All language subtitles for Cal21

Narrator: California.

A state filled with
promise, prosperity,

Progress and people.

But in between the
skyscrapers and highways,

Patches of wilderness remain,

Where nature not only
survives but thrives.

Here, the toughest find fortune
where others have faltered.

And rivals wage war
to claim their throne.

This is the golden state,

A land of opportunity,

Where the hunted seek sanctuary
and there's freedom to roam.

(dramatic music)

California's urban jungle
sprawls across much of the land

Where the roar of traffic drowns
out any calls of the wild.

With nearly 40 million people,

It's the most populous
state in the union.

But it's also home
to more species

Than anywhere else
in the united states

And some of them are
threatened with extinction.

To preserve this
natural heritage,

Nearly half its land

And one-sixth of its coastal
waters are protected.

Nowhere is this more important
than southern california,

Home to half the
state's population,

Most of whom live on the coast.

But 150 miles inland there's
sand as far as the eye can see.

More sahara than
southern california.

This is the north
algodones dunes wilderness,

A protected piece of
california's desert

That forms one of
the largest stretches

Of sand dunes in north america.

This environment is
not for the weak.

But reptiles have
conquered the desert.

Meet the sidewinder rattlesnake.

This venomous pit
viper rules the dunes,

Able to travel faster than
any other rattlesnake on sand.

Using his tail as an anchor,

His keeled scales
grip the tiny grains

Of rock as he pushes
his head forward.

In his wake, a trail of j-like
impressions his calling card.

It's mating season

And he's on a mission
in search of a female.

It's risky, though.

Roads that fragment
the landscape

Pose serious threats to
snakes trying to cross them.

But inside this protected
wilderness, he's safe.

No roads allowed.

He needs more
calories than usual

To fuel his quest for a mate

But there's little
food on offer here.

Perhaps on the other
side of this hill?

He's a graceful climber

But even with his powerful
muscles propelling him,

The liquid sand keeps
pulling him down.

With strength and determination,

The sidewinder battles up.

He's made it.

From here, he has a clear view
to scan for his next meal.

But his eyesight is weak.

Instead, heat-sensing pits
on the sides of his head

Help him detect
warm-blooded prey.

From a distance,

This cold-blooded gecko
is practically invisible.

The heat of its sun-kissed body

Perfectly matches the
sea of scorching sand.

But the slightest move
could give him away.

Closer now, the snake can
likely smell and see the gecko.

But something else
has his attention.

A narrow escape for the gecko.

Under a nearby bush
lives an elusive rodent.

A kangaroo rat.

It's a much bigger meal than
a gecko and it's warm blooded.

An easier target.

Sidewinders are classic
ambush predators,

Normally content to lie in wait.

But this snake has places to go.

So, he takes a more
aggressive approach.

But the kangaroo rat
isn't intimidated.

She's bigger than
the sidewinder,

Who's only two feet long.

She's not going down
without a fight.

With a face full of sand, the
sidewinder loses his dinner.

Rats.

The snake moves on.

Mating season
doesn't last forever

And he still has a lot
of ground to cover.

The entire dune system
stretches 200 square miles.

Where all this sand came
from, no one knows for sure.

Scientists think
it was blown here

From the beaches
of lake cahuilla,

An ancient freshwater lake
that once lay to the northwest.

Even now, the wind
-swept dunes slowly

Creep across the desert
about one foot per year.

Today, the ancient cahuilla
lakebed supports a much smaller

And saltier body of
water, the salton sea.

Situated along the
pacific flyway,

It's an important rest stop
for 400 species of birds

Migrating between north
and south america.

But not everyone
here is on the move.

One bird is much
more of a homebody.

It's a burrowing owl.

The only bird of
prey in north america

That nests exclusively
underground.

Not long ago, burrowing
owls were abundant

Throughout the continent.

But their numbers
have declined rapidly.

About 70% of california's
dwindling population lives here,

In the imperial valley, just
south of the salton sea.

