
meters from tip to tip.
549
00:35:30,330 --> 00:35:35,193
Wandering albatross are the
most oceanic of all seabirds.
550
00:35:37,110 --> 00:35:39,970
They can coast for
several hundred kilometers
551
00:35:39,970 --> 00:35:42,073
without a single wing flap.
552
00:35:43,230 --> 00:35:46,130
The albatross do this utilizing the winds
553
00:35:46,130 --> 00:35:49,223
generated above the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current.
554
00:35:50,070 --> 00:35:52,780
They spend most of their lives in the air,
555
00:35:52,780 --> 00:35:54,983
following it around
the southern continent.
556
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,100
Wanderers don't come ashore
until they're ready to breed
557
00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:03,253
at around five to 10 years of age.
558
00:36:07,170 --> 00:36:10,210
Each summer the central
plateau of Prion Island
559
00:36:10,210 --> 00:36:13,333
becomes the stage for
a season of courting.
560
00:36:14,930 --> 00:36:16,870
It's important a wandering albatross
561
00:36:16,870 --> 00:36:20,423
takes the time to size up
and settle on a good match.
562
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:26,670
The partner they leave the
island with at the end of summer
563
00:36:26,670 --> 00:36:30,723
will be their mate for
life, some 50 years.
564
00:36:33,290 --> 00:36:36,230
Females usually initiate the meetings,
565
00:36:36,230 --> 00:36:39,183
which lead to a long, intricate ritual.
566
00:36:39,183 --> 00:36:42,016
(uplifting music)
567
00:36:43,950 --> 00:36:46,513
It begins with a clacking of beaks,
568
00:36:49,990 --> 00:36:52,960
bouts of preening, and a noise
569
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,043
that almost sounds like a throaty purr.
570
00:36:55,928 --> 00:36:58,928
(albatross purring)
571
00:37:02,620 --> 00:37:05,340
It soon progresses to a dance.
572
00:37:05,340 --> 00:37:08,340
For minutes, sometimes hours, at a time,
573
00:37:08,340 --> 00:37:09,850
these birds will circle each other
574
00:37:09,850 --> 00:37:12,750
with wings fully extended, showing off
575
00:37:12,750 --> 00:37:15,523
the impressive full gamut
of their greatest asset.
576
00:37:18,010 --> 00:37:20,000
About a quarter of the time,
577
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,993
the dance ends with the female
and male nesting together.
578
00:37:26,030 --> 00:37:28,563
However, it's a long summer.
579
00:37:30,110 --> 00:37:34,338
Although wanderers pair for
life, they are not monogamous.
580
00:37:34,338 --> 00:37:36,900
(albatross purring)
581
00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:41,830
At times courting pairs divert
their attention to others.
582
00:37:41,830 --> 00:37:45,373
It's not unusual for a third
albatross to join the dance.
583
00:37:46,618 --> 00:37:49,785
(albatrosses calling)
584
00:37:50,820 --> 00:37:53,850
Females will often mate
with multiple partners
585
00:37:53,850 --> 00:37:56,380
and produce eggs sired by a mix of fathers
586
00:37:56,380 --> 00:37:57,773
over their lifetimes.
587
00:38:00,030 --> 00:38:03,223
It's a way of maximizing a
very limited breeding pattern.
588
00:38:04,130 --> 00:38:07,113
The wanderers lay just
one egg every two years.
589
00:38:08,660 --> 00:38:10,580
Their chosen life partner will help
590
00:38:10,580 --> 00:38:13,743
incubate the egg regardless of paternity.
591
00:38:16,770 --> 00:38:19,280
The albatross chicks
remain on Prion Island
592
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,310
for about nine months,
strengthening their wings
593
00:38:22,310 --> 00:38:24,923
in preparation for the long journey ahead.
594
00:38:28,500 --> 00:38:30,460
When they leave, they'll have attained
595
00:38:30,460 --> 00:38:33,023
the full length of their
remarkable wingspan.
