All language subtitles for Galapagos Islands of Change BBC Natural World 2015 720p HDTV David Attenborough EN Sub_Subtitles01.ENG

In the Pacific Ocean
lies an enchanted world.

Home to a remarkable community
of strange animals.

Most of which exist nowhere else.

Galapagos.

The islands that inspired Darwin

to formulate his theory
of evolution.

For thousands of years,

this wilderness remained
untouched by humanity.

But things have changed...

dramatically.

While scientists are still making
surprising discoveries here...

..Galapagos is undergoing
a modern revolution.

In a world where only
the fittest survive...

DOG BARKS

..the wildlife of these islands
is having to adapt to a new

and rapidly changing world.

Galapagos lies 1,000km off
the west coast of South America.

A scattering of 13 major islands

and dozens more islets,

some barely breaking
the surface of the sea.

For a long time, its remoteness
kept it hidden from humanity.

Sailors only discovered it in 1535,

but even then no-one
settled permanently

on this parched and harsh land.

The first brave settlers
arrived just 180 years ago,

but you had to be hardy
to make your home here.

It's only recently that people
have begun to tame

what these wild islands
throw at them.

MUSIC: California Soul
by Marlena Shaw

# Like a sound you hear
That lingers in your ear

# But you can't forget
From sunrise to sunset... #

Today, the islands have well
and truly entered the modern world.

# It's all in the air
You hear it everywhere

# No matter what you do
It's gonna get a hold on you

# California soul

# California soul... #

Surfers share the waves
with Galapagos sea lions.

The species unique to these islands

is closely related
to the Californian one.

And like their Californian cousins,

they're masters
of the art of surfing.

# So the people started to sing

# And that's how the surf
gave birth untold

# To California soul

# California soul... #

These animals had these islands
to themselves for millennia,

but today, they have to share them
with us.

The island of San Cristobal,
colonised in 1869,

has the oldest surviving
human population in Galapagos.

But in its largest town,
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno,

things are changing.

It's now home to over 5,000 people.

And what has drawn them
to this place

seems to have attracted
the wildlife too.

The town's numerous beaches

are home to one of
the largest colonies on Galapagos.

For people and sea lions,

this town's sheltered bay provides
an ideal place to raise a family.

It's October and many of the female
sea lions have just given birth.

The pups grow fast
on their mother's rich milk.

And soon,
they become very inquisitive.

Fearlessness is a common trait
of wildlife in Galapagos.

Evolving away
from people and predators,

its animals haven't learned
to be afraid.

From the youngest pup...

to the biggest bathers on the beach.

SEA LION BARKS

BARKING CONTINUES

It's the breeding season,

and this dominant bull
is defending this beach

and its females from any intruders.

SEA LION BARKS

There is only room
for one male here.

Bachelor males are forced
to find sanctuary elsewhere.

Sometimes in
the most unlikely places.

For some reason,

they seem attracted to
the sleepy streets of San Cristobal.

These bold sea lions have certainly
put this town on the tourist map.

But the local people have different
opinions about their presence.

In modern Galapagos,

wildlife and people have to find
a way to co-exist.

These urban landscapes
might be recent additions,

but they're growing fast.

Over the last 40 years,

tiny settlements have grown into
thriving towns on three islands -

San Cristobal, Isabela

and the central island
of Santa Cruz...

..which has Galapagos' largest town,

Puerto Ayora.

And some creatures here
have discovered

the benefits of urban life.

There's the chance of an easy meal.

Franklin Ariaga has fishing
in his blood.

He's followed
in his father's footsteps,

and is one of the few allowed
to fish here.

Morning is the busiest time.

And nothing goes to waste.

Being Galapagos, there are plenty
around to pick up scraps.

Pelicans, frigatebirds

and some very needy sea lions.

Occasionally, inexperienced mums
do abandon their pups

and without the fishermens' support,

these sea lions probably
would not have survived.

What the sea lions don't want,
others will gladly take.

BALLROOM MUSIC PLAYS

These animals have learned
how to take advantage

of the fishermens' generosity.

But then, being adaptable is what
life on these islands is famous for.

It's always been difficult
to survive here.

The islands lie directly over
a volcanic hotspot

in the ocean's crust.

And every one of them
has had an explosive birth.

