All language subtitles for Worlds Greatest Animal Encounters Series 1 4of6 Marine Animals 1080p

(SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

(DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

NARRATOR: Of all the creatures
in the deep blue sea,

the one that never fails
to strike fear in the heart

is the great white shark,
or white pointer.

(DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Hollywood has made
these animals infamous

through fictional films
such as 'Jaws' and 'Dark Tide'...

..but make no mistake,

the premise behind these movies
is real.

Great white sharks
are natural born killers,

lurking in the coastal surface waters

of all the major oceans on Earth.

They prefer temperate waters,

but are often sighted in the tropics.

(DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Two locations that are well known
for great whites

are South Africa

and the Great
Australian Bight,

off the coast
of South Australia.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

In both places, ocean currents
carry water from Antarctica

laden with tiny organisms that form
the basis of a complex web of life.

Plankton attracts fish,
fish attract seals,

seals attract the great white shark.

And the great white sharks,
well, they attract people.

Cage diving with
these charismatic creatures

has become big business.

During seal breeding season,

the supply of shark food
is almost unlimited.

Despite their formidable appearance,

great white sharks
are not a huge threat to humans.

It is true about 100 people a year
are attacked by sharks,

and probably about half of those
are made by great whites...

..but most are not fatal.

Zoologists now know that these
animals are naturally curious,

and most injuries to humans
are just sample bites.

Great white sharks
prefer to prey on sealions,

small-toothed whales,
and sometimes other sharks.

They really are the ultimate hunters.

Shaped like torpedoes,

they can tear through the water
at 15 miles per hour.

Fully grown great white sharks
have around 300 teeth

arranged in several rows.

The ones at the front are knifelike,
with serrated edges.

Intimidating and effective.

Fortunately, the cages
used on dives such as this

protect those who seek the thrill
of a close encounter

without any associated risk.

The great white's sense of smell
is no urban myth.

They can detect and home in on
a small amount of blood

from as far as 5km away.

Unlike most fish, these incredible
sharks are warm-blooded,

which is why they can maintain
their body temperature

in seas all over the world.

(JAUNTY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Cage diving with great whites
is the ultimate adrenalin rush,

but the experience
also allows scientists

to increase their understanding
of this remarkable species

and its place on the blue planet.

Aquariums, which are slowly
becoming as popular as zoos

throughout the world,

also afford opportunity for us to
learn more about life underwater...

..and to encounter
less aggressive sharks

in their admittedly
somewhat controlled environment.

The size of the tanks
clearly restricts the size

of the creatures
that feature in such exhibits.

So, if you want to encounter
the biggest fish in the sea,

you'll need to return to the wild.

(HAUNTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

NARRATOR: Despite their name,
whale sharks are not whales,

but it's obvious how
the confusion has come about.

They are enormous - 20 times larger
than the great white.

Fossils indicate this gargantuan fish

may have been around
for 250 million years.

It's a true dinosaur of the seas,

but humans need not be alarmed.

The only prey on this giant's menu
is microscopic.

Encounters with whale sharks are
awe-inspiring, to say the least,

and one of the most reliable places
to see them

is here on
Ningaloo Reef,

off the coast of
Western Australia.

These gentle creatures swim to the
surface to feed on tiny zoo plankton.

So, it's easy to get
relatively close to them

just with a mask and snorkel.

Whale sharks gulp
enormous quantities of water

into their wide mouths,

then filter out the plankton through
a kind of sieve in their throats.

They do have teeth -
3,000 of them, in fact -

but they are barely 6mm long
and never used for eating.

Humans discovered whale sharks
relatively recently.

The first recorded sighting
was less than 200 years ago.

To better understand
their migratory behaviour,

and in so doing, afford this species

better protection
from illegal fishing,

scientists will occasionally
fit an individual

with a radio tracking device,

a relatively harmless procedure that
is akin to having your ears pierced.

A less invasive tracking technique
uses photo ID.

So, anyone with an underwater camera
can contribute

simply by photographing the skin
of any whale shark they encounter,

for their spots are as unique
as a human fingerprint.

