Original subtitles

(wind howling)

(peaceful music)

Norther Norway,

one of the most dramatic coastal landscapes in the world.

Long, narrow inlets carry seawater

up to 200 kilometers inland.

These deep valleys were once scoured out by glaciers

and filled up by the sea.

Today they attract a rich diversity of life.

The Norwegian fjords are as deep as the mountains are high

and they teem with life.

(singing in foreign language)

The cold, dark waters are home

to a surprisingly rich and colorful community

of underwater creatures.

(singing in foreign language)

Some even produce their own lights

and glow in the dark.

The Norwegian fjords are one of Europe's best kept secrets.

A magical wilderness unlike any other.

(singing in foreign language)

It's mid-November,

the Norwegian winter has set in

and the sun barely skirts the horizon

during the long polar nights.

All is quiet at the bottom of the fjord,

the waters appear lifeless, the sediments undisturbed.

There is little sign of the invasion that is to come.

Large kelp forests guard the entrance of the fjord

and provide a safe hiding place for fish.

Further inland the fjords break up

into a network of smaller channels

that slow down the flow of the water.

And it's these calm seas that attract huge numbers of fish.

Herring, over 10 billion of them.

Their shells are so dense

they darken the waters of the fjord.

(suspenseful music)

The herring have been feeding

in the rich Arctic seas all summer.

Now, sleek and well fed, they gather in the sheltered waters

of the fjords to over winter here.

These fjords offer little food for the herring,

but the calm waters allow them to rest and wait,

wasting little energy.

In spring, they'll continue to their spawning grounds

along the coast.

The herring only come to a few select fjords

in northern Norway,

but in their wake others follow.

Orca's or killer whales.

They've left the open ocean to head inland,

attracted by the vast shoals of fish.

The herring bunch together

in a tight ball near the sea floor.

There's safety in numbers

and the dense mass confuses most predators.

But not the orca's.

They work as a team, youngsters learning from older ones.

The key to their success is co-operation.

Slowly the whales circle their quarry,

driving them into an even tighter bunch.

As they do, they communicate with clicks and whistles.

(whales whistling)

The whales take turns to dive below the shoal

and push it closer to the surface.

Finally they manage to drive the herring

into shallower water.

(suspenseful music)

The rest is easy.

(whale moans)

A large male approaches the shoal from the side

and smacks into the mass with his powerful tail fin.

With one blow he's killed and stunned a dozen fish.

Now they can pick off their prey at leisure.

Tail swatting appears to be a hunting strategy

only used by orca's in this part of the world,

but it's a highly effective way of gathering food.

For a six ton whale, a single fish is a mere morsel.

They need to eat around 200 a day,

so bulk fishing is the perfect solution.

With over a billion herring in this one fjord alone,

there's plenty to go around.

Compared to humans hunters

that take thousands of herrings from these waters each year,

the orca's hardly make a dent in the population.

But orca's are messy feeders.

They leave behind a trail of dead fish.

Both at the bottom of the fjord and in the water above.

But where there are free handouts, there are takers.

Herring gulls follow the whales

as they travel through the fjord

and pick off any scraps left in their wake.

Below the surface others help dispose of leftovers.

Nonetheless, much sinks to the bottom.

And even here there are animals that benefit

from the orca's feeding frenzy.

Hiding away on the sea floor

are creatures that depend on debris sinking down from above.

Starfish are one of the many bottom dwellers

that make a beeline for the feast.

Each arm contains a branch of their stomach

and produced chemicals to digest the carcass.

They will eat whatever comes their way

and eventually release the nutrients back into the fjord.

In northern Norway the low winter sun

washes the landscape in ethereal colors.

Temperatures often drop below freezing.

Sheltered by the mountains,

the waters of the fjord are calm

and ice starts to form at the edges.

Although seawater doesn't freeze easily,

a sheet of ice often stretches across

the entire fjord in winter.

This sheet is made of fresh water

that sits in a layer above the denser seawater.

The frozen fjord is many miles from the open ocean,

but the daily rhythm of the tides

can still be felt and seen.

(peaceful music)

Every six hours, the massive slab of ice,

weighing millions of tons, is lifted up and down.

The ice also acts as a gigantic lid,

keeping the waters below dark and warm.

It's these conditions

that allow some unusual animals to live here.

The helmet jellyfish,

generally found at depths of over a thousand meters.

Direct sunlight will kill it,

turning the dark red pigment in its body

into a lethal poison.

