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NARRATOR: Somewhere in the far reaches
of the Indian Ocean,
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a remote island withstands the elements:
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00:00:15,294 --> 00:00:16,854
Christmas Island.
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For those who travel across the ocean,
it provides a safe resting place.
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For others,
it has become a life-giving home.
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Christmas Island is famous
for its red land crabs,
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which migrate in their millions to spawn.
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But its true king is of a different kind.
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The robber crab.
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A giant, living up to a hundred years old,
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with a leg-span
reaching over three feet long.
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Their path to power is an epic journey.
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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Christmas Island is the peak
of a volcanic seamount
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which rose three miles high
from the ocean floor.
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The island was named
by the British captain William Mynors,
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who discovered it on Christmas Day
in 1643.
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♪ ♪
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It belongs to Australia,
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although that continent lays
more than 600 miles further southeast.
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The island's 45-mile coastline
is an almost continuous sea cliff.
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♪ ♪
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The shallow waters
bordering Christmas Island
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attract large numbers
of marine inhabitants.
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Coral reefs provide shelter
for many species.
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♪ ♪
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This is where robber crabs
begin their lives,
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as planktonic larvae.
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Only a few will make it
through the first weeks.
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There are many mouths on this reef.
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Including the corals themselves.
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♪ ♪
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Of the young that survive the coral,
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many are lost to strong sea currents and
storms that batter the rugged coastline.
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After two months at sea,
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the few remaining larvae crawl ashore,
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ready to begin their life on land.
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♪ ♪
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This young robber
is about three years old,
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far from being grown up.
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He's hungry and can detect food
from long distances.
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This coconut's irresistible fragrance
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hasn't only caught the attention
of this young robber.
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But of a giant...
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♪ ♪
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...whose claws
could crush him in an instant.
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♪ ♪
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At up to eight pounds,
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male robbers are the largest
land invertebrates on Earth.
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But he should be safe in here.
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♪ ♪
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A grown robber
can open a coconut with ease.
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It's only the fibrous husk
that slows them down.
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♪ ♪
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This obsession with coconuts has
earned them the nickname coconut crabs.
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♪ ♪
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Hidden away,
the little robber still isn't safe.
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♪ ♪
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This neighborhood's just too rough!
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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Leaving the coast behind,
the forest becomes his new home.
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♪ ♪
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Strange creatures share this foreign land
filled with dense undergrowth.
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♪ ♪
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He'll have to get used to
the sight of one species.
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Red crabs.
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They're everywhere!
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Fifty million of them roam the island.
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♪ ♪
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Red crabs are generally considered
harmless vegetarians.
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However, they do like to
complement their menu with small animals.
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The young robber would be ideal.
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He should stay away from those claws,
at least while he's small.
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♪ ♪
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Hunger drives the young robber forward.
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Finally, about 66 feet above,
a breadfruit.
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For him, out of reach.
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A pack of flying foxes have
already discovered the delicacy.
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These messy eaters
turn out to be a stroke of luck.
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But beware,
not only food falls from the sky.
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The flying foxes are the last
remaining mammals on Christmas Island.
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The other bats, native rodents and shrews
that once existed here
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couldn't survive
with the arrival of humans
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and the creatures they brought with them.
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For the longest time,
the island remained uninhabited.
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It was only when phosphate was discovered
in the soil that a mine opened.
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Today the island has
about 1,800 residents.
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With just a few crops that survive here,
so most of the food comes by boat.
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00:08:32,350 --> 00:08:36,030
And unloading it
can sometimes get a little shaky...
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...without the security of a safe harbor.
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♪ ♪
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(bird squawking)
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Before people came to the island,
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only creatures with the ability
to cross oceans could settle here.
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Most notably, birds.
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Abbott's boobies nest
in the highest rain forest trees.
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Red-footed boobies are attentive parents,
and chicks grow quickly on a diet of fish.
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But it can be a hazardous home.
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♪ ♪
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The Pisonia tree requires
more of its feathered friends
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than only the nutrient-rich
bird droppings.
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Once a year, the Pisonia tree
produces sticky, barbed seeds
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that cover the forest floor
in a dense carpet.
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Harmless to crabs,
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a death trap for others.
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♪ ♪
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Their minute hooks stick to feathers,
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and seabirds become unwitting couriers,
spreading the seeds far and wide.
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♪ ♪
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But the Pisonia's strategy
doesn't always pay off.