Cautiously, a female steps
outside and scans the horizon.

It takes a keen eye
to survive out here.

Her neighbors, all gone.

Coyotes patrol these parts
and raptors roam the skies.

But the greatest threat,
by far, is man-made.

Developing land
destroys their burrows

And the owls are
forced to relocate.

They prefer to renovate
old ground squirrel

Or prairie dog burrows,

But when these rodents
are exterminated as pests,

Options for squatting are few.

Her burrow offers
refuge from predators

And the desert heat
but she's hungry.

By sprinkling animal
dung around the entrance,

Her next meal should come
straight to her doorstep.

It looks like the
dung might be working.

Beetle grubs.

Jackpot.

Although she can fly,

The burrowing owl
tends to hunt on foot,

By walking, running,

And jumping.

And that's the last of them.

Time to head back for cover.

In the desert scrubland
around the salton sea,

California's population of
burrowing owls is shrinking.

What this young female
needs now is a mate.

She listens to see if
there's anyone else around.

What was that?

A male is calling
out for a female.

But where is he?

She sets out across the desert

Checking every burrow she finds.

She keeps searching.

Not here.

Where is he?

At last.

There he is.

Now, they must find a burrow
in which to start a family.

Trouble is, as more of
the valley is developed,

That's getting harder to do.

Farther north, the california
desert conservation area

Gives wildlife a bit
more room to roam,

25 million acres,
one-fourth of california.

From joshua tree, up
through the mojave,

To the hottest place
on earth, death valley.

As the elevation climbs,
the temperature drops

Leading into the
great basin desert,

The only cold desert
in the united states.

Owens valley, to the east of
the sierra nevada mountains,

Marks its start.

With fewer than five inches
of precipitation per year,

It's known as
"the land of little rain".

Yet in spring, runoff
from melting snow

Quenches the parched land.

All this water yields
nutrient-rich pastures.

And where there's this much
grass, there are grazers.

Mustangs.

When spring hits, hundreds
of wild horses converge

On the high desert plains
along the border with nevada.

Mustangs are iconic symbols
of america's wild west.

But their legacy on this land

Goes back some 55 million years,

When horses first evolved here.

10 thousand years
ago, they died out.

But by then horses had
spread into asia and europe.

These herds are descendants
of domesticated horses

Brought to the americas

By spanish conquistadors
over 500 years ago.

And they've been roaming

America's public
lands ever since.

Within the great
montgomery pass herd,

Each horse belongs to a
smaller band of perhaps 30.

And each band has its leaders.

First, there's the trail boss.

The alpha mare.

She runs the show,

Keeping the herd in line
and leading the way.

Then there's the
wrangler, the stallion.

This harem belongs to him.

Each day, they journey in
search of fresh pasture.

Mosquitoes burst from the water

And flies,
a constant irritation.

Pawing the ground breaks the
dirt into fine alkali dust,

Good for relieving
itchy skin.

And for those hard
to reach places,

There's always
help from the herd.

With few predators and a
federal law to protect them,

The horses breed quickly.

Left unchecked, herds grow
by up to 25% each year.

So, the herds are managed
using birth control,

And round-ups that remove
horses for adoption,

Practices that aren't
without controversy.

But the montgomery
pass herd is unique.

Round-ups aren't needed

Because a healthy mountain
lion population here

Preys on the foals, keeping
their numbers in check.

This young buck no longer has

The safety of his mother's herd.

But he's found other loners.

Exiled adolescents,
they band together.

Now they're a gang.

These guys are tough,

Raw, unpolished.

They follow few rules.

But they do have a leader.

He's a stallion in the making.

He needs to find some mares

And he's been tracking
the wrangler's band

Ever since he was exiled
from his mother's herd.

The band sets off in
search of new pasture,

With the gang of
bachelors in pursuit,

Shadowing their every move.

But their presence is noted.

The young bachelors
are losing patience.

