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Chiseled from the land by the power
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of the ice age.
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Bringing seawater deeper
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than the surrounding mountains are tall.
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Drawing the mysterious creatures
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of the dark ocean far inland.
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Fjords are one of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
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But for all their beauty and majesty,
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the surface spectacle is just the tip
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of the iceberg.
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Fjords stand witness to some of the great natural wonders
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of the world.
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(dramatic music)
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A legacy from the ice age, fjords remain in some
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of the colder parts of the world.
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Here, winters are harsh.
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This is wildlife, red in tooth and claw.
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A wild place where only the toughest survive.
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A deer failed to weather the storm.
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It's loss is a gain to many scavengers
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that descend from the skies.
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Crows squabble over the remains.
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The flock parts when bigger diners arrive.
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The majestic sea eagles are capable hunters,
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but in these bleak conditions make the most
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of the easy meal.
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Displaced crows clean their beaks.
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Yet to develop the pale head of its parents,
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a young sea eagle has a particularly fiery temper,
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it has little tolerance for the crow's antics.
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(birds squawking)
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And the menace is added to the menu.
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Their backdrop itself is full of drama.
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During the ice age vast glaciers,
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three kilometers deep sliced
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their way through the tough rock,
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gouging out long channels.
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As the ice retreated seawater moved in.
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Like inland seas, fjords can be vast,
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350 kilometers long and nearly 2,000 meters deep.
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But thanks to the gulf stream
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and their own microclimate the fjords
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of Norway are less cold than the sea,
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providing for wildlife year round.
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As winter descends it becomes a stage
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for one of nature's most dramatic spectacles.
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An insidious looking cloud seeps into the fjord,
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spreading darkness across the sea floor.
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Herring, a shimmering mass of some 10 billion fish.
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They're here for sanctuary.
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When glaciers carved the fjords they carried sand
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and gravel from the mountains
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and deposited them in the mouths of the fjords.
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They act like a natural harbor wall,
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sheltering the waters within.
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For some respite from the fierce winter seas
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the herring stop off on their migration north.
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They don't feed, just rest,
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conserving their energy until the spring
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and their challenging journeys north.
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Such a huge aggregation of fish
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of course attracts fishermen.
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Killer whales.
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The biggest members of the dolphin family,
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the killers share the same intelligence
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and close social bonds.
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They have the brains and the brawn
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to attack as a pack.
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The herring have a strategy of their own.
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They shoal tightly near the seafloor,
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the equivalent of keeping their backs against the wall.
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The pod takes its time.
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Assessing the slowly moving shoal,
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the fish bunch tighter
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but they're playing into the whale's trap.
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They communicate with clicks and whistles.
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Their aim, to drive the herring close to the surface
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and as close together as possible.
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Then the trap is sprung.
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(intense music)
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The whales ride sidesaddle up on the shoal.
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And slap it with their tails.
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The shockwaves from the powerful flukes are so strong
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that they stun dozens of herring.
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And the whales can dine at their leisure.
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The groups are matriarchal, in other words,
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they stay with their mothers and grandmothers for life,
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learning from the wisdom of the older females.
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As the well fed whales move on they leave a wake
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of destruction.
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A shower of herring leftovers rains down on the seabed.
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But in nature nothing goes to waste.
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Any that float are sitting ducks to keen eyed gulls.
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Cod and pollock are quick to join the feast from below.
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The corpses that make it to the seabed leech fish oils
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that draw in other scavengers,
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from the deep.
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Starfish have basic eyes at the ends of each leg,
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but it's the tiny suction cup feet
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that can taste the fish and guide the body.
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Then the starfish pushes some
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of its stomach inside out to secrete digestive acids.
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Making the tough bodied herring easy to consume.
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Nothing goes to waste here,
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tiny particles and oil leached form the bodies rain down
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into the deeper parts of the fjord.
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A dinner gong in the darkness.