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This young booby is so smothered in seeds,
it's impossible to take flight.
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♪ ♪
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A second young bird
lands on the forest floor.
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She finds herself in
a mine field of sticky seeds.
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Every step could lead to disaster.
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She needs to get off the ground
as fast as possible.
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♪ ♪
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An elevated launch pad
is her only chance of escape.
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♪ ♪
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She's in luck!
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But the fate of the other booby is sealed.
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NARRATOR: A robber crab is after
delicacies of a different kind.
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His keen sense of smell has picked up
the scent of arenga palm fruit.
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(bird cooing)
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00:11:44,790 --> 00:11:47,910
The palm relies on birds
like imperial pigeons
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to spread its seeds around the island.
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But robber crabs are thieves
by name and nature.
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Skilled at taking
what doesn't belong to them.
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At around 30 years of age,
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this male is still far from fully grown.
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He's late to the feast.
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00:12:14,986 --> 00:12:18,506
Competitors are already devouring
the delicious berries.
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00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,080
Their pincers,
capable of bending metal pipes,
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carefully pick up the scattered fruits.
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00:12:29,945 --> 00:12:32,929
The crabs can barely see
what they're grasping,
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but the tips of their claws
are extremely sensitive.
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♪ ♪
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It's not long before the palm thieves
have completely stripped the forest floor.
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♪ ♪
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Latecomers are ruthlessly pushed away
by the biggest crabs.
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(bird cooing)
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00:13:05,767 --> 00:13:08,281
It's all a matter of size.
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00:13:09,036 --> 00:13:11,796
Those that don't want to risk
an amputated limb
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should keep their distance.
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00:13:17,844 --> 00:13:20,578
But a daring maneuver
could push the newcomer
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to the front of the line.
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The palm has a near-vertical trunk.
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♪ ♪
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But he's still small enough
and light enough to try climbing.
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♪ ♪
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His goal hangs about 50 feet up.
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The smooth trunk makes it a challenge.
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And to make matters worse,
the palm sways in the wind.
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The robber would not survive
a fall from this height.
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♪ ♪
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But with great risk comes great reward.
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The crafty male has the pick of the crop.
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♪ ♪
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His only problem now
is how to get down again.
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Cumulus clouds announce the beginning
of the rainy season.
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On average, more than six feet of rain
falls on Christmas Island each year.
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A welcome relief for frigate birds.
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But a serious problem for animals
whose nest is made of paper.
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The wasps do their best
to prevent water damage.
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The eggs and larvae could drown
inside their chambers.
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Turning their bodies into miniature pumps,
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the wasps dry their nest,
one drop at a time.
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(thunder rumbling)
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♪ ♪
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Eventually the rain stops.
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♪ ♪
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And the parched forests are revived.
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♪ ♪
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Mushrooms sprout from rotting wood
on the forest floor.
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Their fluorescent glow attracts insects
that spread their spores.
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♪ ♪
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The penetrable soil
stores very little rainwater.
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Only in a few places
do ponds and streams develop.
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These are ideal conditions
for the iconic red crabs.
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NARRATOR: It's the start of the wet season
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and the rain-soaked forest floor
lures the red crabs out of their dens.
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♪ ♪
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00:17:25,059 --> 00:17:29,299
One of the largest animal migrations
on Earth is about to begin.
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00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:34,953
♪ ♪
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The red crabs' destination is the coast,
where they will mate and spawn.
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On their way, they eat
everything they can find.
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The hungry hordes clean up as they go.
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♪ ♪
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Moist, shady valleys
become migration passageways,
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protecting the crabs from the sun.
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00:18:01,418 --> 00:18:06,078
But here, there are bandits
waiting in ambush.
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00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:12,600
♪ ♪
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00:18:20,260 --> 00:18:23,437
More and more crabs gather in the valley.
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00:18:26,747 --> 00:18:32,747
♪ ♪
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00:18:36,147 --> 00:18:38,747
Like bears in a river full of salmon,
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00:18:38,820 --> 00:18:41,940
the robber crabs wait for their prey
to come to them.
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00:18:42,035 --> 00:18:47,155
♪ ♪
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00:18:47,180 --> 00:18:48,700
But unlike bears,
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00:18:49,398 --> 00:18:52,343
they are hopeless hunters.
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00:18:54,282 --> 00:18:55,642
Slow...
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00:18:57,689 --> 00:18:59,992
and impatient.