They test the air.

There's a female in heat.

It's time.

They're coming.

On the open plains of
eastern california,

A gang of rogue mustangs
is staging a coup.

The bachelors
come charging in,

Corralling the females.

But the wrangler swoops
in to break up the gang.

(dramatic music)

It's a battle of wills.

Young blood against
a fearless leader.

The wrangler won't back down.

Experience wins the day

And his harem is secure for now.

Defeated, the bachelor
gang retreats.

But they won't be gone for long.

It's a ritual as old as time.

The young rise up
to contest the old.

Each must find their
place in the herd.

Here in the high desert,

The land is still as wild
as the horses that roam it,

Both relics of california's
pioneer spirit.

But on the other side
of the sierra nevadas,

It's a very different story.

To the west, snow melt
from these mountains

Helps irrigate one of the most

Fertile valleys in the
world, the central valley,

More than seven million
acres of farmland.

The water also sustains
23 million people,

From the san francisco bay
area to southern california.

More californians live in
coastal cities like these

Than anywhere else in the state.

Yet some areas still offer
sanctuary for wildlife.

Just outside the central
coast town of san simeon,

The pacific ocean rolls into
a protected stretch of shore.

This is piedras blancas,

Part of a network of
124 marine protected areas

That dot the
california coastline.

Huge ocean drifters
have swum thousands

Of miles to make
landfall on this beach.

Elephant seals.

Males weighing more
than 5,000 pounds

Haul themselves ashore.

At this time of year,
they're extremely aggressive

And they've come
prepared to fight.

The victors will become
the beach masters.

The more beach
each male can hold,

The more females
he'll mate with.

Finally, the females are here.

Thousands return to this
spot year after year,

To give birth and mate.

But it wasn't always this way.

Before 1990,

Not a single elephant
seal visited this beach.

Hunted almost to extinction
in the 19th century,

Northern elephant seals

Have recently made
a dramatic recovery.

Today, more than 25,000
return here each year.

With six miles of
protected coast

And a seafood buffet that's
off-limits to fishing,

It's no wonder piedras blancas

Is now the largest elephant
seal rookery on the west coast.

It's a cacophony of lactating
mothers and hungry pups,

Each harem guarded
by a beach master.

The pups feed almost constantly.

They must build
up blubber quickly

To survive the cold ocean.

This king sleeps on
his sandy throne.

He hasn't noticed
there's a newcomer,

A young bachelor,

And he wants in on the action.

He rushes in,
trying to stay low.

The female fights back.

A higher-ranked male would
be a preferred partner.

The beach master wakes.

His harem is under attack

And he has no tolerance
for intruders.

Spotted.

The beach master must
defend his throne.

When a young bachelor
elephant seal

Gets caught raiding a harem,

The ensuing fight can be brutal.

The bachelor makes
a break for it,

But the beach master
is bearing down.

Suddenly the bachelor
turns to fight.

(dramatic music)

Each is the size and
weight of an suv.

Every hit, the power
of a car crash.

(dramatic music)

The bachelor retreats to the
water, but it's not over yet.

(dramatic music)

Exhausted, a victor emerges,

The bachelor.

Battle-scarred and
weary, he rests.

But not for long.

New challengers will emerge

And he must now defend
the title he's earned,

Beach master.

Thanks to the protection of
much of california's coastline,

These beaches of piedras
blancas have remained wild.

The only competition for
space is between the seals.

But down the coast, the popular
tourist town of morro bay

Proves that wildlife
can still thrive

Among human development
with just a little help.

In the shelter of the bay,

Some resourceful animals
have taken up residence.

Sea otters.

It's morning and about 30 otters

Have come together
to form a raft.

Adults socialize

While the youngsters play.

In the distance, a
single female floats away

From all the action.

She's guarding
her sleeping baby.

Otters often choose sheltered
coves like morro bay

Because they offer safe haven
in which to raise their pups.