And as soon as an island appeared,

life started to colonise it.

But these raw volcanic rocks
present an immense challenge.

With so little food or water
available,

life had to adapt to survive.

And millions of years ago,

one of the island's most famous
residents did so

in a most unusual way.

Marine iguanas.

Their forest-living ancestors
arrived on these shores by accident,

probably by drifting
from mainland South America

on rafts of vegetation.

With practically nothing to eat
on the lava-covered islands,

they were forced to look elsewhere.

They evolved into the only
sea-going lizards in the world.

They became strong swimmers,

diving as deep as 30m
to collect food from the sea-bed.

Algae grow fast in Galapagos'
nutrient-rich seas.

By evolving the ability to graze
on food others can't reach,

marine iguanas have become the most
widespread animals on Galapagos.

And this process of adaptation
still continues.

In the west of the archipelago
lies the youngest island of all.

Fernandina.

This gigantic shield volcano,
rising to over a kilometre high,

was formed only 30,000 years ago.

A snapshot in geological time.

But its shores
are already rich in life.

Godfrey Merlen first came
to the Galapagos in 1970,

searching for a place
untouched by humanity.

And this pristine island
cast its spell on him...

..revealing the
extraordinary lengths

that creatures will go to
to survive.

We have the opportunity to observe
animals on this island

which have adapted in strange
and interesting ways.

One of the keys to
an evolutionary process.

There is little fresh water
on Fernandina.

But if you look hard enough,

there are still places
where you can get a drink.

And the local finches have
discovered a truly strange one.

They sip saliva from the mouths
of marine iguanas.

And after 40 years of searching,

Godfrey made another startling
discovery closer to the shoreline.

I was walking on
the open lava slabs...

..and I saw a snake moving down
into a crack which led to the sea

and I could see no logic
behind this.

All of a sudden, the snake struck.

It emerged from the crack
carrying a marine fish in its mouth.

I couldn't believe
what I was seeing.

Nowhere else in the world
have terrestrial snakes learned

how to hunt marine fish.

It is remarkable behaviour
found only on Fernandina

and proof that evolution
is still proceeding today.

How the snakes managed to find
that there was fish

which spent 50% of its time
out of the water

and that they could get at these fish

within the roaring waves of the ocean
is a very curious question.

But the result of this is that the
snakes have learned to go fishing.

Galapagos' harsh environments
led to life taking ever more

extraordinary forms.

About 80% of its birds,

and 97% of its mammals and reptiles

are unique to the islands.

Life here has proved its ability
to adapt to new conditions.

But today,
its creatures are contending

with an increasingly alien world.

Iguana House,
in the town of Puerto Villamil,

on southern Isabela,

is a hotel and a popular hang-out...

for marine iguanas.

The locals call this male Tyson,

and the old warrior is gearing up
for another fight.

It's January, the breeding season.

For a few weeks,

males like Tyson will battle over
the best territories

to try and attract the most females.

But for now,
another male is ruling the roost.

Mr White.

This annual ritual has been
played out in much the same way

for millions of years.

Only today,
the backdrop is very different.

Mr White now uses a hotel wall
as his patrol route,

instead of the empty beach
that this used to be.

And he's working hard,

courting visiting females...

..and keeping the ever-growing
competition at bay.

From his man-made vantage point,
Tyson watches,

waiting for just the right time
to make a challenge.

A new male is in town.

He moves to a patch
just below Tyson...

..and right next door to Mr White.

It's a bruising contest

and after 45 minutes,

they are both exhausted.

With the competition
on the back foot,

it's a good opportunity
for Tyson to make his move.

But he has got other things
on his mind.

Tyson is more interested
in feeding than fighting.

Having fended off a rival,

Mr White has shown that he is
the most desirable male around.

But Tyson's fighting days
might not be over just yet.

Defending a territory is
a huge physical drain on males,

so sometimes they take a year off
from fighting

to regain their strength.

And it looks like Tyson
is doing just that.

Taking it easy.

It may seem surprising
that these ancient rituals

survive in such a modern setting...

..but these iguanas are
not really adapting to our world.

They are just doing what they've
always done, in spite of us.

But in Galapagos' busiest town,
Puerto Ayora,

there is evidence
of another creature

radically changing its behaviour
because of us...

..once the sun does down.