Through this citizen science project,

whale shark specialists
have been able to determine

the migratory patterns
of individuals

and better monitor
the global population.

Whale sharks cruise through Ningaloo
every year between April and August,

and they don't appear to be bothered
by humans at all.

Ningaloo is one of the longest
fringing coral reefs in the world.

It's a beautiful wild place
bathed in warm, clear water.

The diversity of life here
is bewildering.

Ningaloo lies at the point
where the southern temperate waters

meet the northern tropical currents
of the Indian Ocean.

It's home to over
200 different corals

and 500 species of fish.

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

This pristine reef is a favourite
hangout for another majestic giant,

the manta ray.

Like all rays, these graceful mantas
are a type of shark.

Growing to 5.5 metres wide,

they are closely related
to stingrays,

but thankfully there's no nasty barb
in their tails.

They do have teeth,
but they're shaped like pebbles,

and not designed for biting prey.

Manta rays spend most of their time
swimming in large vertical loops,

sucking in plankton as they go.

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Until recently,
marine biologists believed

mantas depended
almost entirely on plankton.

But research now reveals

manta rays only get
about a quarter of their nutrition

from this kind of surface feeding.

They catch the rest of it,
mainly fish,

hunting in the darker reaches
of the ocean.

Tagged rays have been recorded
swimming to depths below 400 metres.

And evidence is emerging
that these impressive swimmers

can dive down as far as a kilometre.

Cephalic lobes
on either side of their mouths

are actually pectoral fins,

adapted to help mantas
funnel their food.

(JAUNTY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Not all of the sea's creatures

are famous for their propensity
to kill or good looks.

Some are incredible to encounter

simply because they are so bizarre.

Just off the coast
of Whyalla,

in South Australia,

there's a 10km
stretch of rock

on the seabed

that, well,
isn't particularly remarkable

unless you happen
to be here in winter.

This is the only time, and place
in the world, for that matter,

where you can reliably see
huge numbers

of giant Australian cuttlefish.

(JAUNTY MUSIC CONTINUES)

With bodies, or mantles,
around 1.5 foot long,

they are the largest of their kind
in the world.

Giant cuttlefish come here
every winter to breed

because the seabed
is a perfect platform

for females to anchor their eggs.

In true rock star fashion,
they live fast and die young,

curling up their ten tentacles
shortly after spawning.

Young cuttlefish take 12 to 18 months
to reach maturity.

So, they are only sexually active
for a single season.

Their primary role
is simply to live long enough

to pass their flashy,
overconfident genes

to the next generation.

The jack of all performing trades,

cuttlefish have the underwater
visual effects department

well covered.

They can change colour in an instant,

and work their way through
a kaleidoscopic range of patterns.

They use these skills
to help them with camouflage

or to signal alarm,

but during their mating ritual,
it's all about showing off

and upping your reproductive stakes.

Cuttlefish have been around
for hundreds of millions of years...

..which begs the question,

who is the real alien
in this underwater encounter?

The strange new creatures
who seek to enter this world

or the cuttlefish
they've come to admire?

(TINKLING CHIME MUSIC)

there's a collection
of volcanic islands...

..that, in their geographic
isolation, have developed habitats

that have enabled
many unique species to evolve.

On land, they appear to have
little to fear from humans.

Indeed, the reverse
appears to be true.

These islands and their incredible
collection of animals.

inspired Charles Darwin
to write a book

that changed the way we think
about life on Earth forever.

They are, of course,
the incomparable:

There are 19 islands
in the group in total,

and they sit right on the equator.

Their location is key

to the strange and wonderful
creatures that live here,

particularly under the sea.

The Galapagos lie
in a kind of triangle

created by the meeting
of three great ocean currents.

This has a dramatic effect
on the weather,

allowing a vast range of
marine animals to wind up here.

The famous marine iguana
is unique to the Galapagos Islands.

It's the only lizard that
lives purely on algae and seaweed

and swims underwater.

They're almost certainly descendants

of the forest-dwelling iguanas
of South America.

The theory is storms on the mainland

may have set adrift
rafts of sticks and debris,

and a few unlucky land-based iguanas
became stuck on board.

