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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
The power of the sun drives the seasons,
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00:00:09,638 --> 00:00:11,913
transforming our planet.
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00:00:13,078 --> 00:00:16,468
Vast movements of ocean and air currents
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00:00:16,558 --> 00:00:19,356
bring dramatic change
throughout the year.
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00:00:23,758 --> 00:00:27,876
And in a few special places,
these seasonal changes
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00:00:27,958 --> 00:00:31,997
create some of the greatest
wildlife spectacles on Earth.
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The seas along the Pacific coast
of North America
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can be some of the richest
on the planet.
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00:00:47,118 --> 00:00:50,667
These coastal waters
create the perfect conditions
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00:00:50,758 --> 00:00:53,795
for the greatest explosion
of life on Earth.
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It's driven by some of
the tiniest creatures.
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As their numbers multiply,
they feed vast shoals of fish,
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00:01:04,598 --> 00:01:08,227
which in turn provide food
for ever larger hunters.
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00:01:12,238 --> 00:01:16,516
Billions of lives will be shaped
by this immense bloom.
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And the mightiest hunter of them all
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has devised a remarkable way
to harvest this great feast.
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00:02:04,638 --> 00:02:06,947
It's January.
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00:02:07,398 --> 00:02:11,869
Both land and sea are locked
in the depths of winter.
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(BIRDS CAWING)
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00:02:16,958 --> 00:02:20,917
The seas along the coast of
Alaska and British Columbia
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can become the richest on Earth.
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But for the moment, they lie dormant.
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The time of great feasting
is many months away,
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00:02:35,918 --> 00:02:39,513
and a number of magical changes
must first take place.
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00:02:42,238 --> 00:02:46,277
The most crucial change
will be driven by the sun.
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00:02:48,518 --> 00:02:52,796
But now it is weak and offers little
to those trapped here for winter.
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This coastline,
a maze of islands and inlets
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carved by glaciers,
will also shape this great event.
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For now, it remains shrouded in cold.
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Only the toughest can survive.
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(WIND BLOWING)
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Steller's sea lions huddle together
to share warmth.
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It's 1 5 degrees below zero.
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They have little choice
but to suffer this,
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the coldest Alaskan winter on record.
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The shoals of fish they depend on
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spend winter in the deepest water.
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(SEA LION GRUNTING)
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For now the fishing is hard.
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(SEA LION GRUNTING)
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It's an unforgiving place
to raise a family.
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Conditions are so severe
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that mothers must suckle their young
for up to three years.
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For this pregnant sea lion,
the risks are even greater.
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The seas must come to life in good time
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for the arrival of her pup,
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and at this stage,
the odds don't look good.
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(WIND HOWLING)
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For now, all she can do is wait
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for the sun to bring change.
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These seas have the potential
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to be so rich at the height
of the great feast,
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that they will attract animals
from across the vast Pacific.
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And 3,000 miles away
in the waters of Hawaii,
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another mother is about to embark
on an epic journey.
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(HUMPBACK WHALE SINGING)
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This humpback whale
has already given birth.
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Her calf is just a few weeks old.
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He stays close to his mum.
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00:06:03,278 --> 00:06:05,428
(HUMPBACK WHALES SINGING)
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The difference between Hawaii
and Alaska could hardly be greater.
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These are calm, warm waters
with few predators,
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an ideal nursery for the youngster.
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The calf is now drinking
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400 litres of milk every day,
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building up strength
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for the long voyage
he'll soon have to undertake.
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00:06:50,318 --> 00:06:54,789
More than 5,000 humpbacks
come to Hawaii each year.
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00:07:01,118 --> 00:07:04,235
The males,
lured here in the hope of mating,
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compete among themselves
with great shows of strength.
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But none of these whales
can actually feed here,
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for these tropical waters
are comparatively lifeless.
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(WHALE ROARING)
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The ocean's greatest riches
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are only to be found in colder seas.
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So all these whales must return
to the North Pacific to feed.
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The playful calf suckles
from his mother every day.
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But she hasn't had anything to eat
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since she left Alaska
over four months ago,
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and she won't feed again
until she returns.
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Like the pregnant sea lion,
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this mother has to get her timing right.
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She must arrive in Alaska
for the moment when the seas
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are at their richest, full of fish.
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Their journey north
will take three months.
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00:09:09,198 --> 00:09:13,828
Back in Alaska,
the seas are starting to awaken.
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00:09:17,438 --> 00:09:21,033
It's March,
and as the sun gathers strength,
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winter loosens its grip.
