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Africa's only penguin
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00:00:19,186 --> 00:00:24,324
A doting parent, fighting the
odds to raise a family.
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00:00:28,562 --> 00:00:30,864
Threatened on all sides,
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00:00:30,864 --> 00:00:34,601
these charismatic birds
have found a refuge
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00:00:34,601 --> 00:00:37,537
at the southern tip
of the continent.
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00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,744
Taken to the brink of extinction
by humans,
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00:00:43,744 --> 00:00:46,747
and now being brought back.
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00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,662
Battered by the surf.
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00:01:35,662 --> 00:01:38,532
Hunted by sharks and seals.
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00:01:40,367 --> 00:01:45,405
This male penguin
has been at sea for months.
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00:01:45,405 --> 00:01:49,343
He's exhausted,
unsteady on his feet.
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00:01:51,278 --> 00:01:54,848
Now he's returning to
one special place.
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00:01:57,751 --> 00:02:00,587
A safe haven in a protected bay.
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00:02:02,823 --> 00:02:07,461
Far away from the threats that
have seen African penguin
numbers
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00:02:07,461 --> 00:02:13,200
plunge from millions
to just 25,000 breeding pairs.
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00:02:15,502 --> 00:02:17,838
Somewhere on this barren rock,
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00:02:17,838 --> 00:02:21,408
his mate is waiting for him
at their nesting site.
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00:02:30,384 --> 00:02:34,855
Now, as summer ushers in
a new breeding season,
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00:02:34,855 --> 00:02:37,924
the couple face a
monumental task:
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00:02:37,924 --> 00:02:39,926
raising a family.
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00:02:42,929 --> 00:02:46,299
If they are to get
a healthy chick into the ocean,
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00:02:46,299 --> 00:02:50,237
raising it from the egg
until its first swim,
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00:02:50,237 --> 00:02:54,574
they'll have to be totally
dedicated, and physically tough.
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00:03:04,584 --> 00:03:07,687
But in the safety of Algoa Bay,
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00:03:07,687 --> 00:03:11,691
the odds are being slowly
shifted in their favor.
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00:03:20,267 --> 00:03:24,871
The southern coast of the
African continent rises slowly
eastwards
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00:03:24,871 --> 00:03:28,675
in a series of broad
sheltering bays.
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00:03:31,912 --> 00:03:38,418
In Algoa Bay, vast dune fields
trace a majestic shoreline.
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This is part of
the Addo Elephant National Park,
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00:03:42,722 --> 00:03:46,426
world-famous for sheltering
Africa's giants.
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It's a huge area,
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almost 700 square miles.
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00:03:55,402 --> 00:03:57,070
But out in the bay,
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00:03:57,070 --> 00:04:01,842
two tiny islands are offering
a vital refuge for the penguins.
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00:04:04,511 --> 00:04:07,447
From the air they
don't look like much.
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00:04:08,982 --> 00:04:14,354
St Croix, just 700 yards long,
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00:04:14,354 --> 00:04:18,792
is a rocky outcrop
almost devoid of vegetation.
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00:04:21,928 --> 00:04:24,364
On the eastern edge of the bay,
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00:04:24,364 --> 00:04:28,368
Bird Island is more generously
covered in scrub.
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00:04:30,837 --> 00:04:33,740
But it's a low, exposed place,
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00:04:33,740 --> 00:04:38,678
at its highest point
just 20 feet above sea level.
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00:04:40,547 --> 00:04:44,117
Its low profile
and dangerous submerged rocks
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00:04:44,117 --> 00:04:50,357
wrecked many ships before
an iconic lighthouse was
built in 1852.
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00:04:51,925 --> 00:04:54,561
And yet for the African penguin,
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00:04:54,561 --> 00:04:59,633
these inhospitable islands
are a lifeline.
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00:04:59,633 --> 00:05:04,571
Half of the planet's
remaining African penguins
live in this bay.
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00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:09,442
Their dwindling numbers
seem insignificant
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00:05:09,442 --> 00:05:14,481
next to the vast colony of
gannets with which they
share their home.
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00:05:16,983 --> 00:05:20,554
Penguins and gannets are
uneasy neighbors,
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00:05:20,554 --> 00:05:24,090
but the island's geography
keeps them apart:
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00:05:24,090 --> 00:05:27,427
gannets nest on open ground
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00:05:29,496 --> 00:05:33,667
while penguins need the shelter
of the low scrub.
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00:05:39,873 --> 00:05:43,843
When they do cross each
other's path, tempers flare.
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00:05:45,078 --> 00:05:48,715
But the biggest fight here is
not personal.
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00:05:48,715 --> 00:05:51,484
It's the fight for survival.
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00:05:54,821 --> 00:05:59,826
And here in Algoa Bay, the
African penguin is making
its stand.