The bay is also
a marine reserve,

An added layer of protection.

As many as 20,000 sea otters

Once lived along
california's shores,

Before they were hunted to
near extinction for their fur.

Recovery has been
successful, but slow,

With just over 3,000
in california today.

50 of those are
here, in morro bay.

The mother and her pup
navigate through the crowd,

Looking for a quiet spot.

Eventually, they settle in.

It's time for breakfast.

Beneath them, a
garden of eelgrass

Harbors one of their
favorite foods.

Clams.

Sealed shut.

The otters' powerful jaws
crack the shells open.

But the toughest shells
require a different approach.

Otters are one of the few
mammals known to use tools.

They smash the clams open
using rocks or other shells.

Many otters have a favorite tool

That they carry with
them everywhere.

They store their tools, and
the food they've foraged,

In pockets of skin
under their armpits.

Gulls pick up the scraps.

While the mother otter dozes,

The pup can't take her
eyes off all the action.

If she could just
get a closer look.

She struggles to get away,

But mom keeps her
on a tight leash.

She keeps trying

And trying

Until her mother
finally lets go.

While the pup makes a break
for freedom, mom freshens up.

Sea otters have the
thickest fur of any animal,

With up to a million hair
follicles per square inch.

Preening traps air and
heat beneath the fur,

Insulating her like a blanket.

The pup's fur is so dense, she
floats safely on the surface.

But she's at risk
of drifting away.

Lonely otter pups
make an easy snack

For any sharks patrolling
california's coast.

But mom's to the rescue.

Now, it's the pup's turn
to get fluffy and warm.

As the pup grows up,
she has a lot to learn.

But her mother will keep her
safe for the next six months,

In this protected
californian bay,

Until she can
survive on her own.

Beyond morro rock and
the shelter of the bay

Lies the big blue.

The pacific ocean is
the biggest in the world

Filled with its
largest creatures.

Out here, there isn't the
development found on land,

But human activities like
boat traffic, fishing,

Even certain water sports,
can still have an impact.

Marine protected areas aren't
just for beaches and coves.

They help preserve a
variety of habitats,

Including the open ocean.

Each spring,

Humpback whales gather
off the coast of monterey.

They're here to feed

And nurse their young
through the summer.

Carefully placed marine reserves

Restrict certain
types of fishing

To protect the whales' most
important feeding grounds.

A female humpback can
grow to 60 feet long.

Her calf is already
16 feet when born.

The young whale
explores his new world.

As they glide through the
water, they twirl together.

A dance between mother and calf.

The whales aren't the only
marine mammals to benefit

From these rich,
protected feeding grounds.

Close by, a raft of sea lions,

A hunting party
a thousand strong.

They work together to corral
small fish to the surface.

The whales move in to take
advantage of the feast.

The leviathan and the
lion, hunting together.

But danger lurks here, too.

Orcas.

Apex predators of the pacific.

A matriarch leads
her pod on the hunt.

Like a wolf pack, they target
the weak and the injured.

And newborn whales are
firmly in their sights.

They've brought down
a gray whale calf.

It's as large as its killers,

But against the coordinated
pack, it stood little chance.

Suddenly, humpbacks appear.

They circle the carcass,
blocking access.

They slap their tails
in a show of force.

Charging in against the killers,

They drive the orcas away
from the lifeless calf.

This phenomenon of humpbacks

Protecting other
species against orcas

Is behavior scientists
have seen before

But have yet to understand.

As the killers flee,
calm returns once more,

And mother and calf
resume their dance.

For california, balancing
the needs of its wildlife

With the needs of its people

Is the most delicate
dance of all.

As the most populous
state in the nation,

Setting aside protected
land is a powerful tool

To preserve california's
wild legacy.

All these animals need is
a place to settle down,

Fill their bellies,
and raise their young.

A patch of wilderness,

Between the cities
and skyscrapers,

Ferries and freeways,

That they can call their own

In this great state
of california.