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Brittle stars swing in on tentacle like legs,
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with no eyes they rely on chemical receptors in their skin
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to guide their way.
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A lantern shark emerges from the dark.
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A mysterious deep sea species
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that can emit a gentle glow
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that probably helps match any faint light
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from the surface, erasing their shadows.
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They are invisible to predators below.
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Sea urchins hoover the mud,
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surrounded by sea pens that filter bits drifting
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from the current.
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Their fragile bodies are protected by narcotics
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and each polyp on their arms contain tiny stinging cells
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to harpoon prey.
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Each pen looks like a single organism
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but in fact it's a colony of anemone like creatures
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living as one.
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The founding member becomes a bulb like anchor
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to hold the colony in place.
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Their world is a dark one.
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Though under blue light, the sea pens glow.
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Most parts of the light spectrum are absorbed by water.
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The only color, blue, barely penetrates the depths.
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But it's enough to trigger protein activity
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that glows green.
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The pens use this to their advantage.
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If they sense an approaching predator
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they put on a light show.
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The sea pens body's are full of water,
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and by ejecting it they can resort
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to plan B and disappear.
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There are plenty of predators down here.
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A starry smooth-hound patrols the darkness.
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At nearly one and a half meters in length it's a real threat
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to its favorite food,
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crabs and lobsters that are bound on the muddy seafloor.
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The Norwegian lobsters, or langoustine,
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seem more concerned about each other
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than the predators of the deep.
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Better to stick close
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to their burrows when six-gilled sharks cruise through.
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The sluggish colossus is more than twice the size
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of the smooth-hound.
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It will eat pretty much anything it can find,
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even other sharks.
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So the smooth-hound better watch out.
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The calmness of the seabed is quite stable year round,
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even the most fragile
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of creatures can find sanctuary here.
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Helmet jellyfish usually stay deep,
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up to 7,000 meters below sea level.
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They only venture into shallow water at night when
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they can escape the light of day.
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The pigment that gives them the red glow
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reacts with sunlight with lethal effects.
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So the jellies must remain creatures of the shadows.
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But they have freedom to roam the fjords during winter,
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because unlike the open ocean the sheltered waters
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of the fjords will freeze.
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The thin layers of ice filtering out some
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of the harmful rays.
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The ice begins forming around the coast
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and gradually spreads across the open water.
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Even the ice lockdown isn't enough
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to slow the forces of the ocean and moon.
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Every day thousands of tons of ice are lifted
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and lowered by the movement of the tides.
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Because of their ice age history,
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fjords are located in cooler regions
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where the vast ice sheets once formed.
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Spring here comes slowly.
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But life must go on, so despite the sleet
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an eider duck diligently sits on her eggs.
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The nest of eider down beneath
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her will help hold the heat.
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But the temperature will eventually climb,
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and activity levels increase.
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Underwater as well.
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There's not much plant life on the silty seabed
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but it's ideal for molluscs.
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Clams and muscles can dig themselves into the sediment,
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with just a visible tube
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to filter their food from the water.
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But their presence doesn't go unnoticed by brown crabs.
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Their cumbersome pincers are not only good for defense,
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but as earth movers,
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shifting the sand seeking buried treasure.
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The crabs transform the flat moonscape
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into a series of trenches and ridges in their search.
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Their every move is being monitored.
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Bingo, a scallop.
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A reward well worth the effort.
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Digging tools become butcher's knives.
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Breaking into the tough shell
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and tearing away chunks of flesh.
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But they're not the neatest tools,
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fragments of flesh drift away,
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creating a scent trail for others to follow.
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The wrestlers are too busy fight for scraps
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to notice the dab.
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His time has finally come.
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The open water created by retreating ice is a relief
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to harbor porpoises.
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The shy marine mammals come and go
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from the fjords in their never ending search for food.
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(porpoise clicking)
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They're one of the smallest marine mammals,
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small bodies lose more heat to their environment.