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00:06:09,135 --> 00:06:14,841
Penguins may seem out of
place in the heat and dryness
of Africa.
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00:06:14,841 --> 00:06:21,047
But these sea birds have adapted
to this continent for two major
reasons:
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these waters are cold,
and full of deep-water fish.
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00:06:28,755 --> 00:06:31,057
Anchovies are their staple,
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00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:35,161
comprising over
90% of their diet.
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00:06:35,161 --> 00:06:41,835
To top-up, they also feast on
sardines, horse mackerel and
fish larvae.
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00:06:41,835 --> 00:06:43,837
But food and cold water
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00:06:43,837 --> 00:06:48,541
are only part of the reason
they've settled in Algoa Bay.
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00:06:48,541 --> 00:06:51,578
Most seabirds nest
on the ground,
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00:06:51,578 --> 00:06:55,115
which leaves them vulnerable
to land-based predators.
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00:06:58,785 --> 00:07:00,687
To solve this problem,
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00:07:00,687 --> 00:07:04,858
they generally nest on islands
free of dangerous mammals.
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00:07:06,993 --> 00:07:11,831
The two islands in Algoa Bay
provide a perfect haven.
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00:07:14,534 --> 00:07:19,906
But they couldn't save the
penguins from one unique
land-based hunter:
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00:07:19,906 --> 00:07:21,541
humans.
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00:07:24,577 --> 00:07:26,880
More than a century ago,
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00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,282
this island was not a sanctuary
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00:07:29,282 --> 00:07:31,985
but rather a killing field.
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00:07:33,253 --> 00:07:34,954
In the 19th century,
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00:07:34,954 --> 00:07:38,224
Merchants scoured the islands
of Southern Africa
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00:07:38,224 --> 00:07:41,094
for a valuable new commodity,
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00:07:41,094 --> 00:07:45,632
guano - sea bird excrement.
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00:07:45,632 --> 00:07:49,602
Huge numbers of penguins
were displaced and slaughtered.
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00:07:51,004 --> 00:07:55,041
Today, traces of this
occupation are everywhere.
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00:08:01,948 --> 00:08:04,684
Now, in the shadow of
these structures,
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00:08:04,684 --> 00:08:08,254
the penguins go about
their daily routine.
83
00:08:08,254 --> 00:08:11,024
As couples reunite to breed,
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00:08:11,024 --> 00:08:16,763
that routine is the business
of building a nest and
starting a family.
85
00:08:30,343 --> 00:08:34,681
The breeding season has begun
in earnest on the colony.
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00:08:36,316 --> 00:08:39,219
Around the rocky shore
of Bird Island,
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00:08:39,219 --> 00:08:42,756
penguins are going in search
of their long-term partners
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00:08:42,756 --> 00:08:44,858
after months apart.
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00:08:54,367 --> 00:08:57,670
They know where their
mate is waiting.
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00:08:57,670 --> 00:08:59,839
They don't have to rush.
91
00:09:04,077 --> 00:09:08,047
Their rendezvous is the place
they built their nest last year.
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00:09:13,987 --> 00:09:17,357
Many believe that penguins
mate for life,
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00:09:17,357 --> 00:09:21,361
but new theories suggest
that they're faithful to their
nesting site
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00:09:21,361 --> 00:09:23,663
rather than a specific partner.
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00:09:29,002 --> 00:09:31,671
This is an experienced pair.
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00:09:31,671 --> 00:09:35,074
They've come together at this
site for a few seasons,
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00:09:35,074 --> 00:09:37,010
and they know what to do.
98
00:09:38,678 --> 00:09:42,849
They waste no time
starting work on a new family.
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00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:46,686
Romance takes a back seat.
100
00:09:46,686 --> 00:09:48,955
It's a clumsy affair.
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00:09:58,898 --> 00:10:01,701
But not everyone has a mate.
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00:10:08,308 --> 00:10:15,215
For singletons, it's time to
enter the noisy world of
penguin dating.
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00:10:15,215 --> 00:10:20,753
It's believed that males win
over females with their raucous
braying squawk -
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00:10:23,690 --> 00:10:30,096
a sound that earned the
bird its original name of
Jackass Penguin.
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00:10:30,096 --> 00:10:35,835
Penguins seem to choose mates
that are roughly the same size
as them.
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00:10:35,835 --> 00:10:38,371
Once they've found a
potential partner,
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they get more tactile,
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touching beaks together and
enjoying more physical contact.
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00:10:48,381 --> 00:10:51,451
If the courting goes well,
they'll pair up,
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ready to build a nest
and start a family.
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00:11:02,729 --> 00:11:07,400
Making a home on this rocky
ground is not easy.
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00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,303
The African Penguin prefers
to nest in burrows
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that it creates by digging
with its beak and scraping
with its feet.