After dark, all along the town's
main pier, there are bright lights.

All this illumination is a magnet
for marine life.

And shoals of small fish

attract all sorts of hunters...

..including another species
found nowhere else on earth.

A lava heron.

At night, this daytime hunter
should be resting.

But here, the herons
have changed their shifts.

And this fishing specialist knows it
can pay to avoid competition.

It's worth taking time
to find just the right spot.

And that is next to the floodlights.

Today, night-time is
the right time to go fishing.

With a growing human presence
on these islands,

there will always be winners...

and losers.

These smart herons show that animals
can adapt to our world.

But in truth, people often bring
more problems than solutions.

And on the tiny island of Gardner,
in the south of the archipelago,

lives a bird
with a serious battle on its hands.

BIRD SQUEAKS

The Floreana mockingbird.

During the dry season,
it often feeds in a very risky way.

A giant centipede.

They grow to nearly 30cm long

and they have fangs
packed with poison.

One bite could kill.

But the mockingbirds
have an advantage.

Speed.

It might have won this
particular contest

but the species has been the loser
in a much bigger battle.

Named after the island of Floreana,
ironically,

it is no longer found there.

Floreana was the first island
to be colonised by people in 1832.

DOG BARKS

And people brought predators.

It was a plague against which
the local wildlife had no immunity.

And just 50 years later,
the mockingbird was gone.

It now only survives
on two tiny islands off the coast

of Floreana and one of them,
Gardner, is its last stronghold.

The island's lack of water
and its inaccessibility has been

the salvation of the species,

keeping people away.

The rumour goes that more people
have visited Mount Everest

than the Island of Gardner.

Working with
the Galapagos National Park,

biologist Luis Ortiz-Catedral is
one of the very few to come here.

He makes annual visits to check up
on this little bird...

HE IMITATES BIRDCALL

..and uses some curious methods.

HE IMITATES BIRDCALL

These little lures
are used to attract them.

Everything new in their environment
can be either a threat or a treat

so we make use of their curious
behaviour to lure them into cages.

Luis catches birds
as part of an annual census.

We keep a close eye on the
populations by ringing individuals.

It's a very accurate way

of monitoring a population
of an endangered bird.

With these unique colour
combinations,

we can keep a record
of their survival over time.

He's ready to go.

And this plain little bird
has an inspirational story.

It has been called
the most important bird

in the history of science.

During his visit in 1835,

Charles Darwin collected
mockingbirds

from three islands,
including Floreana.

He noticed
the subtle physical differences

between individuals
from different islands.

It was a key observation
that helped him

formulate his theory of evolution
by natural selection.

But since then,

the Floreana mockingbird
has fallen on hard times.

Only 500 birds remain.

For now, the numbers are stable.

But the species' future
relies on protecting

its last remaining habitat.

I believe that the key to preserving
the species and this habitat which

is unique in Galapagos is to keep
the islands as pristine as possible.

Like the Floreana mockingbird,

many species on Galapagos
only survive away from human beings.

But the fact is that people in
the Galapagos are now here to stay.

And the islands' wildlife
must cope as best it can.

At Iguana House in Puerto Villamil,

traffic takes a toll
on the local iguanas.

And the sea lions in San Cristobal
are in poorer health

than their country cousins.

In this busy town,
they get less rest,

and they are more exposed
to disease.

Fewer than 50% of the pups survive.

If the wildlife is to thrive here,

people also need
to adapt their ways.

But it can be hard to be sympathetic

when an animal
damages your livelihood.

So Macarron took things
into his own hands.

But he's not at war with
the natural world any more.

He's given up fishing
and now runs a dive boat.

MACARRON SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

Uno, dos...

tres, bravo.

Macarron's new passion
is showing visitors to the island

its magical underwater world.

CLANGING

One species gives him
particular pleasure.

CLANGING

Sea lions.

Their endearing nature

now gives Macarron
the strongest respect for them.

People like Macarron
now see not just the beauty

but the benefits of protecting the
islands' unique natural heritage.

It can bring them a good living.

Wildlife tourism has become
the lifeblood of Galapagos...

..generating over 50%
of the islands' income.

Over 145,000 tourists
flock here every year.

But if numbers continue to
increase as they have done,

there is a danger that we could be
loving Galapagos to death.