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And in these cold waters the porpoises can't afford to rest.
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Fortunately summer is on its way.
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A time of abundance for the creatures of the fjords.
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Snow and ice melt, fueling dramatic waterfalls.
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(upbeat music)
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The rushing water carries minerals
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and nutrients from the hills to the fjords below.
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The strong sunlight seems to serenade new arrivals.
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The eider duck's cold vigil has come to and end.
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She and others like her guide their ducklings
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to the water.
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(ducklings chirping)
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Like all ducklings they are able to walk, swim,
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and feed themselves from the moment of hatching.
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One thing they are not good at is self defense.
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So the mothers flock together,
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merging their clutches into one big creche
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that will be easier to protect.
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There are predators everywhere.
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Many of the ducklings will fall in
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their first few weeks of life.
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And one of the biggest culprits, gulls.
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The elegant, opportunistic sea birds spend a lot
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of their time scavenging.
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But when the right sort of prey comes along
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they can be effective predators.
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The common gull thinks it's in for an easy meal,
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the ducks work together.
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Using powerful wings and crab crushing beaks.
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One of the most powerful forces in nature,
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a mother's protective instinct.
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(dramatic music)
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The gull's lucky, perhaps next time it will think twice.
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While the eiders roughed it through the winter,
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other birds waited for the weather
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to improve before dropping in.
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Knots and other wading birds arrive en masse.
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They're not here to stay,
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instead using the fjord like a highway motel.
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They want a safe place to get a good meal and rest.
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Some have been in the air for days, they're exhausted.
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Feeling safe in the center of a crowd, sleep comes easy.
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The purpose of migration is to follow the sun,
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moving further north where daylight lasts longer.
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The more light, the more productivity,
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which for the birds means more food.
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For most of these migrants the journey has barely begun.
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They want to get inside the arctic circle for the summer,
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but to complete their travel plans they need to refuel.
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And when the tide goes out, the birds move in.
267
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,630
Pores on their delicate beaks can feel the movements
268
00:23:18,630 --> 00:23:20,173
of prey in the soft sand.
269
00:23:22,620 --> 00:23:26,363
Worms, molluscs, and little crustaceans are welcome snacks.
270
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,330
Helping the birds calorie load before
271
00:23:33,330 --> 00:23:34,580
they resume their flight.
272
00:23:56,607 --> 00:24:01,200
When the tide returns any undetected invertebrates emerge,
273
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:02,933
protected by the deeper water.
274
00:24:09,670 --> 00:24:13,103
Each changing tide washes debris on and off the beach,
275
00:24:15,260 --> 00:24:18,173
creating a smorgasbord for grazers and scavengers.
276
00:24:30,643 --> 00:24:34,963
Today the tide reveals both treasure and tragedy.
277
00:24:39,090 --> 00:24:40,173
A dead porpoise.
278
00:24:42,710 --> 00:24:44,143
Every life must end,
279
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,313
and in the fjords nothing goes to waste.
280
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,043
But the death of this porpoise was premature.
281
00:24:55,740 --> 00:24:59,483
As the sun sets, the cause of the casualty is revealed.
282
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:10,643
Both fishermen and porpoises are after the same prey.
283
00:25:22,990 --> 00:25:26,423
Sometimes the porpoises accidentally stray into the nets.
284
00:25:29,790 --> 00:25:32,513
Other times they're drawn in by the fishermen's catch.
285
00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,680
The concentration of fish is too much
286
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,103
for the porpoises to ignore.
287
00:25:47,490 --> 00:25:49,163
But the nets are indiscriminate.
288
00:25:53,030 --> 00:25:56,900
Every year, 10,000 porpoises are drowned by fishing gear
289
00:25:56,900 --> 00:25:59,393
on the fjord lined coast of Norway alone.