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00:11:18,077 --> 00:11:23,449
Once, Bird Island was
carpeted in a deep layer
of ancient guano,
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00:11:23,449 --> 00:11:28,421
and penguins could tunnel into
its spongy surface with ease.
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00:11:31,824 --> 00:11:36,195
But when the guano was
stripped away, their
burrows went with it.
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00:11:39,065 --> 00:11:42,335
Now, they make their nests
on the rocky surface
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00:11:42,335 --> 00:11:46,306
out of whatever materials
they can gather.
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00:11:46,306 --> 00:11:50,376
On Bird Island that's mostly
grass and twigs.
120
00:12:31,351 --> 00:12:35,922
They're dedicated builders,
but it can be awkward work.
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00:12:50,169 --> 00:12:54,407
Their bodies are designed for
swimming, not construction.
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00:13:06,586 --> 00:13:12,992
Some of them also seem to have
trouble figuring out the basics
of nest-building.
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00:13:12,992 --> 00:13:17,397
Assembling a home at sea
seems overly ambitious.
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00:13:22,135 --> 00:13:24,170
And for some new nesters,
125
00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:27,573
remembering where you left
your mate can be tricky.
126
00:13:36,382 --> 00:13:38,951
It's a long process for
beginners,
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00:13:38,951 --> 00:13:43,156
sometimes taking several weeks.
128
00:13:43,156 --> 00:13:47,660
For one, a large tussock
is a great find.
129
00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:52,065
As soon as it's delivered,
it's added into the nest.
130
00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:58,571
A difficult job is made easier
when you do it together:
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00:14:02,241 --> 00:14:07,547
building the nest strengthens
the bond between new couples.
132
00:14:07,547 --> 00:14:09,916
Once their nest is completed,
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00:14:09,916 --> 00:14:14,053
they'll spend their time mating
and taking turns to fish.
134
00:14:16,189 --> 00:14:22,395
It will take time for their
clumsy efforts to be rewarded
with a clutch of two eggs.
135
00:14:34,507 --> 00:14:42,014
Low tide reveals an important
site on the island: the old
slipway.
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00:14:42,014 --> 00:14:47,520
Once, launches and dinghies
were dragged up and down
this concrete ramp.
137
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,257
Today it serves
more feathery traffic,
138
00:14:51,257 --> 00:14:55,995
providing the penguins with
easy access to the ocean in
any weather.
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00:14:58,264 --> 00:15:03,703
For those returning from long,
exhausting expeditions in
rough seas,
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00:15:03,703 --> 00:15:07,273
it's a welcoming gateway
to the island -
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00:15:07,273 --> 00:15:09,442
a smooth, gentle slope
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00:15:09,442 --> 00:15:13,312
rather than the sharp rocks on
the other sections of the shore.
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00:15:21,420 --> 00:15:23,556
For those about to depart,
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00:15:23,556 --> 00:15:28,194
it's a place to wash off the
dust of the nest and to preen.
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00:15:30,029 --> 00:15:34,600
This cleaning ritual
is not just cosmetic.
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00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:41,340
Penguins need to have waterproof
coats to survive the cold ocean.
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00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:46,479
To ensure that their diving
suits are in good shape for an
extended fishing trip,
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00:15:46,479 --> 00:15:53,019
they pause here to spread oil
from a special preen gland near
the base of their tails
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00:15:53,019 --> 00:15:55,288
all over their bodies.
150
00:16:02,028 --> 00:16:05,431
Preening and bathing can
take up to an hour -
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all the while watched
by curious eyes.
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00:16:10,503 --> 00:16:15,374
Young penguins loiter here,
watching the comings and goings,
153
00:16:15,374 --> 00:16:20,613
waiting for their molt to finish
so that they too can go fishing.
154
00:16:23,282 --> 00:16:29,188
It's been suggested that these
youngsters are doing what other
young seabirds do:
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00:16:29,188 --> 00:16:33,259
gathering important information.
156
00:16:33,259 --> 00:16:37,630
They watch to see which adults
are in the best condition.
157
00:16:39,632 --> 00:16:44,637
The fatter and glossier the
adult, the better it is feeding.
158
00:16:54,347 --> 00:17:00,152
But inexperienced
youngsters can overstep
the mark with adults.
159
00:17:00,152 --> 00:17:05,258
For juveniles that get in
the way of tired hunters
or preening rituals,
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00:17:05,258 --> 00:17:08,227
a flipper slap puts them
in their place.
161
00:17:21,474 --> 00:17:25,645
The slipway is a
penguins-only club:
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00:17:25,645 --> 00:17:31,617
a gannet makes the mistake of
venturing onto their turf and
is attacked.
163
00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:53,873
The penguins are hostile,
but careful.
164
00:17:53,873 --> 00:17:59,245
An adult gannet's beak is
vicious and can do a lot of
damage.