The money generated by tourism
has fuelled a gold rush...

..and caused a population explosion.

In the last decade, the number
of people living here has doubled.

These once isolated islands are
now home to over 32,000 people.

And if current trends continue,

by 2050, over 500,000
people could be living here.

More people will need more
resources.

Every day,
cargo pours in from the mainland.

The local finches take
advantage of an easy meal.

But this traffic has also
unwittingly carried

a devastating threat to these birds.

A few decades ago,
in among the boxes and sacks,

a stowaway arrived of the most
insidious kind.

There it is.

An adult Philornis downsi fly, which
is an introduced parasitic fly.

The adult looks fairly harmless
and feeds on just nectar and fruit.

However, the larval
stage of the fly is like something

out of a nightmare, with larvae
literally living in the nest

and coming up each night to
suck the blood of the nestlings.

Introduced accidentally, the fly has
now spread to almost every

island, infecting the nests of
17 species of native birds.

It's having a huge impact on the
survival of nestlings...

and one species has been
pushed to the very brink.

Francesca Cunninghame, a researcher

from the Charles Darwin Foundation,
is working in a remote corner

of the archipelago trying to save
the rarest of all Galapagos' birds.

A male mangrove finch.

Got the bird approaching. It's a
new mangrove finch nest.

For Francesca, every new nest brings
hope for this threatened species.

As their name suggests, mangrove
finches are only found in mangroves.

This is an uncommon
habitat in Galapagos.

So the bird has always been rare.

But today the population has been
decimated, initially by introduced

black rats, but more recently
by the parasitic fly, Philornis.

Current estimates put
the mangrove finch

population at between 60 to 80
individuals

and it's one of the most range
restricted birds in all the world.

They only survive in two tiny
patches of forest

on the northwest shores
of the largest island, Isabela.

This is its entire world range.

And last year's breeding season
was desperately bad.

Only a third of the chicks survived.

But Francesca has ambitious plans.

Working with
the Galapagos National Park

and a team of experts
from around the world, she's taking

the bold step of collecting eggs
and raising chicks in captivity,

so avoiding the threat
from the parasitic fly.

Right, away we go.

But it's a huge task,
even getting to the nests.

It's a tall mangrove forest here.

We have trees that reach up
to 25 metres tall

and as well as nesting high
the finches are often

out on the end on very spindly
branches so it's a huge challenge.

One that Graeme Loh,
a climbing expert from New Zealand,

is the first to take on.

I'm just starting to pull the nest
in at the first anchor point.

She's still sitting on the nest.
Oop, there she goes.

OK, the time is. 10:46.

They only have 30 minutes to get
the eggs to an incubator.

Graeme has got to
work as fast as he can.

Here we go. We're going to try
and get the nest right now.

Brilliant.

If they chill, the embryos will die.

Three eggs.

No, the clocks ticking on this one.

We must be up
to about 15 minutes now.

Slowly, slowly,
it's moving a lot. Got it.

Now Francesca has to carry
the precious cargo to camp...

..along an obstacle
course of mangrove roots.

We're just going to put
the eggs in straight away.

Look at them,
they're tiny, aren't they?

A successful start,
and now things get even better.

Four eggs! Never before have
we found four in a nest.

The team climb up to three
more nests

and manage to collect a total
of nine eggs, and three tiny chicks.

Now they need to get them as quickly
as possible to a specialist

rearing facility
and that is on another island.

This is just the start.

This is day one, our first attempt
so, we're back out there

tomorrow trying to find more nests,
and doing the whole thing again.

Humans are responsible
for the introduced animals

so I think it's our duty to try
and put that right.

It will be over a month
before Francesca and her team know

if this international rescue
mission is working.

There is conservation support
for Galapagos from across the globe.

But the future of its spectacular
wildlife ultimately

lies in the hands of the people
who live here.

Many of them have little or no
connection with the natural world.

Galapaguenos rarely see the
spectacles that thrill the tourists.

Theirs is an urbanised society in
one of the wildest places on earth.

If they don't know about the
remarkable creatures with which they

share their islands, then why should
they care about protecting them?

Steve Blake, from the

Max Planck Institute is trying to
change

things with the help of one
of the archipelago's most famous

inhabitants...

..the giant tortoise.