290
00:26:19,510 --> 00:26:21,410
It's a drop in the ocean in terms
291
00:26:21,410 --> 00:26:23,740
of the global toll on porpoises
292
00:26:23,740 --> 00:26:25,193
and other marine life.
293
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,110
By the time the fishing fleets return to harbor,
294
00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:33,040
the tide will carry the evidence
295
00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,273
of it's innocent victim to the seabed.
296
00:26:37,750 --> 00:26:40,563
But now the porpoise as new purpose,
297
00:26:41,700 --> 00:26:43,230
it's transferring nutrients
298
00:26:43,230 --> 00:26:45,670
from the productive surface waters
299
00:26:45,670 --> 00:26:47,423
to the food starved depths.
300
00:26:51,301 --> 00:26:55,290
Hagfish, sometimes dubbed slime eels lie in wait
301
00:26:55,290 --> 00:26:57,410
on the sea floor, sometimes going
302
00:26:57,410 --> 00:26:58,743
for months without food.
303
00:27:01,670 --> 00:27:03,633
They are the garbage disposal team.
304
00:27:05,950 --> 00:27:08,760
Their four whiskers sense the meal,
305
00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,693
and keratinous teeth will bore into its flesh.
306
00:27:15,984 --> 00:27:17,860
Hagfish don't have bones,
307
00:27:17,860 --> 00:27:22,033
fossils show that they haven't changed in 300 million years.
308
00:27:23,690 --> 00:27:26,348
And yet these vital and mysterious creatures are,
309
00:27:26,348 --> 00:27:30,240
like the porpoise, threatened with extinction thanks
310
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:31,693
to indiscriminate fishing.
311
00:27:39,657 --> 00:27:41,280
Much of the marine life at depth
312
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,680
is being damaged by human activities
313
00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,253
before it's even been documented by science.
314
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:51,460
The creatures of this cold,
315
00:27:51,460 --> 00:27:54,343
dark world are as mysterious as they are weird.
316
00:28:14,550 --> 00:28:18,970
Sea slugs, aliens on earth are marine snails
317
00:28:18,970 --> 00:28:20,900
that have lost their shells
318
00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:23,923
and replaced them with glowing, toxic tentacles.
319
00:28:32,510 --> 00:28:35,410
Sliding their way over the seafloor the slugs
320
00:28:35,410 --> 00:28:38,310
feed on other creatures like sponges, barnacles,
321
00:28:38,310 --> 00:28:39,273
and jellyfish.
322
00:28:43,570 --> 00:28:45,690
And if they eat something toxic
323
00:28:45,690 --> 00:28:48,320
they're not just immune to the deadly cocktails,
324
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:52,240
they actually use them, moving them into their color frills
325
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:53,883
to help deter predators.
326
00:28:56,900 --> 00:28:58,890
Perhaps that's why they glow,
327
00:28:58,890 --> 00:29:00,353
an early warning system.
328
00:29:10,190 --> 00:29:13,313
The soft bodied slugs import their protection.
329
00:29:14,460 --> 00:29:16,853
But other denizens are wearing it.
330
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,150
Creeping like a giant arachnid the spider crab
331
00:29:23,150 --> 00:29:24,783
lives up to its name.
332
00:29:25,860 --> 00:29:27,220
Its monstrous appearance,
333
00:29:27,220 --> 00:29:29,160
enhanced by algae it attaches
334
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:30,653
to its body for camouflage.
335
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,290
Though it has cousins with five meter leg spans,
336
00:29:42,290 --> 00:29:45,693
the long legged spider crab is diminutive.
337
00:29:49,730 --> 00:29:52,090
It's another seabed scavenger,
338
00:29:52,090 --> 00:29:54,193
and stumbles on some fish remains.
339
00:29:55,030 --> 00:29:57,790
But stirring up food releases tempting smells
340
00:29:57,790 --> 00:30:01,153
into the water, drawing a competitor.
341
00:30:04,340 --> 00:30:06,327
They appear to dance arm in arm.