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00:18:24,537 --> 00:18:28,307
This male is back from the hunt.
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00:18:28,307 --> 00:18:34,180
He's exhausted, but eager
to get back to his family
as fast as he can.
167
00:18:46,826 --> 00:18:49,628
His family is pleased
to see him.
168
00:18:55,768 --> 00:18:58,771
Each reunion is serenaded
with a greeting.
169
00:19:04,944 --> 00:19:10,216
A call that is as unique to
that couple as a fingerprint.
170
00:19:12,651 --> 00:19:16,622
This recognition ritual is
a form of greeting
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00:19:16,622 --> 00:19:20,192
and a way of strengthening
the bond between parents.
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00:19:32,772 --> 00:19:34,707
But when it goes wrong,
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there are tough consequences.
174
00:19:45,918 --> 00:19:49,955
One returning male
fails to perform it properly.
175
00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:54,827
She's having none of it.
176
00:19:57,329 --> 00:19:59,799
Their single chick is hungry,
177
00:19:59,799 --> 00:20:02,868
but she's not allowing him
to feed it.
178
00:20:06,038 --> 00:20:09,809
She puts her beak
between him and the chick.
179
00:20:13,946 --> 00:20:16,949
He attempts another tactic:
180
00:20:16,949 --> 00:20:21,821
when she looks away, he
tries to sneak his chick a meal,
181
00:20:21,821 --> 00:20:24,256
but she stops it at once.
182
00:20:26,525 --> 00:20:28,694
Her message is clear:
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00:20:28,694 --> 00:20:33,632
either you say hello properly,
or you're sleeping somewhere
else tonight.
184
00:20:44,310 --> 00:20:48,781
All across the colony,
chicks put on a desperate
show of begging,
185
00:20:48,781 --> 00:20:51,383
but they won't go without.
186
00:20:55,754 --> 00:21:01,527
The returning parent has brought
back plenty of undigested fish
in its stomach,
187
00:21:01,527 --> 00:21:05,731
and it regurgitates this food
until the chicks are satisfied.
188
00:21:16,909 --> 00:21:20,646
Almost no food is lost
during feeding.
189
00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:27,386
The beaks of the parent and the
chicks fit together closely,
preventing spillage
190
00:21:27,386 --> 00:21:32,725
and giving the growing chicks
every morsel of food the parent
has brought home.
191
00:21:34,994 --> 00:21:37,963
These two chicks are lucky:
192
00:21:37,963 --> 00:21:43,702
their size and health reveal
that their parents are
excellent hunters.
193
00:21:48,641 --> 00:21:53,012
It's a scene playing out
around the island.
194
00:21:53,012 --> 00:21:58,083
And now, as the penguin's
breeding season reaches
top gear,
195
00:21:58,083 --> 00:22:01,353
it's not only they that
are raising families.
196
00:22:15,501 --> 00:22:20,839
The middle of Bird Island
is a vast metropolis of gannets,
197
00:22:20,839 --> 00:22:24,643
the largest gathering
of this species in the world.
198
00:22:25,945 --> 00:22:29,048
Their breeding season is
coming to an end.
199
00:22:29,048 --> 00:22:33,552
Thousands of pairs
have successfully raised chicks,
200
00:22:33,552 --> 00:22:36,755
and many of these juveniles
are still here,
201
00:22:36,755 --> 00:22:42,061
gingerly testing out their new
wings as they learn to fly.
202
00:22:42,061 --> 00:22:44,763
They'll need to learn well.
203
00:22:48,968 --> 00:22:53,138
Soon they'll head far
out to sea to hunt,
204
00:22:53,138 --> 00:22:59,945
dive-bombing their prey in
a spectacular display of
aerobatic skill.
205
00:22:59,945 --> 00:23:05,985
For gannets, laying only one egg
is an all-or-nothing venture.
206
00:23:05,985 --> 00:23:09,455
Failure means a
wasted breeding season.
207
00:23:12,958 --> 00:23:18,430
For penguins, laying two eggs
increases their odds of success.
208
00:23:21,033 --> 00:23:26,005
If there's plenty of food
and two strong, healthy parents,
209
00:23:26,005 --> 00:23:30,542
it's possible that both chicks
will survive to fledge.
210
00:23:40,986 --> 00:23:43,255
But in this harsh world,
211
00:23:43,255 --> 00:23:49,161
two eggs are as much about
insurance as they are about
abundance.
212
00:23:50,729 --> 00:23:54,066
The chicks will hatch
a few days apart,
213
00:23:54,066 --> 00:23:58,937
and the bigger and stronger
of the two will be favored at
feeding time
214
00:23:58,937 --> 00:24:02,775
since it's able to
beg more vigorously.