They were carried
by the ocean current

and dumped here to begin a new life.

Over countless generations,

they evolved the ability
to survive by the sea.

Sharp teeth for scraping algae,

a flattened tail for swimming,

and even a special gland

which removes excess salt
from their bloodstream.

Birds also rule
the Galapagos roost...

..but two of the more
striking seabirds

are the frigate, with
its extraordinary red throat pouch,

and the blue-footed booby,

easily identified
by its outlandish blue feet.

The males are very proud
of their blue suede shoes,

and show them off
during mating dances.

The guy with the bluest feet
usually gets the girl,

and the opportunity
to pass on his genes.

The Galapagos Islands are also home

to the world's only
equatorial penguin.

They are a small but determined bird,

ungainly on land, but absolutely
amazing to witness underwater.

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

One of the most joyous sights
in the ocean

can be found in almost
all the warm waters of the world.

Dolphins.

At last count,

scientists think we have 38
different species of marine dolphin,

plus another five living in rivers.

Australian has 14 different
marine dolphin species,

and some of them
are almost too easy to meet.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC SWELLS)

Just offshore from
the busy port city

of Adelaide,
in South Australia,

dolphins will go out of their way

to initiate close encounters
with humans.

The most common species here
is the bottle-nosed dolphin.

These sociable animals live in pods,
groups of around 12 individuals

that have developed
a range of social skills

to survive and support each other.

Communication is key.

Dolphins use a complex combination
of squeaks and clicks

to talk to each other.

Their range of hearing
is ten times greater than humans,

so they can pick up high-pitched
sounds that we are unable to hear.

Dolphins usually hunt in a team,

rounding up schools of fish,

keeping them corralled
until everyone has had an easy feed.

Most dolphins in large pods
are female

and not related to one another,

although mothers will stay with
their young for up to eight years.

(JAUNTY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Male dolphins form smaller pods
of two or three,

and they are thought
to become friends for life.

They only approach the females
when it's time to mate,

which is often.

Dolphins can actually mate
at any time of the year.

When a female gives birth,

the others in her pod will help her,

then go on to play a major role

in protecting and rearing
the offspring.

Many marine parks
and aquariums around the world

offer opportunities
to interact with dolphins.

They vie for attention

with other equally endearing marine
animals such as the beluga whale.

Calves are born grey,
fading to white as they mature.

Adults are easily distinguishable
by their rounded foreheads

and lack of dorsal fin.

And they clearly enjoy
an appreciative audience.

NARRATOR: The Great Barrier Reef
is a massive community of animals.

It comprises over 3,000
individual reef systems.

It runs along

Australia's
eastern coast,

from the Tropic
of Capricorn,

north towards
the equator.

The incredible variety of life here
is hard to take in.

The world's largest collection
of corals

frequented
by over 1,500 species of fish.

It's difficult to comprehend
that a structure so large,

it's even visible from space,

begins with a tiny coral polyp,

a soft-bodied animal related
to jellyfish and sea anemones.

A young polyp begins life
drifting in the ocean.

When it lands in a suitable home,

it attaches itself to the sea bed,

somewhere warm and shallow
with lots of sunshine.

Then the miraculous process
of reef-building begins.

These families of coral polyps

have created a wonder
of magical shapes and colours

over many thousands of years.

And of course, they provide a perfect
home for the countless creatures

living in the tropical seas.

The toxic stinging cells
of the sea anemone

are also an underwater oddity,

for they provide protection
for another small creature,

the iconic clownfish.

This little fish would be easy prey

for the larger predators on the reef,

so it's worked out a way to stay safe

by living between the dangerous
tentacles of a sea anemone.

So, how does it avoid
being stung and eaten

like all the other fish
unfortunate enough to swim this way?

The answer is by being very careful.

When a clownfish first arrives
at a potential anemone home,

it performs a kind of dance,

gently touching
the anemone's tentacles.

This allows the fish
to become accustomed to its stings.

Clownfish also develop
a thick mucous on their skin,

which aids their protection.

Their ability to live where other
fish fear to venture is astounding,

but so too is their ability
to change sex.