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00:19:01,375 --> 00:19:07,375
♪ ♪
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00:19:07,861 --> 00:19:12,461
♪ ♪
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00:19:13,506 --> 00:19:16,406
It's an awkward hunt.
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00:19:26,632 --> 00:19:30,872
But when an attack succeeds,
there's no escape.
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00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:36,480
(shell cracks)
209
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:42,880
(shell cracks)
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00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,560
Although individuals pay a deadly price,
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00:19:52,648 --> 00:19:55,968
the loss to the red crab population
is minor.
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00:20:11,820 --> 00:20:14,700
The migration soon meets
its next obstacle.
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00:20:17,859 --> 00:20:19,499
Roads!
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00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,640
In the past, millions of crabs
were run over.
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00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,840
Today they enjoy a more privileged status.
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00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,640
For a few days of the year,
red has right of way.
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00:20:34,253 --> 00:20:38,144
♪ ♪
218
00:20:38,865 --> 00:20:43,905
It's a luxury that would benefit
robber crabs seeking their next coconut.
219
00:20:53,642 --> 00:20:57,316
Even though robber crabs
are protected on Christmas Island,
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00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,000
roadkill is still a major problem.
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00:21:11,187 --> 00:21:15,867
Up to 1,000 robbers die each year
on the island's few roadways.
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00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:18,760
(flies buzzing)
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00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:25,800
♪ ♪
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00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:34,300
But one man is trying to make
the roads safer for these ambling giants.
225
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,520
Park Ranger Jason Turl.
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00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,174
JASON: We are looking for robber crabs
that have been hit by cars,
227
00:21:44,199 --> 00:21:47,920
and, uh, we do a count on the road
mortality of robber crabs
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00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,152
crossing the roads.
229
00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:54,440
What we need to do
is just take our time on the roads.
230
00:21:55,433 --> 00:22:01,433
♪ ♪
231
00:22:02,339 --> 00:22:06,699
NARRATOR: Unfortunately, dead crabs
are a common sight for Jason.
232
00:22:08,708 --> 00:22:14,910
It really, um, upsets me, um, personally
seeing these old guys hit by cars,
233
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,680
because they have spent so long...
234
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,560
You get some guys
living up to a hundred years,
235
00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:22,920
and, you know, they have seen
the world wars
236
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,400
and they have seen much more
in their lifetime than I have,
237
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,000
and it's, you know, very sad to see
something that's had such a long life
238
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,933
to be brought down
by something like a car.
239
00:22:36,261 --> 00:22:38,800
NARRATOR: Jason removes the dead animals,
240
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:43,464
so that the scent of decay
doesn't lure other robbers on the road.
241
00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:56,160
Finally, a pink marker reminds drivers
to be more careful in the future.
242
00:23:01,449 --> 00:23:07,409
For the red crabs migrating to the coast,
one last obstacle awaits.
243
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,240
The forest suddenly gives way
to manicured grass.
244
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:22,183
♪ ♪
245
00:23:22,469 --> 00:23:25,339
The open terrain is unfamiliar territory.
246
00:23:25,980 --> 00:23:31,020
♪ ♪
247
00:23:31,250 --> 00:23:36,170
And who are these two-legged creatures
chasing little white balls?
248
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,667
Normally, the males
would now be digging courtship burrows.
249
00:23:44,831 --> 00:23:50,280
♪ ♪
250
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,074
It's impossible in this traffic.
251
00:23:58,776 --> 00:24:04,378
♪ ♪
252
00:24:09,469 --> 00:24:15,069
For the golfers, the crab migration is
nothing more than an additional handicap,
253
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,120
which soon drifts on towards the sea.
254
00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,400
NARRATOR: Once the fairways
have been successfully navigated,
255
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,400
the hard work really begins for the males.
256
00:24:34,721 --> 00:24:40,721
♪ ♪
257
00:24:41,419 --> 00:24:46,011
Only those with perfect breeding dens
will secure the chance to mate.
258
00:24:46,667 --> 00:24:51,878
♪ ♪
259
00:24:59,204 --> 00:25:02,404
The forest floor resembles
a construction site,
260
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,240
as soil is tilled and excavated.
261
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:12,360
For a few days the usual peaceful crabs
will become aggressive fighters.
262
00:25:12,776 --> 00:25:18,176
♪ ♪
263
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:28,240
The brawling sessions end suddenly,
with the arrival of the females.