215
00:24:05,611 --> 00:24:08,914
The smaller sibling
pleads for food,
216
00:24:08,914 --> 00:24:11,216
but no one is listening.
217
00:24:20,726 --> 00:24:23,195
Born to be a spare,
218
00:24:23,195 --> 00:24:25,197
it is unlikely to survive.
219
00:24:36,075 --> 00:24:39,712
The parents may be
affectionate with each other.
220
00:24:39,712 --> 00:24:44,116
the chicks may look
well-fed and satisfied.
221
00:24:44,116 --> 00:24:48,921
The domestic routine
may look calm and orderly.
222
00:24:48,921 --> 00:24:51,123
But underlying this all,
223
00:24:51,123 --> 00:24:55,194
is the harsh reality
that every single hunt
224
00:24:55,194 --> 00:24:59,331
may be the difference
between life and death for
the chicks.
225
00:25:03,202 --> 00:25:06,872
The demand for food is
never-ending.
226
00:25:06,872 --> 00:25:10,209
and it's only going
to get more urgent.
227
00:25:13,712 --> 00:25:19,184
As chicks grow,
their need for food increases.
228
00:25:19,184 --> 00:25:25,891
Unable to hunt for themselves
until after they molt into
their juvenile plumage,
229
00:25:25,891 --> 00:25:32,264
they rely on their parents
to catch ever-larger meals
for them.
230
00:25:32,264 --> 00:25:36,869
Eventually both their parents
have to go out to sea,
231
00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:41,306
leaving the hungry chicks
to huddle together.
232
00:25:41,306 --> 00:25:46,011
These makeshift nurseries
are a safe space for the chicks.
233
00:26:08,700 --> 00:26:13,806
The parents are heading down the
slipway and turning due east
234
00:26:16,175 --> 00:26:20,145
where the good hauls
of anchovies usually are.
235
00:26:25,951 --> 00:26:28,353
Their chances are good.
236
00:26:28,353 --> 00:26:32,691
Once, they had to compete
with human fishing fleets.
237
00:26:32,691 --> 00:26:37,162
But now a 12-mile exclusion zone
around the islands
238
00:26:37,162 --> 00:26:43,335
means that the penguins have
a shorter swim to larger
shoals of fish.
239
00:26:43,335 --> 00:26:48,774
Still, it's a nine-mile trek
to their feeding grounds,
240
00:26:48,774 --> 00:26:54,847
and fishing trips can last
anything between 2 hours
and 2 or 3 days.
241
00:26:58,317 --> 00:27:04,790
Agile swimmers, they can
reach a top speed of around
12 miles an hour.
242
00:27:07,025 --> 00:27:13,031
As clumsy as she is on land,
she's now in her element.
243
00:27:13,031 --> 00:27:17,836
She dives, pumping her flippers
against the darkening water,
244
00:27:17,836 --> 00:27:22,875
speeding down to over 200 feet
in a few seconds.
245
00:27:22,875 --> 00:27:26,778
She's looking for where
the fish are gathered,
246
00:27:26,778 --> 00:27:29,915
maneuvering herself
to be under her prey.
247
00:27:29,915 --> 00:27:33,652
And once she's in position,
she attacks.
248
00:27:36,455 --> 00:27:40,826
She gorges herself,
also eating for her chicks.
249
00:27:49,134 --> 00:27:54,039
Once she's eaten what she
needs to sustain her until
the next hunt,
250
00:27:54,039 --> 00:27:57,409
she slows her
digestive system down
251
00:27:57,409 --> 00:28:02,247
so that anything she eats
will stay mostly undigested
252
00:28:02,247 --> 00:28:06,218
and regurgitated almost fresh
when she gets back.
253
00:28:11,223 --> 00:28:13,825
Outside of breeding season,
254
00:28:13,825 --> 00:28:18,163
they can spend weeks
or even months away from land
255
00:28:20,198 --> 00:28:24,303
During this time
they avoid making landfall,
256
00:28:24,303 --> 00:28:26,905
preferring to sleep at sea.
257
00:28:29,808 --> 00:28:35,714
Now though, there are
families to feed and
partners to be reunited with.
258
00:28:46,458 --> 00:28:52,097
Usually these couples would
greet each other and then
swap places.
259
00:28:59,137 --> 00:29:02,074
But today's catch has been good,
260
00:29:02,074 --> 00:29:07,245
and tonight the family can
remain together for longer
than usual,
261
00:29:07,245 --> 00:29:11,416
bonding and sharing
some quality time.
262
00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:15,487
It's a rare moment
of togetherness.
263
00:29:15,487 --> 00:29:18,323
The demands of survival
264
00:29:18,323 --> 00:29:21,193
can wait a few hours tonight.
265
00:29:43,915 --> 00:29:47,552
The calm is short-lived.