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00:09:31,078 --> 00:09:34,354
For the sea lions,
things are beginning to look up.
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00:09:37,958 --> 00:09:41,712
The sun is drawing life from the depths.
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00:09:47,878 --> 00:09:49,755
(SEA LIONS BLOWING AIR)
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With each passing day,
the sun warms the water for longer,
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penetrating deep into
the mineral-rich waters.
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00:10:02,198 --> 00:10:05,474
Fertilising nutrients of
phosphorous and nitrogen
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fuel a miraculous change
that is just beginning.
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Empty seas start to come to life.
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As we enter an enhanced view
of this microscopic world,
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we see the beginnings
of a magical transformation.
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Phytoplankton,
tiny floating plants, emerge.
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Each is scarcely bigger
that a speck of dust.
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But together, these plankton will bloom
in such immense numbers
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that they transform lifeless seas.
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00:11:01,118 --> 00:11:05,634
And whether that will happen this year
is yet to be determined.
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00:11:14,278 --> 00:11:18,669
All creatures here, from the sea lions
to the migrating whales,
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00:11:18,758 --> 00:11:22,353
ultimately depend on
these miniature plants.
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00:11:26,958 --> 00:11:30,712
For one creature that relies
directly on the plankton,
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this is the moment to emerge.
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00:11:37,678 --> 00:11:41,751
Pacific herring have spent the winter
in the depths of the fjords,
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00:11:41,838 --> 00:11:45,831
but they now rise up and
head for the shallow coast.
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00:11:47,118 --> 00:11:50,030
Stimulated by the sun
and the warming water,
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they gather
in their hundreds of millions.
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But they're not drawn here to feed.
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They're following
an irresistible urge to breed.
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Groups of males
sweep through the shallows
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and release their sperm
in vast, milky clouds.
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00:12:24,198 --> 00:12:28,396
The females follow,
covering the seabed with eggs.
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00:12:33,718 --> 00:12:35,754
Such a concentration of fish
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is just what the sea lions
have been waiting for.
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00:13:08,358 --> 00:13:10,314
The herring won't be here for long.
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00:13:10,398 --> 00:13:14,471
The sea lions must make the most
of the fishing while it lasts.
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00:13:20,038 --> 00:13:24,634
Other predators gather,
also hungry after the lean winter.
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This short-lived bounty
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00:13:32,638 --> 00:13:36,472
is a magnet
for millions of migrating birds.
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This is just the first brief course
in the great feast.
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00:14:03,718 --> 00:14:07,677
The herring spawning
will be over in a matter of days,
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00:14:07,758 --> 00:14:11,717
and the shoals of fish
will then scatter along the coast.
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00:14:16,198 --> 00:14:20,157
The herring have spawned
on an astonishing scale.
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00:14:23,598 --> 00:14:27,989
They turn hundreds of miles
of coastline white with spawn.
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00:14:30,798 --> 00:14:32,470
In this bay alone,
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00:14:32,558 --> 00:14:36,517
they have laid 800 billion eggs.
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00:14:45,838 --> 00:14:47,908
The herrings' spawning is so timed
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00:14:47,998 --> 00:14:50,796
that when the next generation hatch
in a few weeks
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00:14:50,878 --> 00:14:54,632
they'll be able to feed
on the growing plankton.
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00:15:02,558 --> 00:15:07,268
And this year, the herring
appear to have timed it just right.
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00:15:10,398 --> 00:15:12,514
The minute plant plankton,
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00:15:12,598 --> 00:15:15,749
the driving force behind
the seas' transformation,
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00:15:15,838 --> 00:15:17,829
are starting to bloom.
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00:15:19,518 --> 00:15:23,033
Great swathes of sea
grow green with life.
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00:15:30,598 --> 00:15:34,273
The humpbacks are still
out in the middle of the Pacific.
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00:15:37,198 --> 00:15:40,395
They've missed the first taste
of the great feast.
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00:15:43,598 --> 00:15:45,793
At just eight weeks old,
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the young calf must cross
the biggest ocean in the world.
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00:16:00,998 --> 00:16:04,911
His mother will only swim
as fast as her young calf.
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00:16:06,798 --> 00:16:10,188
As he tires,
she supports him from beneath.
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00:16:33,398 --> 00:16:35,832
She's been living off her fat reserves
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00:16:35,918 --> 00:16:38,307
for the last six months,
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00:16:38,398 --> 00:16:41,276
and has lost a third of her body weight.