264
00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:33,600
Mating is tender, face to face,
with 20 legs coiled.
265
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,600
♪ ♪
266
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,880
A public display of affection
attracts unwanted attention.
267
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:46,040
♪ ♪
268
00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:49,720
Mating complete,
the females retreat into the new dens,
269
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,760
until their eggs have matured.
270
00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:57,840
♪ ♪
271
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,480
In the human world,
there's also reason to celebrate.
272
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,760
It's the birthday of the Taoist deity
Kang Tian Tai Di.
273
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:16,840
♪ ♪
274
00:26:17,443 --> 00:26:20,222
(indistinct chattering)
275
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,910
But not all guests are welcome.
276
00:26:24,283 --> 00:26:30,283
♪ ♪
277
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,560
Only when night falls and all is quiet
278
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,880
does this burglar make his move.
279
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:48,960
♪ ♪
280
00:26:50,330 --> 00:26:53,511
Coconut cakes
have been left as an offering.
281
00:26:53,636 --> 00:26:58,400
♪ ♪
282
00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,280
And that's just what this thief is after.
283
00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:08,360
♪ ♪
284
00:27:11,411 --> 00:27:15,230
Getting up onto the altar
is a challenge in itself.
285
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:20,378
This smash-and-grab
isn't going the way he'd planned.
286
00:27:26,188 --> 00:27:34,089
♪ ♪
287
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,480
Well, he already knows one way down.
288
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:45,560
♪ ♪
289
00:27:56,160 --> 00:28:00,440
It's the perfect crime, robber crab style.
290
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,960
A month has passed
since the red crabs mated.
291
00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:19,600
On the coast, one of nature's
greatest spectacles is about to unfold.
292
00:28:24,162 --> 00:28:27,242
The females now leave
the safety of the forest.
293
00:28:31,591 --> 00:28:35,449
Each animal carries
up to 100,000 miniature eggs.
294
00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,040
More and more females gather on the coast,
295
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,960
ready to release their eggs
into the ocean.
296
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,800
Spawning is risky business.
297
00:28:54,074 --> 00:28:55,760
Being land dwellers,
298
00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,280
red crabs have lost the ability
to breathe underwater
299
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,360
and can easily drown.
300
00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,880
The safest time to spawn
is on the gentle neap tide
301
00:29:11,987 --> 00:29:14,267
determined by the moon phase.
302
00:29:14,883 --> 00:29:17,243
It's the calmest sea of the month.
303
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:20,640
Time is short.
304
00:29:20,665 --> 00:29:25,065
Those who wait too long
risk being caught by the rising sun.
305
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:30,320
♪ ♪
306
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,040
Most crabs spawn in just one night.
307
00:29:34,955 --> 00:29:40,955
♪ ♪
308
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,640
The first females
brave the treacherous waters.
309
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,640
It's time to get jiggy.
310
00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:57,720
♪ ♪
311
00:29:57,800 --> 00:29:59,760
(muffled music)
312
00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:03,480
♪ ♪
313
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:07,720
Hands in the air
and wave them like you just don't care.
314
00:30:07,745 --> 00:30:11,745
The girls shake their booties
until every last egg is free.
315
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:18,700
♪ ♪
316
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:25,720
(muffled music)
317
00:30:36,997 --> 00:30:39,902
The eggs hatch the moment
they touch seawater,
318
00:30:40,041 --> 00:30:42,881
freeing the tiny larvae inside.
319
00:30:44,914 --> 00:30:49,234
For the next three to four weeks,
they'll drift on the current as plankton.
320
00:30:50,470 --> 00:30:53,535
Only a few larvae survive the hungry reef
321
00:30:53,928 --> 00:30:56,608
and its many mouths.
322
00:30:56,633 --> 00:30:59,633
But some years, a miracle happens.
323
00:31:02,687 --> 00:31:06,613
The beach is swamped
by a gelatinous red tide,
324
00:31:06,644 --> 00:31:10,044
millions upon millions of tiny crabs.
325
00:31:10,241 --> 00:31:14,761
The babies have returned home,
ready to begin their life on land.
326
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:20,550
♪ ♪
327
00:31:20,575 --> 00:31:25,455
There are so many this year
that the entire coast turns red.
328
00:31:25,947 --> 00:31:31,147
A marvel of nature,
on a level that's rarely ever seen.