266
00:29:47,552 --> 00:29:51,857
The next afternoon,
high tide pounds the island.
267
00:30:04,436 --> 00:30:08,407
At the slipway,
the surf is a major challenge.
268
00:30:13,912 --> 00:30:18,850
Those heading out to fish
have to time their dive.
269
00:30:24,089 --> 00:30:29,294
Once they're in the water,
they still have to climb the
mountainous breakers.
270
00:30:58,023 --> 00:31:02,961
For those returning from the
ocean, a trickier problem.
271
00:31:02,961 --> 00:31:10,502
They've been swimming for many
hours, using their feet and legs
only as rudders.
272
00:31:10,502 --> 00:31:17,142
Now, trying to stay standing
on those wobbly feet and legs
is a struggle.
273
00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:37,729
Some play to their strengths:
274
00:31:37,729 --> 00:31:40,398
too tired to fight the surf,
275
00:31:40,398 --> 00:31:45,904
this penguin turns back into it
and lets it carry him ashore.
276
00:31:53,712 --> 00:31:59,151
The surf is also causing a
problem for one young gannet.
277
00:31:59,151 --> 00:32:03,221
Thousands of chicks are hatching
and learning to fly.
278
00:32:06,491 --> 00:32:09,694
Not yet adept at
getting airborne,
279
00:32:09,694 --> 00:32:14,566
this juvenile has spent too long
being drenched by the waves.
280
00:32:14,566 --> 00:32:18,470
s feathers are soaked and heavy,
281
00:32:18,470 --> 00:32:22,574
making flight even
more difficult than before.
282
00:32:25,277 --> 00:32:29,514
Exhausted and disorientated
by the battering waves,
283
00:32:29,514 --> 00:32:32,617
its chances of survival
are slim.
284
00:32:42,294 --> 00:32:48,300
On land, without a breath of
wind, he heat is becoming
intolerable.
285
00:32:53,104 --> 00:32:55,674
Penguins can drink seawater,
286
00:32:55,674 --> 00:33:01,079
thanks to a special gland that
expels the salt out through
their nostrils.
287
00:33:02,714 --> 00:33:07,085
They aren't thirsty,
but they are overheating,
288
00:33:07,085 --> 00:33:11,523
stuck as they are
on their nests.
289
00:33:11,523 --> 00:33:17,229
Covered in fat and feathers
evolved to keep them warm
in cold water,
290
00:33:17,229 --> 00:33:22,133
their only strategy against
the heat is to turn their
backs to the sun
291
00:33:22,133 --> 00:33:25,570
and to pant in an effort
to cool down.
292
00:33:27,405 --> 00:33:31,109
Some parents try to shield
their chicks from the sun.
293
00:33:34,813 --> 00:33:40,318
Other chicks have nowhere to
hide and pant alongside their
parents.
294
00:33:42,153 --> 00:33:46,291
For some new parents, sitting
in the heat is unbearable.
295
00:33:50,395 --> 00:33:55,500
An abandoned nest, evidence of
the brutal conditions in summer.
296
00:34:09,314 --> 00:34:14,286
It's an unforgiving landscape
as the sun beats down on it,
297
00:34:14,286 --> 00:34:17,455
but it wasn't always this way.
298
00:34:17,455 --> 00:34:20,191
Once, the penguins of Algoa Bay
299
00:34:20,191 --> 00:34:25,163
dug deep burrows in the guano
that covered Bird Island.
300
00:34:25,163 --> 00:34:27,599
These shelters were
cool in summer,
301
00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:31,670
warm in winter,
and free from flooding -
302
00:34:31,670 --> 00:34:34,506
a perfect home
in which to raise chicks.
303
00:34:36,608 --> 00:34:41,746
But in the mid-19th century,
everything changed.
304
00:34:41,746 --> 00:34:48,186
An industrializing world
discovered that guano was
not only a superb fertilizer
305
00:34:48,186 --> 00:34:54,759
but also a good source of
saltpeter, a key ingredient
in gunpowder,
306
00:34:54,759 --> 00:35:00,432
and suddenly the race was
on to harvest as much guano
as possible.
307
00:35:06,271 --> 00:35:11,876
The major powers scoured
the planet for deposits of
the white gold.
308
00:35:11,876 --> 00:35:16,247
The U.S. Congress even passed
an act in 1856,
309
00:35:16,247 --> 00:35:22,787
allowing American citizens to
take possession of any land
anywhere if it contained guano,
310
00:35:22,787 --> 00:35:26,157
as long as it wasn't owned
by another country.
311
00:35:27,459 --> 00:35:30,395
Soon, the Rush reached
southern Africa,
312
00:35:31,496 --> 00:35:33,965
and on islands
right around the coast,
313
00:35:33,965 --> 00:35:37,502
deposits of guano
dozens of feet thick,
314
00:35:37,502 --> 00:35:39,971
built up over
thousands of years,
315
00:35:39,971 --> 00:35:46,711
were hacked off and shipped
away, leaving only bare rock.