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00:16:45,478 --> 00:16:47,787
She's close to starving.
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00:16:54,998 --> 00:16:56,750
(WHALES SPOUTING WATER)
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00:16:56,838 --> 00:17:00,751
It will be a further two months
before mother and son
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00:17:00,838 --> 00:17:04,035
reach their feeding grounds
in the North Pacific.
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00:17:09,958 --> 00:17:13,109
It's May, early summer in Alaska,
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00:17:13,198 --> 00:17:16,156
and the days are getting ever longer.
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00:17:19,358 --> 00:17:23,636
The sun continues to fuel
the growth of microscopic plants
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00:17:23,718 --> 00:17:26,107
that make up the plankton bloom.
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00:17:32,478 --> 00:17:36,266
They're joined by a growing community
of tiny animals...
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zooplankton.
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These are the first creatures
to feed on the bloom.
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00:17:58,078 --> 00:18:00,876
Over the coming months
they will multiply,
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00:18:00,958 --> 00:18:04,667
crowding the surface waters
in their trillions.
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00:18:04,758 --> 00:18:08,512
The next stage of
the great feast is underway.
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00:18:23,118 --> 00:18:27,555
All life here depends
on this plankton bloom.
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00:18:32,558 --> 00:18:35,356
The herring feed on it directly.
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00:18:35,438 --> 00:18:38,874
The greater the bloom,
the more abundant the shoals.
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00:18:45,798 --> 00:18:50,235
And the fish themselves
become food for the larger hunters.
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00:18:55,638 --> 00:18:59,187
But the shoals of herring
are now spread far and wide,
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and once again, for the sea lions
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00:19:01,798 --> 00:19:03,675
the fishing is tough.
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00:19:05,438 --> 00:19:08,350
They must venture further to find food.
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00:19:10,518 --> 00:19:14,067
But open water is a risky place to fish.
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00:19:19,758 --> 00:19:22,955
This male sea lion hunts alone.
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00:19:24,038 --> 00:19:27,997
He is three metres long
and a ton in weight.
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00:19:29,438 --> 00:19:31,747
Few would dare tackle him.
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00:19:37,358 --> 00:19:38,916
(SEA LION BLOWS AIR)
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00:19:49,558 --> 00:19:52,470
The smaller females travel as a group,
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00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:55,755
keeping a watchful eye
in all directions.
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00:19:59,678 --> 00:20:03,307
They know that killers lurk
in the depths.
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00:20:06,158 --> 00:20:09,753
The surface is
a dangerous place to linger,
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00:20:09,838 --> 00:20:12,830
especially if you're alone.
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00:20:38,398 --> 00:20:41,674
Orca. Killer whales.
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The sea lion is wounded,
but the killers keep their distance.
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00:20:52,078 --> 00:20:56,037
His powerful jaws are
still a threat to the hungry orca.
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00:21:00,198 --> 00:21:03,270
He struggles towards the safety of land.
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00:21:12,878 --> 00:21:15,517
But his injuries are slowing him down.
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00:21:26,518 --> 00:21:28,509
(ORCA CRASHING)
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00:21:41,278 --> 00:21:44,634
Blow by blow, they wear him down.
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00:21:58,038 --> 00:22:01,075
It's a carefully coordinated attack.
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00:22:06,718 --> 00:22:09,437
One killer distracts his attention,
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00:22:09,518 --> 00:22:12,316
while another hits his soft underside.
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00:22:27,398 --> 00:22:29,195
(ORCA CRASHING)
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00:22:35,078 --> 00:22:38,514
The richest seas on Earth
can be treacherous.
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00:22:44,598 --> 00:22:47,271
Orca attacks, although savage,
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00:22:47,358 --> 00:22:51,237
have little impact on the fate
of most sea lions.
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00:22:58,198 --> 00:23:01,554
Their survival depends
more on the tiny plankton
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00:23:01,638 --> 00:23:05,472
that sustains the great shoals of fish
on which they feed.
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00:23:14,398 --> 00:23:16,866
It's now late May.
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00:23:16,958 --> 00:23:21,110
The sunlight lasts for 1 7 hours a day.
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00:23:24,158 --> 00:23:27,036
But the bloom will need
more than just sun
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00:23:27,118 --> 00:23:29,552
if it's to reach its full extent.
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00:23:39,638 --> 00:23:43,756
Nutrients held in these waters
are continuously used up
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00:23:43,838 --> 00:23:46,272
as the bloom increases.