Kids here are often as urbanised
as the kids in the East End

of London or in downtown Detroit
and very often starved of nature

and don't experience it.

And so for us to be able to try
and capture their enthusiasm

and demonstrate how incredible giant
tortoises are we hope to foster

and stimulate a conservation
ethic among youngsters.

And with their help, Steve has been
uncovering some remarkable truths

about these ancient animals, using
some modern technology, GPS tags.

We've got this set to give us
a GPS fix,

a location of this
tortoise every hour

and we're hoping that this
tag is going to last for ten years.

So that will give us
an amazing window into the secret

life of these animals, which has
really never been revealed before.

The data coming back has revealed
that tortoises lead

adventurous lives.

Steve and his team have discovered
that on some islands,

tortoises make great migrations,
to find the lushest pastures.

Between July and December, grazing
is best in the upland forests.

But in January the rains come,

bringing a flush of growth to the
lowlands...

..and the tortoises follow.

By getting involved with
Steve's fieldwork

and connecting with
the natural world,

the seeds of inspiration have been
well and truly planted.

Our love for these islands could be
their biggest curse,

with tourism driving
a population boom.

But an even greater
love from the people who live

here could be their salvation.

Where there is a will,

even the most desperate
situation can be turned around.

Ciao, Richard, good luck.
Ciao, Franny.

It has been over a month
since Francesca and her team

collected eggs from the critically
endangered mangrove finch.

A high risk strategy to save this
species from extinction.

But a risk worth taking.

With round the clock care, they have
successfully raised 15 tiny

chicks, and increased the world
population by nearly 25%.

Now back in the wild, it brings
hope for not just this species

but for the future of all
wildlife in this remarkable place.

A place to be
protected at all costs.

97% of the land has been
declared a National Park.

And 51,000 square
kilometres of its seas now form

one of the largest marine
reserves in the world.

Industrial fishing has been banned
and thanks to this protection,

these waters still hide
some of the most remarkable of all

underwater spectacles.

Wildlife cameraman
Richard Wollocombe came to

Galapagos 20 years ago to
work as a wildlife guide.

And he fell in love with a very
special place where the

underwater world is particularly
breathtaking.

Off the most isolated islands
in the archipelago, Wolf and Darwin.

First time I came to
Galapagos, I was absolutely

mesmerised by this place.

The marine life is so innocent.
It hasn't been fished heavily.

And it's truly enchanting to be able
to swim amongst this vast

array of life without
feeling like you're a threat,

without feeling like you're
impacting the wildlife.

It is almost like being in an
aquarium.

This huge abundance of life
attracts the top predators.

There are sharks everywhere.

But it is out in the open water
that the biggest numbers school.

I'll just sit and wait and watch
and sometimes it takes a while,

but eventually you'll start to see
these ghostly forms take shape.

Hammerhead sharks.

You'll see one and then two
and then three

and then slowly a whole group will
start emerging out of the mist.

Your heart starts to pound.

You're just absolutely
mesmerised by this gigantic mass.

These Scalloped Hammerheads assemble
here in their thousands.

And with overfishing decimating
many shark populations

across our oceans, it's thanks
in large part to the Galapagos

marine reserve that this rarest of
sights can still be glimpsed here.

And it also provides a refuge
for the biggest fish on the planet.

It's enough to see
the abundance of life on the reef...

..then on top of that you see these
schooling hammerheads.

Then you're completely blown
out of the water when this massive

shadow appears and you realise
you're going to see a whale shark.

You can't believe
an animal can be that big

and that you can be that
close to it.

The animal elicits an amazing
feeling of humbleness.

You just feel a tiny speck in this
vast ocean next to

one of largest
creatures in the ocean.

I cannot get used to it,

I cannot get used to the
feeling of awe it inspires.

The Galapagos Islands
are a global treasure.

180 years ago, this remarkable place
inspired a young Charles Darwin.

And they remain
an inspiration to this day.

It is the place that still
teaches us about the nature of life

and the wonders of evolution.

The wildlife of these islands is
living in challenging times.

But even with all the pressures
that we have brought to these

islands through inspiring
conservation,

the changing attitudes of the people
who live here...

..and the adaptability
of its unique wildlife,

they are still among the most
pristine tropical islands on earth.

It's down to us to keep them
that way.