596
00:38:34,090 --> 00:38:37,793
The young wanderers will
remain at sea alone for years.
597
00:38:40,170 --> 00:38:42,690
They'll drink salt water for hydration,
598
00:38:42,690 --> 00:38:45,823
fish from the air, and
follow the polar currents.
599
00:38:49,860 --> 00:38:53,490
It will be nearly a decade
before they return to Prion
600
00:38:53,490 --> 00:38:55,680
to find their own mate to spend
601
00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,280
the remainder of their
lives wandering with.
602
00:39:02,655 --> 00:39:06,490
(intriguing music)
(seal chirping)
603
00:39:06,490 --> 00:39:10,470
Below this hills on Prion
Island's only shingle beach,
604
00:39:10,470 --> 00:39:12,840
another breeding seeding gets underway
605
00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:14,213
with the start of summer.
606
00:39:16,460 --> 00:39:19,893
Antarctic fur seals are the
smallest of the seal family.
607
00:39:23,150 --> 00:39:24,710
Rather than relying on a generous
608
00:39:24,710 --> 00:39:27,000
inner tubing of fat for warmth,
609
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,213
these seals are covered
in very thick brown fur.
610
00:39:33,860 --> 00:39:36,870
Females usually weigh about 40 kilograms,
611
00:39:36,870 --> 00:39:39,203
but the big males can weigh up to 200.
612
00:39:41,706 --> 00:39:43,280
(seals squealing)
613
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,393
These large bulls are
usually first to the beach.
614
00:39:48,330 --> 00:39:51,130
They have to find the most inviting areas
615
00:39:51,130 --> 00:39:52,913
and establish their territory.
616
00:39:55,640 --> 00:40:00,060
In places further north, fur
seal bulls fight one another
617
00:40:00,060 --> 00:40:01,640
to establish their right to groups
618
00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:03,943
of breeding females called harems.
619
00:40:06,230 --> 00:40:10,223
On Prion Island, the beach
is a relatively small space.
620
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,350
The females move about more freely,
621
00:40:14,350 --> 00:40:18,670
but the males will try to herd
them into their territories.
622
00:40:18,670 --> 00:40:22,193
Once there, they will try
to block them from leaving.
623
00:40:23,308 --> 00:40:27,420
(seal squeals)
(somber music)
624
00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:30,140
More than three times the female's size
625
00:40:30,140 --> 00:40:32,100
and full of testosterone,
626
00:40:32,100 --> 00:40:35,233
this bull is too difficult
to negotiate a path around.
627
00:40:39,050 --> 00:40:42,533
The female fur seal collapses
from sheer exhaustion.
628
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,460
She needs a rest before trying again
629
00:40:46,460 --> 00:40:48,260
in hope the bull's attention
630
00:40:48,260 --> 00:40:50,283
will soon be diverted elsewhere.
631
00:40:56,390 --> 00:40:59,283
For some females, the
attention is relentless.
632
00:41:00,550 --> 00:41:02,910
A prized female may have a number of bulls
633
00:41:02,910 --> 00:41:04,610
clashing while trying to herd her.
634
00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:11,400
The males are so determined
to defend their domain
635
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:15,070
some won't even eat for several weeks.
636
00:41:15,070 --> 00:41:17,210
Feeding means a return to the ocean,
637
00:41:17,210 --> 00:41:18,540
and they'd rather starve
638
00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:21,103
than relinquish their hard-won territory.
639
00:41:24,215 --> 00:41:26,370
(baby seal whimpering)
640
00:41:26,370 --> 00:41:29,290
Many of the females
arrive on Prion's beach
641
00:41:29,290 --> 00:41:32,473
already pregnant from the
previous breeding season.
642
00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:36,350
The summer begins with a series of births,
643
00:41:36,350 --> 00:41:39,920
freeing the females to
mate again soon after.
644
00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:42,663
But first a newborn needs attention.