316
00:35:46,711 --> 00:35:50,315
It was a blow to the
penguins of Africa,
317
00:35:50,315 --> 00:35:53,485
but worse was to come.
318
00:35:53,485 --> 00:36:00,458
As more people moved into
the new colonies, they needed
food and fuel -
319
00:36:00,458 --> 00:36:03,962
and so they used
penguins as both.
320
00:36:03,962 --> 00:36:07,699
Huge numbers of eggs
were collected to eat,
321
00:36:07,699 --> 00:36:11,936
and thousands of adult birds
were incinerated as fuel,
322
00:36:11,936 --> 00:36:16,875
their fat-laden bodies and
oily feathers making them
easier to burn
323
00:36:16,875 --> 00:36:19,577
than damp coastal wood.
324
00:36:23,648 --> 00:36:28,486
The Guano Rush collapsed
as quickly as it had started,
325
00:36:28,486 --> 00:36:34,626
And the buildings on
these islands were abandoned to
the penguins - and the brutal
climate.
326
00:36:46,871 --> 00:36:52,310
As temperatures soar and hungry
chicks endlessly beg for food,
327
00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:57,849
the breeding colony becomes
a place of short tempers and
snapping beaks.
328
00:36:59,050 --> 00:37:01,820
Suddenly, a commotion.
329
00:37:02,787 --> 00:37:05,523
An intruder.
330
00:37:05,523 --> 00:37:10,695
A young gannet has
managed to get airborne
in the windless sky,
331
00:37:10,695 --> 00:37:14,766
but it has crash-landed
in the worst possible place:
332
00:37:14,766 --> 00:37:18,503
in the middle of
the penguin colony.
333
00:37:18,503 --> 00:37:22,507
It's bewildered, unsure
of where to go -
334
00:37:22,507 --> 00:37:26,711
and unaware that
it's in mortal danger.
335
00:37:30,014 --> 00:37:35,987
On all sides, angry penguins
snap at the outsider.
336
00:37:35,987 --> 00:37:39,457
These parents are unwilling
to leave their nests.
337
00:37:39,457 --> 00:37:43,495
The gannet can stay out of reach
of their beaks.
338
00:37:45,497 --> 00:37:48,266
But its luck has run out.
339
00:37:51,870 --> 00:37:56,741
In a cruel twist of timing,
the hunters have returned
from the bay.
340
00:38:00,845 --> 00:38:06,417
They see the intruder,
dangerously close to their
nests, and attack.
341
00:38:15,994 --> 00:38:22,133
Stunned, bleeding, and
overwhelmed by the vicious
onslaught of the penguins,
342
00:38:22,133 --> 00:38:26,538
the juvenile doesn't try to flee
or defend itself.
343
00:38:35,647 --> 00:38:39,384
The penguins will not relent.
344
00:38:39,384 --> 00:38:44,355
This gannet's first flight
will also be its last.
345
00:38:50,562 --> 00:38:53,464
A family waits anxiously.
346
00:39:01,973 --> 00:39:06,844
At last, a familiar figure
makes its way towards the nest.
347
00:39:06,844 --> 00:39:09,347
But something is wrong.
348
00:39:12,850 --> 00:39:16,854
This parent has survived
an attack by a shark.
349
00:39:23,561 --> 00:39:26,497
Neither makes a
recognition call.
350
00:39:27,632 --> 00:39:29,801
The sitting parent looks away.
351
00:39:34,172 --> 00:39:39,377
With one parent wounded,
they will not be able to
feed their chicks.
352
00:39:44,682 --> 00:39:48,586
For this family,
breeding season is over.
353
00:39:55,760 --> 00:40:01,899
Heat, hunger, and the
dangers of the deep have
all taken their toll.
354
00:40:01,899 --> 00:40:06,537
But now another threat is
looming over the Indian Ocean:
355
00:40:08,539 --> 00:40:10,775
bad weather is rolling in.
356
00:40:25,957 --> 00:40:28,726
The temperature plunges.
357
00:40:31,696 --> 00:40:37,635
A few hours ago, the islands
were baking in the heat.
358
00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:42,907
As soon as the storm hits, they
become chilling expanses of mud.
359
00:40:45,777 --> 00:40:49,914
The cold and the wet
are lethal for the chicks.
360
00:40:49,914 --> 00:40:55,086
Water soaks the youngsters
that have not yet grown their
waterproof coats.
361
00:40:57,522 --> 00:41:02,126
Older chicks are too big for
their parents to shelter them
from the weather.
362
00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:13,905
Soaked to the skin
and exposed to the cold,
363
00:41:13,905 --> 00:41:16,808
chicks begin to succumb
to hypothermia.