But the winter ice cover over the fjord

filters out most of the suns rays

and allows the jelly's to rise up to shallower water.

So helmet jellyfish thrive here.

Sea pen's live in the deepest part of the fjord,

where they anchor themselves to the sea floor.

Here there's less risk of being uprooted by ocean currents.

And the coral like creatures use their feathery arms

to sift plankton from the water.

Sea pen's like to stay in one place,

so if danger threatens they defend themselves.

If anything touches their delicate arms,

they produce a series of flashing lights,

maybe with the aim to startle in the darkness.

But the feathery pen's not only actively produce light,

they also glow when blue light falls on them.

Most light waves are absorbed as they pass through water,

but blue light travels further than any other.

When it falls on sea pen's it stimulates certain proteins

and triggers them to glow bright green.

(peaceful music)

But why sea pen's glow like this is still a mystery.

(suspenseful music)

And if all defense techniques fail,

the curious creatures have another trick up their sleeve.

They literally disappear into the ground.

Above the surface the fjord is now not only sealed by ice,

but a thick layer of snow.

The forests are silent in the grip of winter.

Only one sound echoes through the hills.

(capercaillie clicking)

The capercaillie have started their mating rituals.

The males seek out the best arenas on which to display.

(capercaillie clicking)

Their song and dance is for the benefit of females

scattered throughout the hills.

(capercaillie clicking)

These northerly forests are wetter than most

and provide perfect conditions for lichens and mosses.

The cover the trees in thick, shaggy carpets.

(peaceful music)

And they're home to strange, long legged creature.

The spiny headed harvestman.

It hunts for small insects amongst the lichen.

(suspenseful music)

The arrival of spring brings warmer temperatures

and fresh growth to the hills around the fjord.

The ice has long melted

and below the surface spring has also not gone unnoticed.

Along the shallow edges thick layers of sand and sediment

create an underwater moonscape.

Brown crabs are after the mussels buried in the soft sand.

The common dab will also feed on mussels given the chance,

but it's unable to dig them up.

The mussels have burrowed deep into the sediment,

but the crabs are persistent.

The pilgrim scallop has no need to hide.

With 60 eyes along the edge of its mantel to keep a look out

it can make a quick getaway.

(suspenseful music)

For those that are not fast enough,

the crabs are bad news.

(suspenseful music)

They can prise open the tightly shut shells

and pull out the scallops soft body with their pincers.

Tearing apart the flesh releases chemicals into the water

that soon attract the competition.

The dab also sees an opportunity.

(water splashing)

The fish has little to fear from the crab,

despite the fearsome looking claws

crabs are slow and clumsy

and have no interest in trying to catch a fish.

Nonetheless she keeps a respectful distance,

slipping in to sneak a mouthful

when she thinks he's not looking.

The crab has had enough

and takes off with the remaining bounty.

One last look, but he's taken it all.

The Norwegian fjords resemble large inland lakes

and thanks to the warming Gulf Stream

they enjoy a mild climate.

Not surprisingly they attract animals

both below the surface and above.

Common eider's seek out the sheltered edges

to feed on crabs and mussels

and to raise their young.

But while the water may be safe.

There's danger from the air above.

Herring gulls are on the lookout for an easy meal.

They've got their eye on the young ducklings.

(suspenseful music)

But the attentive females join forces

and launch a counter attack.

(water splashing)

(suspenseful music)

(singing in foreign language)

This smaller common gull

has bitten off more than it can chew.

(suspenseful music)

(water splashing)

(birds cawing)

(singing in foreign language)

(water splashes)

(singing in foreign language)

The gull is lucky to escape with its life.

Spring sees the arrival of other visitors to the fjord.

The ruff has traveled all the way from Africa

and now refuels on small crabs and insects

along the shoreline.

A turnstone is also after insects,

flicking over seaweed instead of stones.

The temminck's stint has other priorities,

to attract a mate with it's aerial display.

Whilst some of the fjords visitors

arrive at the same time every year,

others are less predictable.

Harbor porpoises come and go,

hunting for small fish in the coastal inlets.

(water splashing)

(birds tweeting)

At the end of May,

huge flocks of knot descend upon the fjord.

They're traveling from wintering ground in Western Europe.

To their arctic breeding sites in Greenland and Canada.

They've come to the fjord to replenish energy reserves

before continuing on their long journey.

And they're here in their thousands.