342
00:30:11,410 --> 00:30:13,563
But it's more fight club than dance off.
343
00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:17,833
Every scrap's worth fighting for.
344
00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:40,310
Fish such as the colorful wrasse
345
00:30:40,310 --> 00:30:43,833
dance around an equally colorful backdrop of anemones.
346
00:30:55,020 --> 00:30:57,363
Good real estate is in short supply,
347
00:30:58,890 --> 00:31:02,283
any rock ledge becomes a home for the weird,
348
00:31:03,118 --> 00:31:06,583
colorful, and wondrous.
349
00:31:17,620 --> 00:31:21,523
The greater the depths, the stranger creatures seem to be.
350
00:31:25,630 --> 00:31:27,690
Chimera are ancient animals
351
00:31:27,690 --> 00:31:29,280
that broke away from the ancestors
352
00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:32,803
of sharks and rays some 400 million years ago.
353
00:31:43,180 --> 00:31:45,040
Their eerie green eyes help
354
00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,043
them locate prey in the darkness.
355
00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,400
They stay close to the seabed,
356
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,580
and can thrive at several hundred meters
357
00:31:54,580 --> 00:31:55,773
beneath the surface.
358
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,560
They can reach two meters in length,
359
00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,340
but are still armed with venomous spines
360
00:32:13,340 --> 00:32:15,573
in case something bigger comes along.
361
00:32:19,180 --> 00:32:20,430
The cool dark waters
362
00:32:20,430 --> 00:32:23,513
of fjords can harbor some real monsters.
363
00:32:28,846 --> 00:32:33,596
Here in the North Pacific it's a kraken, a giant octopus,
364
00:32:35,020 --> 00:32:36,583
the biggest of its kind.
365
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,550
The giant can be six meters from tentacle tip
366
00:32:41,550 --> 00:32:42,533
to tentacle tip.
367
00:32:48,117 --> 00:32:51,450
The wolf eel is another Pacific monster.
368
00:32:58,610 --> 00:33:01,433
But despite its appearance, it's quite docile.
369
00:33:05,100 --> 00:33:07,300
The huge predators rarely attack each other,
370
00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:10,280
but they do share a desire
371
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,663
for nice deep, safe hiding places.
372
00:33:16,540 --> 00:33:19,520
The octopus is in the market for an new home,
373
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,163
but today the eel isn't budging.
374
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,053
The giant continues her search.
375
00:33:46,813 --> 00:33:50,400
During the night she finds what she's been looking for.
376
00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,573
In this rocky fortress she creates a nursery,
377
00:34:01,550 --> 00:34:03,953
stringing up thousands of eggs from the ceiling.
378
00:34:09,820 --> 00:34:12,803
There might be 400,000 by the time she's done.
379
00:34:17,150 --> 00:34:19,523
The monster mollusc is a devoted mother.
380
00:34:25,670 --> 00:34:28,350
For six months she will guard them,
381
00:34:28,350 --> 00:34:31,330
constantly using her siphon to blow fresh,
382
00:34:31,330 --> 00:34:33,220
oxygen rich water over them.
383
00:34:36,630 --> 00:34:38,760
And using her coiled tentacles
384
00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,310
to gently clean algae from the surface of the eggs.
385
00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:57,250
Her body acts as a shield
386
00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,273
to the many dangers lurking outside.
387
00:35:01,860 --> 00:35:04,980
While she's on duty she won't eat,
388
00:35:04,980 --> 00:35:06,350
and when the job is done
389
00:35:06,350 --> 00:35:07,780
and her babies are ready to begin
390
00:35:07,780 --> 00:35:10,553
to their independent lives hers will end.
391
00:35:17,210 --> 00:35:19,723
Many species come to the fjords to breed.
392
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,640
Temminck's stints sing while hovering
393
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:26,590
to show off their strength and stamina.