Clownfish are all born male.

Once a group is established,

the largest will miraculously
turn into a female

to ensure reproduction continues.

As the dominant individual
in the group,

she becomes capable of laying eggs
for the males to fertilise.

If the female dies,

then the largest remaining male
will step up and change sex

to take her place.

The Great Barrier Reef really is like
an enormous underwater city.

It provides shelter, food,
and company

for whole communities
of extraordinary animals,

and one essential service that
keeps the entire system healthy

is provided at cleaning stations.

These stations are set up
by a handful of unusual creatures,

such as the aptly named
cleaner shrimp...

..who survive by cleaning
and eating dead cells and parasites

from the skin of larger animals.

The local fish know where to go
to get their teeth cleaned,

and so do the local divers.

(UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Cleaner shrimp are so confident,

they will even crawl into the gill
cavities and mouths of big fish

without any fear of being eaten.

Scientists have recently discovered

how crucial cleaning stations are
to the reef.

In sample areas
where cleaner fish were removed,

three quarters of the fish population
disappeared.

It's assumed that many reef creatures

would quickly succumb to disease
and ill health

if they were not regularly cleaned.

So, it's no wonder
these are popular places.

The number of visitors
at any one cleaning station

could be well over 2,000 per day.

And with up to 1,200 parasites
being removed

in a single fish cleaning session,

it's a wonder these tiny shrimp
can keep up with the demand.

(STIRRING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

The Great Barrier Reef
is perhaps best known

for its profusion
of small colourful fish.

Great schools of anthias
catch the sun

in shades of peach and gold.

Exotically named individuals

like angelfish, sweetlip,
and damselfish

swim gracefully through
the branching corals.

The reef also provides a home
for strange creatures

like barrel sponges and giant clams.

Many of the islands
that rise from the reef

are fringed by idyllic,
icing sugarlike beaches...

..created by a creature in the sea,
the bumphead parrotfish.

This is the world's
largest parrotfish,

and its favourite food is coral.

It uses the massive bump on its head
to knock off big chunks of coral,

and its beaklike mouth
to crush and consume the spoils.

The fish is actually only interested

in the polyps and algae
inside the coral,

but to get that takes a bit of work.

The crushed coral skeleton
is then excreted as waste -

waste that washes up onto atolls
such as this as sand.

Yes, that deliciously soft powder
beneath your toes

is mostly made from parrotfish poo.

(STIRRING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Studies in the Maldives have shown
that 85% of the sand there

has come from
the rear end of parrotfish.

(JAUNTY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

One type of fish that's well designed

for living in inaccessible places
on the reef is the moray eel.

(JAUNTY MUSIC CONTINUES)

These impressive fish
can grow to three metres long

and be as thick as a human waist.

Despite these intimidating
dimensions,

moray eels are not aggressive
to humans.

Divers can come across morays

in tropical and temperate waters
around the globe,

but northern Australia
has 15 different species

of this spectacular eel.

It takes about 20 years for these
eels to reach their full size.

As this time approaches,
many of them turn into females.

Within a month of mating, however,
they will lay their eggs and die.

One remarkable species of eel

was only discovered when scuba diving
became popular.

These eels live out on the open sand,

so they've developed a unique method
of remaining inconspicuous

despite their obvious exposure.

They simply pretend
they're a field of seagrass.

Spotted garden eels
live in huge colonies

on sunlit patches of the sea floor.

Their range extends across
the Indian Ocean to Africa,

and up the Western Pacific to Japan.

To feed,
they rise out of their burrows

and sway in the ocean currents,

taking in zooplankton as they go.

If alarmed, the eels instantly
retreat into the seabed,

and the sand appears
as if no-one was ever there.

(JAUNTY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

NARRATOR: The world's oceans are home
to seven marine turtle species.

One of the largest, the loggerhead,

can tolerate the colder oceans
of northern Europe

and the South Atlantic.

They can be found anywhere

except the extreme conditions
of the North and South Pole.

They prefer coastal areas,

but are often spotted travelling
way out to sea.