329
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:37,360
♪ ♪
330
00:31:44,491 --> 00:31:48,051
NARRATOR: The small crabs
don't quite look like their parents yet.
331
00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,680
(birds chirping)
332
00:31:55,025 --> 00:31:57,386
But that's about to change,
333
00:31:57,425 --> 00:32:00,585
as the babies seek shelter
in small crevices.
334
00:32:06,596 --> 00:32:08,996
They molt into their adult form,
335
00:32:09,138 --> 00:32:12,978
and their old skin is eaten
to recover the nutrients.
336
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:18,880
♪ ♪
337
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,360
With tough new armor, they're now ready
to face the challenges of the world.
338
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,200
Like a red invasion,
they cover trees and roots.
339
00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:38,280
♪ ♪
340
00:32:42,740 --> 00:32:47,100
The forest-dwellers are overwhelmed
by this living flood.
341
00:32:47,180 --> 00:32:52,940
♪ ♪
342
00:32:53,020 --> 00:32:56,620
For the first time,
they encounter their largest enemy.
343
00:33:00,355 --> 00:33:05,395
But the greatest danger is from animals
even smaller than themselves,
344
00:33:06,303 --> 00:33:07,933
ants.
345
00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:16,320
Yellow crazy ants arrived
years ago as stowaways on ships
346
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,920
and have since spread
across most of the island.
347
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:27,120
It only takes a single ant
to kill a baby crab.
348
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:34,840
But by working together,
the ants can kill with deadly efficiency.
349
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,360
It's an unfair fight with only one winner.
350
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:47,440
Some years,
almost all the baby crabs are killed.
351
00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:52,880
But this time, their numbers
are so overwhelming
352
00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,320
that even the ants can't stop them.
353
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,240
The ants shouldn't pose much danger
to a fully grown robber crab.
354
00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:10,280
♪ ♪
355
00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,080
He's about 800,000 times larger
than a crazy ant,
356
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,040
and he's just passing by.
357
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:22,920
♪ ♪
358
00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:28,480
Yet size means nothing to ants
defending their colony from an intruder.
359
00:34:32,720 --> 00:34:36,960
It seems like the tiny insects
are fighting against the odds.
360
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:40,960
But the crazy ants' true strength
lies in numbers.
361
00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:45,640
The first attackers emit a scent
that signals for backup.
362
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:51,280
The reinforcements spray formic acid
from their abdomens,
363
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:53,840
targeting the leg joints and eyes.
364
00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,600
Increasingly blind,
the robber crab loses orientation.
365
00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,160
Wherever he goes, ants are waiting.
366
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,560
He's stuck in the middle
of a super colony.
367
00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:15,880
♪ ♪
368
00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,200
His fate is sealed.
369
00:35:21,022 --> 00:35:27,022
♪ ♪
370
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:30,360
(flies buzzing)
371
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:35,120
The proud king becomes a feast
for an insatiable army.
372
00:35:35,497 --> 00:35:41,377
♪ ♪
373
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,320
Adult red crabs are killed
in even larger numbers.
374
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:56,280
Tanya Detto from the National Park
is trying to stop the crazy ant invasion.
375
00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:00,960
Red crabs play a huge role
in the health of the whole ecosystem,
376
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,600
so as soon as the red crabs are wiped out,
377
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,000
it has a big impact
on the forest structure.
378
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,400
NARRATOR: Without crabs
to eat seeds and seedlings,
379
00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,480
the forest grows wild.
380
00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:17,920
The ants lived here for a long time
in relative peace,
381
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,760
but that changed
with the arrival of another stowaway.
382
00:36:22,105 --> 00:36:25,225
Scale insects, resembling small buds,
383
00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:30,520
feast on plant sap
and excrete the excess as sugary honeydew.
384
00:36:30,722 --> 00:36:34,400
These sweet secretions
fuel the crazy ants' rampage,
385
00:36:34,644 --> 00:36:37,840
allowing them to form
their immense super colonies.
386
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:43,920
♪ ♪
387
00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,160
Tanya and her colleagues
388
00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:49,720
believe they've found an effective weapon
against the ants.
389
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:54,480
(gunshot)
390
00:37:01,240 --> 00:37:02,440
(gunshot)
391
00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:09,720
We're not shooting ants,
we're shooting down some branches,
392
00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,400
where we find these scale insects,
which are what the ants feed on.
393
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,680
So we're hoping to try and control
the ants by controlling these scales.