364
00:41:28,686 --> 00:41:34,192
A small, weaker chick
hasn't survived the cold snap.
365
00:41:34,192 --> 00:41:38,930
More cold fronts and
more baking hot days will follow
366
00:41:38,930 --> 00:41:45,169
as the breeding season extends
through summer and into autumn.
367
00:41:45,169 --> 00:41:50,041
Chicks will continue to die
in the extreme conditions.
368
00:41:50,041 --> 00:41:56,714
But where they can,
conservationists are hand-
rearing starving or
abandoned chicks.
369
00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:05,089
As numbers continue to decline
in other penguin colonies on the
African coast,
370
00:42:05,089 --> 00:42:09,627
the penguin population of
Algoa Bay is keeping steady.
371
00:42:14,298 --> 00:42:18,002
Chicks, however,
are not the main prize.
372
00:42:18,002 --> 00:42:22,206
More valuable than chicks
are breeding pairs of adults.
373
00:42:23,341 --> 00:42:26,210
A dead chick is a setback,
374
00:42:26,210 --> 00:42:30,047
but a breeding pair can produce
many more in the years to come
375
00:42:30,047 --> 00:42:33,785
if they are protected.
376
00:42:33,785 --> 00:42:40,324
To help them, conservationists
have begun installing artificial
nests on Bird Island.
377
00:42:43,027 --> 00:42:46,130
These cement half-pipes
don't flood,
378
00:42:46,130 --> 00:42:50,668
and allow air to circulate
on hot days.
379
00:42:50,668 --> 00:42:53,070
Chicks are protected
from the rain,
380
00:42:53,070 --> 00:42:56,874
and eggs remain hidden
from predatory gulls.
381
00:42:58,042 --> 00:43:01,145
The strategy is working.
382
00:43:01,145 --> 00:43:08,286
The couples that nest in these
concrete homes have doubled
their breeding success.
383
00:43:08,286 --> 00:43:13,291
The fishing exclusion zone
is also paying dividends
for the colony.
384
00:43:13,291 --> 00:43:19,797
Evidence suggests that when
fishing fleets are kept further
away, there's more food.
385
00:43:19,797 --> 00:43:24,669
And the more food there
is, the less stress there
is on families.
386
00:43:24,669 --> 00:43:28,139
This means that more chicks
reach fledging age.
387
00:43:29,307 --> 00:43:32,376
In fact, when food is plentiful,
388
00:43:32,376 --> 00:43:36,314
scientists have observed
penguins having two
breeding attempts,
389
00:43:36,314 --> 00:43:40,718
sometimes producing four chicks
in the year -
390
00:43:40,718 --> 00:43:46,157
a priceless asset to a colony
that desperately needs to grow.
391
00:43:48,459 --> 00:43:53,130
The next generation of penguins
is on its way.
392
00:43:53,130 --> 00:43:55,266
When they put out to sea,
393
00:43:55,266 --> 00:44:02,473
the colony as a whole will
have taken another small step
away from extinction.
394
00:44:02,473 --> 00:44:09,013
They will learn to fish
and, hopefully, become
skilled hunters.
395
00:44:09,013 --> 00:44:13,317
When they mature, they will
return here to find a mate and,
396
00:44:13,317 --> 00:44:16,153
with luck, start a family
of their own.
397
00:44:32,403 --> 00:44:37,275
The African penguin is one
of the continent's most
charismatic birds.
398
00:44:38,776 --> 00:44:42,013
Its survival hangs
in the balance.
399
00:44:43,781 --> 00:44:45,950
But here in Algoa Bay,
400
00:44:45,950 --> 00:44:51,088
its island stronghold is
slowly tipping the odds
in its favor.
401
00:44:53,224 --> 00:44:57,828
In time, the success
n stabilizing their numbers here
402
00:44:57,828 --> 00:45:02,433
might be replicated in other
breeding colonies along the
African coast.
403
00:45:14,245 --> 00:45:19,016
African penguins are
extraordinary characters
of a wild ocean.
404
00:45:24,088 --> 00:45:31,062
Devoted parents, raising
their families in a harsh,
often hostile, environment.
405
00:45:31,062 --> 00:45:36,100
But here, in the
protected expanse of Algoa Bay,
406
00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:38,402
there is hope.
407
00:45:39,303 --> 00:45:41,372
A refuge.
408
00:45:42,273 --> 00:45:44,408
A stronghold.
409
00:45:45,476 --> 00:45:50,247
A future for Africa's penguin.
410
00:45:50,247 --> 00:46:00,558
(♪♪♪)
411
00:46:00,558 --> 00:46:11,569
(♪♪♪)
412
00:46:11,569 --> 00:46:16,774
(♪♪♪)
36311
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