Hawksbill turtles avoid deep waters,

and are usually found
in the warm seas near coral reefs,

where their favourite food, sponges,
grows in large numbers.

Their dramatic serrated shell
and birdlike beak

makes them easy to identify.

The gentle green turtle
is the most prolific and widespread.

They live in and around the tropics,
including Hawaii.

Green turtles are not alarmed
by divers,

so it's often possible
to swim right up to them

to get a really close encounter.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

All marine turtles begin life
in an egg buried in the sand.

Their mothers make the laborious
journey up the beach to dig a nest.

Once she begins laying,
she enters a trancelike state,

where nothing, not even onlookers,
will disrupt the job at hand.

100 to 200 eggs later,
depending on the species,

mum covers the pit completely,
then returns back to the sea.

In the course of a season,

a female green turtle may do this
five or six times.

Set and forget,
and if all goes according to plan...

..six to eight weeks later,

newly hatched turtles
will begin to emerge.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

(HAUNTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

As they make their way to the ocean,
they run a veritable gauntlet,

hoping to avoid predation by crabs
hiding below the sand

and birds wheeling overhead.

Once they enter the water,
it's game on,

for hordes of hungry fish
and ravenous sharks

are patrolling the shallows.

The odds of surviving are
stacked against the hatchlings.

Fewer than one in 1,000 survive,

but if this little turtle
can make it through the breakers

and out to the open sea,

its chances of surviving
to adulthood are good.

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

The years between hatching
and reaching maturity

are known as the lost years,

for scientists are still trying
to work out where they go.

One thing's for certain, however.

They have an inbuilt natural GPS

that will guide them back to
the same area where they were born

when they are ready
to breed themselves.

Turtle populations around the world

have taken a hammering
over the years.

They're regularly killed
in discarded nets

that drift silently through
the sea...

..or starve to death after mistaking
plastic shopping bags for jellyfish.

Adding to their 21st-century woes,
climate change.

For the time being, however,
turtles are still with us,

and encountering these
ancient mariners in the ocean

remains an inspirational,
uplifting experience.

(MYSTICAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

The island
of Eil Malk,

in the Pacific
nation of Palau,

is both beautiful
and remote...

..and it affords one of the most
ethereal animal encounters on Earth.

The lifeforms that have developed
here are truly mesmerising.

Golden jellyfish.

The reason
people can safely swim here

is that the jellyfish
are not able to sting.

Although the lake is saline,

these jellyfish have been cut off
from the sea for over 10,000 years.

No open sea means no predators,

and no predators means
no need for defences.

These jellyfish have well and truly
let their guard down,

and have gradually lost
their ability to sting.

The lake was formed
when global sea levels rose

after the last ice age.

It's still connected to the
neighbouring lagoon by three tunnels,

so water washes in here
with every high tide.

Around eight million jellyfish live
here when conditions are optimal.

At last count,
there were only about 600,000,

but that's still a heck of a lot
of jellyfish to contend with.

No-one knows exactly why,

but rainfall here is the lowest
it's been in 65 years.

As a result, the lake's salinity
levels are the highest on record.

It's too early for scientists to tell

whether the reduced jellyfish numbers

are a natural fluctuation
or a result of climate change.

The last population crash
was in the 1990s

after an El Nino event...

..and the good news is
the jellyfish bounced back.

Everyone here in Palau is hopeful
the same thing will happen again.

Of all the animal encounters possible
in the marine environment,

this one never fails to delight,

causing many to spontaneously
laugh out loud underwater.

(GENTLE TINKLING MUSIC)

Australian sealions may be one
of the rarest species in the ocean,

but these adolescent pups
don't seem too concerned at all.

They just want to play.

These sublime animals

live just off
a remote beach

on the Great
Australian Bight

called Baird Bay.

The water can be cold,
but if you're prepared to brave it,

the welcome you'll receive
is very warm indeed.

There are only three rules
to enjoying an encounter

without upsetting
the balance of nature.

No sunscreen, no touching,
and no chasing.

Sealions differ from seals
in two big ways.

They have external ear flaps,

and they can walk
on their back flippers,

using their front ones
to prop them upright.