(peaceful music)

The small birds have flown non stop for three days,

covering thousands of kilometers.

As soon as their feet touch the ground

they fall asleep, exhausted.

The knot will only stay for a week in the fjords,

feeding on small snails and mussels

in the exposed mud at low tide.

When the sea returns, the snails and other marine creatures

can safely emerge to graze on algae and plankton.

(peaceful music)

The daily influx of seawater

is crucial for sustaining life in the fjord.

But where there is life there's also death.

A harbor porpoise is washed ashore by the incoming tide.

It most likely drowned,

entangled and trapped in a fishing net.

Every year fishing nets kill up to 10,000 porpoises

in Norway alone.

Pulled in as accidental bi-catch on fishing boats.

It's a tragic and unnecessary loss.

(melancholy music)

The porpoise lies stranded on the shore,

the marks from the nets clearly visible on its body.

12 hours later, as the tide returns,

the carcass is carried away into deeper water.

The porpoise settles at the bottom of the fjord

and it doesn't take long for scavengers

to arrive at the scene.

Eel like hagfish.

They quickly detect the smell of rotting flesh

and arrive in their dozens.

They will bore into the carcass

and consume it from inside and out.

Releasing the nutrients back into the food chain.

The hagfish are one of the fjord natural recyclers.

(suspenseful music)

There is one other vital source of nutrients

that sustains life in the fjord.

Spectacular waterfalls are one of the most iconic features

of this landscape.

Hundreds of them cascade down the steep, rocky cliffs

carrying with them not just fresh water,

but sediments and food particles.

These dramatic waterfalls are life giving arteries

that provide a continuous supply of nutrients

to the fjords below.

(peaceful music)

(wind howling)

The Norwegian fjords are warmed by the mild ocean currents

of the Gulf Stream that makes the five to 10 degrees warmer

than you might expect.

(suspenseful music)

And many of them are very deep.

Some over a thousand meters.

These huge bodies of warm water act as vast storage heaters

that warm the surrounding landscape

and create an exceptionally mild climate.

(bees buzzing)

Surrounded by high mountains and arctic tundra,

the fjord is an oasis for both people and wildlife.

In the far north the vegetation is sparser.

Few trees grow here.

(bluethroat tweeting)

The male bluethroat sings his eloquent song

from the top of a mound or bush.

Other tundra residents have chosen a spit of land

as a display arena.

Male ruff, with their spectacular plumes,

are waiting for an audience.

The first spectator has arrived.

(suspenseful music)

And now the performance can begin.

Each male wants to outshine the others

and impress the ladies.

Their dance has a complex choreography.

A dark and a light colored male will often tango together

in the hope of dazzling the females.

This time the male with the white ruff

seems to have won the dance off.

Three females are waiting for his attention.

And a last minute competitor is quickly seen off.

(wind howling)

Norway's western coast and fjords

receive a huge amount of rainfall.

The sudden influx of freshwater

is a problem for many marine animals.

(peaceful music)

Some, like the cone jelly's try to make a getaway.

They propel through the water

with tiny hairs that beat in synchrony

and scatter the light to produce iridescent colors.

Green sea urchins graze on algae in the rocky shallows.

They can't swim to escape the freshwater

but race on tiny tube feet.

The heavy rain also washes away salt,

deposited in the surrounding forests by the wind.

It flows off the hills as small streams

and is carried back into the fjord.

Where the freshwater streams flow into the fjord

animals have to cope with great fluctuations in salinity.

These sudden changes can be deadly for starfish,

they quickly move to deeper water

where conditions are more stable.

But some animals cope equally well

in both freshwater and salt water.

Salmon and sea trout.

Every year the fish make their way back from the ocean

and follow the rivers upstream.

On the final leg of their journey,

they have to ascend waterfalls several meters high.

This requires a huge amount of energy.

The fish congregate at the foot of the falls,

ready to propel themselves out of the water.

(suspenseful music)

Not every attempt is successful.

There is no choice but to try again.

Those who make it beyond the rapids

are rewarded by clear and calmer water.

These are the traditional spawning grounds

where the fish rest and recover from their arduous journey.

Then each female chooses a spot to lay her eggs.

The males are close behind, ready to deposit their sperm.

Mission accomplished.

(singing in foreign language)

The fish eggs are left unattended

on the riverbed and take around six weeks to develop.

The small fry are only two centimeters long

and have a large yolk sack attached to their belly.