394
00:35:28,481 --> 00:35:29,663
Hoping to attract a mate.
395
00:35:30,783 --> 00:35:33,533
(birds chirping)
396
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,263
Ruffs have a different approach to battle,
397
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:42,530
when they first arrive they binge on invertebrates
398
00:35:42,530 --> 00:35:44,313
along the shores of the fjords.
399
00:35:47,850 --> 00:35:50,293
Once they're on top form they strut.
400
00:35:51,837 --> 00:35:54,670
(energetic music)
401
00:36:03,390 --> 00:36:05,850
Fanning out long feathers on their necks,
402
00:36:05,850 --> 00:36:08,463
giving each warrior a spectacular shield.
403
00:36:14,030 --> 00:36:16,887
They pose, hoping to catch a female's eye.
404
00:36:20,137 --> 00:36:22,280
But when they do, it fuels a feud.
405
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,350
Sword like beaks and neck shields ready
406
00:36:28,350 --> 00:36:29,773
they stand to fight.
407
00:36:36,350 --> 00:36:39,120
The male that puts on the best show is more likely
408
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,070
to win the affections of a fair maiden.
409
00:37:04,220 --> 00:37:06,223
It's not just birds who migrate,
410
00:37:08,020 --> 00:37:11,303
gray whales move through the fjords of the North Pacific.
411
00:37:14,950 --> 00:37:16,910
They're making their way from Mexico
412
00:37:16,910 --> 00:37:18,893
to summer feedings grounds off Alaska.
413
00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,890
Many of the females are guiding calves through
414
00:37:27,890 --> 00:37:29,203
their first migration.
415
00:37:35,910 --> 00:37:38,400
The epic round trip voyages can be more
416
00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,423
than 20,000 kilometers long.
417
00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,150
Their passing attracts the attention
418
00:37:46,150 --> 00:37:47,363
of killer whales.
419
00:37:50,130 --> 00:37:51,873
These are not herring eaters,
420
00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,060
they are a different race of orca,
421
00:37:56,060 --> 00:37:58,223
intent on mammalian flesh.
422
00:38:00,540 --> 00:38:03,083
Like wolves they hunt as a pack,
423
00:38:04,410 --> 00:38:06,527
chasing down the whales to wear them out.
424
00:38:08,415 --> 00:38:11,165
(dramatic music)
425
00:38:14,210 --> 00:38:16,110
As they close in they try
426
00:38:16,110 --> 00:38:18,517
to separate a calf from its mother.
427
00:38:21,890 --> 00:38:23,240
Each time the little one tries
428
00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:26,083
to surface the orcas block it with their bodies,
429
00:38:27,970 --> 00:38:29,720
stopping it from catching a breath.
430
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:33,690
The mother fights bravely,
431
00:38:33,690 --> 00:38:36,090
trying to keep between her baby and the killers.
432
00:38:47,058 --> 00:38:49,150
But the whales are exhausted,
433
00:38:49,150 --> 00:38:51,363
and the pack strong and determined.
434
00:39:06,521 --> 00:39:09,521
(waterfall roaring)
435
00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:15,823
(mellow music)
436
00:39:25,470 --> 00:39:28,640
The abundance of summer also draws back bears
437
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,623
to beach comb Pacific fjords, looking for crabs.
438
00:39:40,660 --> 00:39:42,143
This one's timing is perfect.
439
00:39:44,230 --> 00:39:47,343
Under every rock there are dozens of baby crabs.
440
00:39:53,780 --> 00:39:55,563
The bear doesn't wipe them all out,
441
00:39:57,460 --> 00:40:00,760
it clumsily licks up a few while the rest scamper away
442
00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:02,253
to new hiding places.
443
00:40:11,530 --> 00:40:13,640
The inefficient dining will at least
444
00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:15,800
ensure the bear's larder stays well stocked
445
00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:16,633
for the future.