There are only about
12,000 Australian sealions

left in the world,

but the local population here
at Baird Bay is thriving.

Since legislation
has ensured their protection,

numbers have increased threefold.

Another spot in the southern oceans
famous for its marine mammals

lies on the other side
of the Tasman Sea in New Zealand.

Its standout feature,

apart from the sheer beauty
of the place above the waterline,

is a gaping canyon just offshore,

and it's a daunting 3km deep.

Kaikoura is a former
whaling station

north of
Christchurch

on the South Island of New Zealand.

The name means "crayfish food"
in the local Maori language,

and that provides a clue
to the unusual abundance

of sea life found here.

The immense underwater canyon
below these waves

is rich with krill
and other plankton.

This, in turn,
draws other sea animals

all the way up the food chain.

Some of the noisiest
come here to breed.

Fur seals.

One male commands a harem
of about 40 females,

and he'll make a serious song and
dance about keeping them for himself.

It's a hard life
for a female fur seal.

They give birth, and almost
immediately fall pregnant again,

and year after year, they return
to Kaikoura to repeat the cycle.

Of equal interest to animal lovers
is the sperm whale.

The animal with the largest brain
of any creature known to have lived.

Its tail fluke
is over four metres across,

driving these enormous animals along
at nearly 40km per hour.

This is one of the few places
in the world

where sperm whales can be seen
so close to shore.

NARRATOR: If size really matters
when it comes to animal encounters,

then you really can't overlook
the blue whale,

the largest animal in the ocean.

In fact, it's the largest animal
that has ever lived.

There are two world-renowned places
for seeing them.

One is the Monterey Canyon,

off the coast of California,
in the USA,

the other is the east coast
of Australia.

Between May
and November,

these iconic animals
migrate along the coastline.

They're travelling from the rich food
sources in the Antarctic

to warmer waters for breeding.

To see one in the wild
is an unforgettable experience,

even from the air.

Fully grown blue whales
are roughly 30 metres long.

Their heart alone is as big as a car,

and yet they feed exclusively
on krill,

tiny shrimplike organisms that have
a colossal significance in the sea,

forming the basis
for many marine food webs.

Apart from being the biggest animals
on the planet,

blue whales
are also one of the loudest.

They communicate using low groans,
grunts, and pulsing sounds...

..and they can hear each other
from 1,600km away.

Humpback whales are a far easier
species to encounter in the wild

in glorious places such as this.

The Inside Passage is a well known
coastal route

that weaves its way
through the islands

on the Pacific Coast
of North America.

Humpbacks will outperform

just about any other whale species
in the ocean...

..and are regularly seen
waving their fins

as if to attract attention,

or breaching clean out of the sea.

They are a migratory species,
and travel further than most,

feeding in Antarctica
in the summer months

before heading to warmer climes
to breed.

They are thought to live
up to 50 years,

and the age of a whale can be
measured in much the same way

foresters are able to age trees.

When scientists
discover a dead whale,

they remove the waxy plugs
from its ears

and simply count the number of rings.

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

The Kingdom of Tonga,
a collection of 170 islands

lying right
in the middle

of the vast
Pacific Ocean,

offers
an even closer

encounter
with whales.

Hundreds of humpbacks
choose to come here every year

to raise their young.

From July through to November,

the humpback females stay here
to give birth

and nurture their calves.

The females fast
while they are nursing young,

who greedily consume up to 600 litres
of thick rich milk a day...

..and they don't seem to be bothered
by humans dropping in for a visit.

It's a truly magical
marine experience.

Mothers and their young
swim close together,

often touching each other
with their flippers

as a sign of affection.

It will take ten years
for these calves to be fully grown,

and they will stay close to
their mothers for much of this time.

(SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

It is clear we humans pose less
of a threat to animals underwater

than we do above it.

We swim slowly,

and of course, we can't stay forever
in their ocean realm.

We would appear to be a curiosity,

rather than a threat
to marine animals,

so they often allow us
to get much closer to them

than land animals do...

..and that, in essence,
is what makes marine encounters

some of the most spectacular
wildlife experiences of all.

Captioned by Ai-Media
ai-media.tv