645
00:41:43,530 --> 00:41:46,660
The small pups are very
vulnerable in their first hours
646
00:41:46,660 --> 00:41:49,410
before they've learned to
walk on their front flippers.
647
00:41:51,690 --> 00:41:54,293
Mother and pup bond through
nuzzling and vocalizing.
648
00:41:55,390 --> 00:41:58,307
(seals chattering)
649
00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:04,503
This pup needs to nurse.
650
00:42:05,780 --> 00:42:08,270
Exhausted, the mother rolls on her back
651
00:42:08,270 --> 00:42:09,840
to help show the way.
652
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,757
(seals chattering)
653
00:42:16,720 --> 00:42:19,440
After a week, the pup
will be left on the beach
654
00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:22,130
alone for hours at a time.
655
00:42:22,130 --> 00:42:25,599
The mothers must return to
the sea to feed on krill.
656
00:42:25,599 --> 00:42:28,682
(lighthearted music)
657
00:42:31,083 --> 00:42:34,166
(baby seal chirping)
658
00:42:37,570 --> 00:42:40,730
The next four months are a
demanding time for these mothers.
659
00:42:40,730 --> 00:42:43,130
They continue a cycle of weaning, feeding,
660
00:42:43,130 --> 00:42:46,219
and mating in between pup rearing.
661
00:42:46,219 --> 00:42:49,136
(seals chattering)
662
00:42:51,190 --> 00:42:53,380
The pups put on weight quickly.
663
00:42:53,380 --> 00:42:56,883
The first snow will signal
it's time to leave the island.
664
00:42:58,370 --> 00:43:00,880
At summer's end, these fledgling fur seals
665
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,023
will take their first plunge
into the Antarctic Ocean.
666
00:43:06,340 --> 00:43:08,650
It will be many years before
they return to this beach
667
00:43:08,650 --> 00:43:11,693
to begin the cycle anew
as breeding adults.
668
00:43:19,450 --> 00:43:21,720
Beyond the Antarctic Convergence,
669
00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:24,150
Drake's Passage is the
narrowest squeeze point
670
00:43:24,150 --> 00:43:25,793
for the Circumpolar Current.
671
00:43:27,380 --> 00:43:29,140
It's just 800 kilometers between
672
00:43:29,140 --> 00:43:32,449
the continents of Antarctica
and South America.
673
00:43:32,449 --> 00:43:35,032
(serene music)
674
00:43:38,890 --> 00:43:41,440
Argentina's incredibly diverse terrain
675
00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:46,440
hosts equally unique species,
from the Andean condor
676
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:50,893
to guanacos, close relatives
of llamas and camels.
677
00:43:53,210 --> 00:43:55,610
But the icy fingers of polar currents
678
00:43:55,610 --> 00:43:58,650
reach far along the Argentinian coastline,
679
00:43:58,650 --> 00:44:01,983
courtesy of the Malvinas
or Falklands Current.
680
00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:06,200
It flows north along the Atlantic coast
681
00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:09,063
and meets a warmer current
coming south from Brazil.
682
00:44:10,010 --> 00:44:13,870
Southern species travel the
cold path to this hot spot,
683
00:44:13,870 --> 00:44:15,773
following nutrients in the summer.
684
00:44:17,210 --> 00:44:19,820
Peninsula Valdes juts
out from the mainland
685
00:44:19,820 --> 00:44:21,913
more than 100 kilometers eastward.
686
00:44:25,340 --> 00:44:27,070
The mushroom-shaped peninsula
687
00:44:27,070 --> 00:44:29,570
has large gulfs that offer shelter
688
00:44:29,570 --> 00:44:32,803
from the harsh wind and large
waves of the South Atlantic.
689
00:44:36,610 --> 00:44:38,650
These protected areas have become
690
00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:42,323
huge maternity wards
for cold water animals.