446
00:40:30,740 --> 00:40:33,410
Fjords are giant bodies of water,
447
00:40:33,410 --> 00:40:36,830
and during the summer that water holds heat,
448
00:40:36,830 --> 00:40:39,803
maintaining a mild climate on the surrounding slopes.
449
00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,083
Lichens and mosses thrive.
450
00:40:54,930 --> 00:40:58,730
It's a microclimate, an oasis in the otherwise cold
451
00:40:58,730 --> 00:41:00,323
and challenging far north.
452
00:41:07,810 --> 00:41:09,610
In some of the cold nooks,
453
00:41:09,610 --> 00:41:12,033
the last evidence of the ice age lingers.
454
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:19,820
Glaciers, now very much reduced in size are a reminder
455
00:41:19,820 --> 00:41:22,433
of the giants that once carved out the fjords.
456
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:27,170
Protected by mountain shadows,
457
00:41:27,170 --> 00:41:29,483
they still recede a little every year.
458
00:41:34,790 --> 00:41:38,020
Waterfalls are a major source of input to the fjords,
459
00:41:38,020 --> 00:41:39,593
and can carry nutrients in.
460
00:41:40,730 --> 00:41:43,603
But they're not the only fresh water entering the system,
461
00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:50,113
in northern latitudes heavy rainfall occurs year round.
462
00:41:51,210 --> 00:41:54,423
And for marine life, brings another challenge.
463
00:41:56,890 --> 00:42:00,773
The falling fresh water changes the salinity of the sea.
464
00:42:02,950 --> 00:42:05,950
Delicate sea jellies depend on a constant salinity
465
00:42:05,950 --> 00:42:07,923
to protect their water filled bodies.
466
00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:12,610
So they propel themselves
467
00:42:12,610 --> 00:42:16,340
to deeper water using microscopic hairs
468
00:42:16,340 --> 00:42:18,690
that dazzle with all the colors of the rainbow.
469
00:42:21,676 --> 00:42:24,259
(mellow music)
470
00:42:28,740 --> 00:42:31,420
The influx of fresh water creates a wave
471
00:42:31,420 --> 00:42:32,803
of departing marine life.
472
00:42:35,710 --> 00:42:38,903
Starfish and sea urchins run on their tube feet.
473
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,370
But while some marine species head for the deep,
474
00:42:45,370 --> 00:42:47,363
others seem to embrace the challenge.
475
00:42:54,340 --> 00:42:57,693
Salmon and sea trout start off life in freshwater,
476
00:42:59,930 --> 00:43:03,403
and after years at sea they must return to breed.
477
00:43:06,060 --> 00:43:09,923
As the powerful fish congregate they attract predators.
478
00:43:11,740 --> 00:43:13,763
The fjord seals have a field day.
479
00:43:17,750 --> 00:43:19,943
The only way to escape is up.
480
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,730
The fish must face freshwater head on,
481
00:43:25,730 --> 00:43:27,147
on their march inland.
482
00:43:28,652 --> 00:43:31,319
(intense music)
483
00:43:39,020 --> 00:43:41,680
The churning rapids fill the water with oxygen,
484
00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:43,780
helping the fish to perform at their best.
485
00:43:55,820 --> 00:43:58,393
It takes many attempts to climb the falls.
486
00:44:01,450 --> 00:44:02,800
But the fish are tenacious.
487
00:44:14,522 --> 00:44:17,830
There's calm behind the falls,
488
00:44:17,830 --> 00:44:19,963
a brief respite for the exhausted fish.
489
00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:26,293
But it's not over yet.
490
00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:37,440
The fish spawn, the males fight
491
00:44:38,260 --> 00:44:40,960
for the best spot next to a female as
492
00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:41,860
she lays her eggs.
493
00:44:47,250 --> 00:44:49,750
The male releases a cloud of sperm
494
00:44:49,750 --> 00:44:53,200
and the fertilized eggs drop down into safe crevasses
495
00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:54,033
in the gravel.