This will provide them with food for the next few weeks,

while they remain hidden among the gravel.

It's hard to believe that these small upland streams

are the nursery grounds for millions of tiny fish.

After a few weeks, the fry resemble miniature salmon

and have used up their onboard food supply.

They now have to hunt for tiny insect prey.

The young salmon remain in these streams

for up to five years,

but eventually they have to return to the ocean.

And to do so they must adapt their bodies.

It's one of the most extreme physiological challenges

that any animal has to face

as they enter the deep, dark and salty water of the fjord.

(suspenseful music)

One group of animals that is perfectly adapted

to life in the deep are the sea slugs.

Some even glow in the dark, bejeweling the sea floor

with their striking shapes and colors.

The reason for their eye catching fluorescence

is still a mystery.

But having lost their shells millions of years ago

sea slugs may defend themselves

with these brilliant lights and colors.

While some use dazzling displays of light

others opt for camouflage to avoid detection.

(suspenseful music)

The long legged spider crab is a master of disguise

and moves slowly across the sea floor

searching for edible morsels.

It's found some fish scales that shine in fluorescent blue.

A second spider crab has picked up the scent

and heads towards its rival.

With ritualized displays the two opponents face each other.

Locking their spidery legs together.

(suspenseful music)

From the bottom the fjord the sides rise up steeply,

both below water and above.

The forested slopes are covered in a thick carpet of moss

and in autumn they erupt with the fruiting bodies of fungi.

(suspenseful music)

The fungi are short lived

and like much of the woodland vegetation

will ultimately be carried down the steep slopes

and into the fjord.

(singing in foreign language)

(suspenseful music)

The last autumn leaves fall from the trees

and are also swallowed by the waters.

Small marine crustaceans are at hand

to exploit this seasonal supply of food.

Amongst this myriad of microscopic life

are transparent forms with a tiny yellow star

attached to the end.

(peaceful music)

These are starfish larvae

and they spend the first weeks of their life

traveling the open seas.

Undulating gently through the water

the larvae feed on tiny plankton.

Eventually they sink to the ground

and the perfectly formed miniature star

detached itself from the main body.

With tiny tubular feet, the small starfish now searches

for a place to settle and grow into a larger star.

(peaceful music)

Vast quantities of organic matter

end up at the bottom of the fjord

and play a crucial role in maintaining

this rich underwater life.

In shallower regions sea anemones filter tiny particles

from the water.

40 meters down and coral like sea fans

cling to the steep sides.

They are colonies of tiny animals

that feed off the rich supply of nutrients

brought in by the daily tide.

(peaceful music)

Deeper still, at depths of 200 meters or more,

the sea floor turns into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Vast wreaths of cold water corals

now stretch for kilometers along the bottom of the fjord.

It's pitch black at these depths

so their colors are only visible when light falls on them.

Deep sea fish, like the curiously named rabbit fish,

have big eyes to capture what little light there is.

It moves slowly along the sea floor,

searching for small bottom living invertebrates.

(suspenseful music)

By late autumn dead fish litter the sea floor once more.

In the waters above, the migrating herring

have started to arrive.

Once again, nothing goes to waste.

A lunson shark is attracted by the smell of dead fish.

It's one of the smallest sharks in the world,

little bigger than a herring itself.

(whale moaning)

Autumn also sees the arrival of more unusual visitors.

Humpback whales.

They followed the herring on their migration

from the arctic ocean to the Norwegian fjords.

But the humpback's don't hunt alone here.

They rely on help from another whale.

(whales moaning)

Orca's.

Hundreds of them converge on the fjord,

drawn in by the billions of herring.

Their calls guide the humpback's to the banquet.

(peaceful music)

(whales whistling)

During the winter months the Norwegian fjords

are amongst the richest waters in the world.

They harbor millions of tons of fish

and not surprisingly attract hunters from near and far

who cash in on the colossal feast.

(suspenseful music)

(bird tweeting)

(water splashing)

The humpbacks have even changed their annual migration

to take advantage of this fish bonanza.

They can swallow hundreds of herring in one big mouthful.

(peaceful music)

As the days get longer both orca's and humpbacks

leave the fjord

and follow the herring out into the open ocean.

Whether they will return again next year, no one knows.

The herring often change their migration routes

and the hunters will follow them.

Nonetheless the Norwegian fjords

will continue to provide a safe haven

for a remarkable and rich community of life.

(peaceful music)

(singing in foreign language)