394
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:21,400
NARRATOR: But how do you combat
tiny insects in a jungle this dense?
395
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:32,520
NARRATOR: Inside dozens of small vessels
are microscopic wasps.
396
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:38,600
♪ ♪
397
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,960
In the coming months and years,
Tanya will breed them in her lab.
398
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,400
The wasps have a parasitic lifestyle.
399
00:37:57,680 --> 00:37:59,800
Using a needle-like ovipositor,
400
00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:03,360
females inject their eggs
into the scale insects.
401
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:11,600
Like a sci-fi horror film,
the baby wasps hatch within
402
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:19,040
and eat their host from the inside out,
killing the scale in the process.
403
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,440
To ensure a successful release,
404
00:38:25,558 --> 00:38:29,518
Tanya has bred thousands of wasps
in a special greenhouse.
405
00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,040
Now, the time has come.
406
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,880
The baby wasps are transferred
inside their scale hosts,
407
00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,000
and raised high into the canopy.
408
00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,560
Here, they'll hatch and find
new scale insects to infect.
409
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,840
The health of the entire ecosystem
depends on the success of this project.
410
00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:57,800
A great responsibility for a tiny wasp.
411
00:39:02,853 --> 00:39:06,653
Meanwhile, the robber crabs
have retreated underground.
412
00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:12,560
It's breeding season.
413
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,880
A female carefully approaches
a much larger male.
414
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,280
In the shelter of the cave, they'll mate,
415
00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:30,720
and she will spend the next few weeks
underground, until her eggs mature.
416
00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,160
The high humidity
and the constant temperatures
417
00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:40,000
are ideal for the development
of robber crab eggs.
418
00:39:40,738 --> 00:39:45,320
♪ ♪
419
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,480
Embryos are growing,
dutifully protected by their mother.
420
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,360
Others also use the cave
to raise their young.
421
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,880
At first glance they look like bats.
422
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:03,760
But they're actually birds.
423
00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:08,640
Christmas Island swiftlets
use sticky saliva
424
00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:12,080
to attach their palm fiber nests
to the cave ceiling.
425
00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:17,680
They remain faithful
to their nesting sites for generations.
426
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,600
Mosquitoes hide in the dark,
427
00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:26,760
stealing the blood of nesting adults
and vulnerable chicks,
428
00:40:27,421 --> 00:40:32,066
to in turn invest this energy
into their own offspring.
429
00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:37,000
♪ ♪
430
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,240
For the mother robber crab,
it's time to leave the cave.
431
00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:57,880
It's been five weeks,
and her eggs are ready to hatch.
432
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:04,920
Like the red crabs,
she'll entrust her offspring to the sea.
433
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,280
But her journey is far more dangerous.
434
00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:17,800
An army of razor-sharp rocks
block her way to the water,
435
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,440
and the sun beats down mercilessly.
436
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:28,520
♪ ♪
437
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:36,680
The ocean's energy violently explodes
from cracks in the limestone,
438
00:41:37,491 --> 00:41:39,091
filling the air with salt.
439
00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:45,320
♪ ♪
440
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:48,816
To cross now would be too risky.
441
00:41:48,964 --> 00:41:54,520
♪ ♪
442
00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:10,920
Only when the sun loses its power
443
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,360
will the female begin her mission.
444
00:42:21,466 --> 00:42:25,306
She navigates her way with ease
through the maze of stones.
445
00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,600
Their sharp edges
don't seem to bother her.
446
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:42,560
♪ ♪
447
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:46,280
At last,
she reaches the edge of the island.
448
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:50,560
For her, the very edge of the world.
449
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:56,640
♪ ♪
450
00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:03,120
Risking everything, she begins
the death-defying descent to the water.
451
00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:08,440
♪ ♪
452
00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:11,960
In constant danger
of being swallowed by the waves,
453
00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,520
she starts to loosen the egg packages.
454
00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:20,600
♪ ♪
455
00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:24,280
Pounding swells do the rest.
456
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:29,200
This is the most dangerous moment
of a female robber crab's life.
457
00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:35,480
♪ ♪
458
00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:41,480
Her offspring
are now at the mercy of the sea.
459
00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:47,560
♪ ♪
460
00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:54,520
The cycle begins anew.
461
00:43:55,720 --> 00:43:59,760
Only a few young crabs
will make it back to Christmas Island.
462
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:09,378
Their safe home
in the expanse of the Indian Ocean.
34276
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