691
00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:47,910
The shores are thick with
breeding colonies of seabirds,
692
00:44:47,910 --> 00:44:50,310
like migratory snowy sheathbills
693
00:44:50,310 --> 00:44:51,883
and resident steamer ducks.
694
00:44:55,620 --> 00:44:58,350
It's home to tens of
thousands of South America's
695
00:44:58,350 --> 00:45:01,423
own burrowing penguin, the Magellanic.
696
00:45:05,060 --> 00:45:06,720
Southern right whales stop over
697
00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:10,213
in the bay's north and
south to breed and calf.
698
00:45:14,290 --> 00:45:16,330
Peninsula Valdes beaches are dark
699
00:45:16,330 --> 00:45:19,083
with sand and silt from nearby mudflats.
700
00:45:20,052 --> 00:45:23,210
(inquisitive music)
701
00:45:23,210 --> 00:45:26,810
Each summer around 20,000
southern elephant seals
702
00:45:26,810 --> 00:45:29,340
come ashore to mate, give birth,
703
00:45:29,340 --> 00:45:32,223
and strengthen their young
before returning to the sea.
704
00:45:34,720 --> 00:45:36,380
By late December they're joined
705
00:45:36,380 --> 00:45:39,581
by large colonies of Patagonian sea lions.
706
00:45:39,581 --> 00:45:41,570
(sea lions chattering)
707
00:45:41,570 --> 00:45:42,980
The sea lions are also here
708
00:45:42,980 --> 00:45:44,943
to raise their pups on the beaches.
709
00:45:47,870 --> 00:45:50,840
Sea lions have stronger
front flippers than seals.
710
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:52,983
They walk on all fours on the beach.
711
00:45:57,690 --> 00:46:01,293
Seals have strong back flippers
and wriggle about on land.
712
00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:05,490
Unlike the elephant seal mothers,
713
00:46:05,490 --> 00:46:08,370
the female sea lions will
keep entering the sea
714
00:46:08,370 --> 00:46:10,160
to hunt small fish and squid
715
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:12,243
while their young are still nursing.
716
00:46:16,330 --> 00:46:19,113
The sea lion pups wait in the shore break.
717
00:46:20,730 --> 00:46:23,610
They take their first
dips into the salt water,
718
00:46:23,610 --> 00:46:24,910
strengthening their flippers
719
00:46:24,910 --> 00:46:26,833
with practice swims in the shallows.
720
00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:32,550
But another marine mammal also
721
00:46:32,550 --> 00:46:34,673
brings their young to these coastlines.
722
00:46:35,570 --> 00:46:38,080
They know the pups are vulnerable
723
00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:40,621
and this is an easy place to hunt.
724
00:46:40,621 --> 00:46:43,121
(tense music)
725
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,260
Orcas are the ultimate ocean predator.
726
00:46:49,260 --> 00:46:51,110
Highly intelligent, they have
727
00:46:51,110 --> 00:46:53,453
sophisticated pack hunting techniques.
728
00:46:54,370 --> 00:46:55,810
They're the only marine animals
729
00:46:55,810 --> 00:46:58,483
known to kill and eat great white sharks.
730
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:03,200
On these Argentinian beaches,
731
00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:05,393
their targets are much smaller.
732
00:47:07,220 --> 00:47:09,330
The sea lion pups are only just learning
733
00:47:09,330 --> 00:47:11,330
to venture into the water,
734
00:47:11,330 --> 00:47:15,151
and are not yet aware of the
enormous danger within it,
735
00:47:15,151 --> 00:47:17,890
or the fact that this particular danger
736
00:47:17,890 --> 00:47:20,963
has the ability to lunge out.
737
00:47:28,042 --> 00:47:30,292
Orcas have been hunting
this beach for years.
738
00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:33,560
They know where the
channels are in the shallows
739
00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:35,460
that will grant them just enough depth
740
00:47:35,460 --> 00:47:38,763
to surge and push forward onto the beach.
741
00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:44,170
This is a massive six ton animal.