496
00:44:58,610 --> 00:45:00,400
It should be a rich reward
497
00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,350
and a fitting end to their epic journey,
498
00:45:03,350 --> 00:45:06,640
but instead worn out from the arduous voyage
499
00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:10,190
and damaged by the freshwater entering their bodies,
500
00:45:10,190 --> 00:45:14,093
the adult fish literally fall apart.
501
00:45:17,430 --> 00:45:20,260
The death of the adult fish in the hundreds
502
00:45:20,260 --> 00:45:22,670
provides fertilizer for the rivers
503
00:45:22,670 --> 00:45:24,213
that will support their young.
504
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:39,640
But also as it washes downstream for all life in the fjords.
505
00:45:54,582 --> 00:45:58,165
The long days of summer can't last forever.
506
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:02,483
Slowly, color slips from the landscape.
507
00:46:15,350 --> 00:46:20,350
Trees drop their leaves, shutting up shop for the winter.
508
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:23,540
Now the leaves have new purpose,
509
00:46:23,540 --> 00:46:26,630
they provide food to the creatures of the fjord.
510
00:46:26,630 --> 00:46:28,680
Starting at the bottom of the food chain,
511
00:46:30,230 --> 00:46:33,530
shrimps and the tiny see through larvae of crabs
512
00:46:33,530 --> 00:46:34,923
and lobsters can feast.
513
00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:39,953
The next generation of crustaceans getting a helping hand.
514
00:46:42,550 --> 00:46:44,560
And with them, worm like blobs
515
00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:46,723
of jelly with tiny yellow stars.
516
00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:50,320
They've been drifting for weeks
517
00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:52,073
and eating whatever they can find.
518
00:46:53,820 --> 00:46:56,340
But as soon as they have grown enough they drop
519
00:46:56,340 --> 00:46:57,393
to the seafloor.
520
00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:04,273
The jelly drops away, leaving a perfect baby starfish.
521
00:47:05,451 --> 00:47:08,284
(whimsical music)
522
00:47:19,340 --> 00:47:22,160
The underwater leaf litter is fertilizer
523
00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:24,210
to all creatures of the fjords.
524
00:47:25,603 --> 00:47:27,713
Whether they feed on it directly,
525
00:47:29,170 --> 00:47:30,683
or on the species that do.
526
00:47:39,670 --> 00:47:41,440
As the falling leaves are replaced
527
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:45,460
by the first drifting snowflakes the fjord's wildlife
528
00:47:45,460 --> 00:47:46,603
prepares for winter.
529
00:47:48,691 --> 00:47:51,274
(mellow music)
530
00:47:59,050 --> 00:48:00,980
The cooling temperatures hail the return
531
00:48:00,980 --> 00:48:01,913
of the herring.
532
00:48:03,550 --> 00:48:06,023
But this time they haven't come alone,
533
00:48:10,930 --> 00:48:13,023
they're being shadowed by giants.
534
00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,838
Humpback whales make a detour on their journey south
535
00:48:23,838 --> 00:48:27,503
to visit the Norwegian fjords to binge on the bounty.
536
00:48:30,969 --> 00:48:33,802
(whales chirping)
537
00:48:37,309 --> 00:48:39,773
The whales themselves have attracted attention.
538
00:48:51,222 --> 00:48:54,055
(whales chirping)
539
00:49:00,010 --> 00:49:03,063
But this time the killer whales aren't after their flesh,
540
00:49:04,100 --> 00:49:06,590
they cooperate, working together
541
00:49:06,590 --> 00:49:08,880
to condense the swirling masses,
542
00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:10,753
making them easier to harvest.
543
00:49:13,740 --> 00:49:18,660
This way they can both benefit from the incredible bounty
544
00:49:18,660 --> 00:49:19,953
of the fjords.
545
00:49:22,720 --> 00:49:25,303
(mellow music)
41914
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