742
00:47:44,170 --> 00:47:46,640
When it throws its heavy body ashore,
743
00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:48,380
the orca then has to thrash about
744
00:47:48,380 --> 00:47:50,753
and inch itself back into the deep.
745
00:47:57,570 --> 00:47:59,800
The whales watch the juvenile sea lions
746
00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:03,363
from the deeper drop off
and time their ambush.
747
00:48:09,370 --> 00:48:13,150
This one misses, but
incredibly the sea lion pup
748
00:48:13,150 --> 00:48:15,683
turns around and heads
straight back into the sea.
749
00:48:16,630 --> 00:48:18,180
It's been practicing swimming enough
750
00:48:18,180 --> 00:48:20,293
to be faster in water than on land.
751
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,720
It tries to reach the protection of adults
752
00:48:26,720 --> 00:48:28,550
but the pup has to stay shallow enough
753
00:48:28,550 --> 00:48:30,363
to avoid a second attack.
754
00:48:34,230 --> 00:48:35,730
The water is still too shallow
755
00:48:35,730 --> 00:48:38,033
for the huge mammal to
get an accurate launch.
756
00:48:39,350 --> 00:48:42,430
It misses once again and this time,
757
00:48:42,430 --> 00:48:44,153
the pup heads straight for land.
758
00:48:47,750 --> 00:48:50,350
However these orcas need to catch and eat
759
00:48:50,350 --> 00:48:52,550
about three sea lion pups a day
760
00:48:52,550 --> 00:48:55,853
to get enough fuel to
sustain their massive bodies.
761
00:48:58,040 --> 00:48:59,823
They know this shoreline well.
762
00:49:01,910 --> 00:49:05,510
When a small group of pups
catches a small shore break in,
763
00:49:05,510 --> 00:49:06,980
they realize too late.
764
00:49:06,980 --> 00:49:09,623
The next wave comes with
a massive dorsal fin.
765
00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:13,963
The orca grasps its catch
with small conical teeth.
766
00:49:16,070 --> 00:49:18,393
Others nearby soon join the hunt.
767
00:49:24,767 --> 00:49:27,530
The orcas here at Peninsula Valdes
768
00:49:27,530 --> 00:49:28,610
are thought to have passed this
769
00:49:28,610 --> 00:49:30,230
particular beach attack technique
770
00:49:30,230 --> 00:49:32,803
down to their young for generations.
771
00:49:35,630 --> 00:49:37,670
Around the world orca will
772
00:49:37,670 --> 00:49:40,203
target prey specific to locations.
773
00:49:41,080 --> 00:49:44,090
Family groups adapt new
hunting methods accordingly
774
00:49:44,090 --> 00:49:46,090
and pass those onto their young as well.
775
00:49:48,060 --> 00:49:51,420
It's thought in this way
unique cultures are formed
776
00:49:51,420 --> 00:49:53,802
depending on where the orcas live.
777
00:49:53,802 --> 00:49:56,500
(inquisitive music)
778
00:49:56,500 --> 00:49:59,130
The season's end will cue a return
779
00:49:59,130 --> 00:50:01,683
to Antarctic waters
for some of these pods.
780
00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:07,400
Many other species from around the world
781
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:10,250
will travel these
underwater current highways
782
00:50:10,250 --> 00:50:13,363
to spend a part of their year
near the southern continent.
783
00:50:19,290 --> 00:50:23,773
They're nearly all seasonal
visitors and world travelers.
784
00:50:26,390 --> 00:50:28,240
In every corner of the south,
785
00:50:28,240 --> 00:50:31,823
these animals find places to
call home for a short while.
786
00:50:33,810 --> 00:50:37,690
They return to the same
areas time and time again,
787
00:50:37,690 --> 00:50:41,430
handing down dances, greetings,
788
00:50:41,430 --> 00:50:45,783
and strategies for surviving
the wildest Antarctic.
789
00:50:50,336 --> 00:50:53,253
(empowering music)
62518
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