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00:23:48,518 --> 00:23:50,429
If they're exhausted too early,
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00:23:50,518 --> 00:23:54,147
the plankton will die
and the food chain will collapse.
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00:23:55,158 --> 00:23:57,513
The effects will be felt by all.
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00:24:04,318 --> 00:24:07,196
Meanwhile, on the sea lion colony,
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00:24:07,278 --> 00:24:09,633
new life is now arriving.
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00:24:11,718 --> 00:24:14,073
After a year carrying her pup,
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00:24:14,158 --> 00:24:16,991
this mother can at last give birth.
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00:24:19,518 --> 00:24:21,668
(SEA LIONS GRUNTING)
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00:24:35,158 --> 00:24:38,355
The pup is utterly dependant on his mum.
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00:24:40,558 --> 00:24:42,708
As he makes sense of his new world,
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00:24:42,798 --> 00:24:46,950
she encourages him
to take his first feed of milk.
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00:24:52,358 --> 00:24:56,146
The mother has waited
until early summer to have her baby -
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00:24:56,238 --> 00:24:59,628
such a small pup
would never survive the winter.
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00:25:03,238 --> 00:25:04,557
Along this coast,
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00:25:04,638 --> 00:25:08,108
thousands of pups are born
within a matter of weeks,
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00:25:08,198 --> 00:25:12,714
timed to coincide with the better
conditions that may lie ahead.
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00:25:15,238 --> 00:25:17,672
(SEA LIONS GRUNTING SOFTLY)
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00:25:33,158 --> 00:25:36,548
The migrating humpbacks
are still weeks away from Alaska
220
00:25:36,638 --> 00:25:38,913
and their first meal.
221
00:25:40,918 --> 00:25:42,510
(WHALE BLOWING AIR)
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00:25:43,598 --> 00:25:45,748
In these turbulent seas,
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00:25:45,838 --> 00:25:48,989
mother and calf must stay close.
224
00:26:01,398 --> 00:26:04,549
A huge Pacific storm is brewing
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00:26:04,638 --> 00:26:08,233
and heading straight for
the coast of British Columbia.
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00:26:10,918 --> 00:26:13,068
(WAVES CRASHING)
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00:26:26,398 --> 00:26:30,516
Directly in its path
lies the sea lion nursery.
228
00:26:34,038 --> 00:26:37,189
The pups are now
at the mercy of the elements.
229
00:26:45,718 --> 00:26:49,108
The mothers must get their young
to the safety of higher ground,
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00:26:49,198 --> 00:26:51,587
if they can find it.
231
00:27:00,158 --> 00:27:02,035
(WAVES CRASHING)
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00:27:03,838 --> 00:27:07,672
In desperation,
a mother tries to drag her pup away
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00:27:07,758 --> 00:27:09,874
from the gathering tempest.
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00:27:37,438 --> 00:27:39,588
A pup swept into the water
235
00:27:39,678 --> 00:27:42,272
is unlikely to be seen again.
236
00:28:16,598 --> 00:28:20,750
As the seas begin to subside,
many have survived.
237
00:28:25,518 --> 00:28:28,032
But others have not.
238
00:28:50,358 --> 00:28:54,146
There's nothing this mother
could have done to save her pup.
239
00:29:15,198 --> 00:29:19,669
These mighty storms,
though devastating for some,
240
00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:22,955
bring fresh life to the great feast.
241
00:29:23,038 --> 00:29:24,994
(WATER RUSHING)
242
00:29:25,118 --> 00:29:27,029
When these storms hit the coast,
243
00:29:27,118 --> 00:29:29,393
they stir up vital nutrients
244
00:29:29,478 --> 00:29:33,676
into the surface waters,
nutrients that feed the plankton.
245
00:29:35,558 --> 00:29:38,948
Replenished seas combine
with the lengthening days
246
00:29:39,038 --> 00:29:41,677
to create a plankton explosion.
247
00:29:45,398 --> 00:29:47,673
And this has come just in time
248
00:29:47,758 --> 00:29:51,433
for those at the end
of an incredible journey.
249
00:30:07,318 --> 00:30:10,071
The humpbacks have arrived.
250
00:30:19,998 --> 00:30:23,468
After 3,000 miles, mother and calf
251
00:30:23,558 --> 00:30:27,551
have finally made it
to the coast of Alaska.
252
00:30:34,758 --> 00:30:39,274
They join other whales
that have also made the long voyage.
253
00:30:39,358 --> 00:30:43,954
But their journey isn't over,
for they have yet to feed.
254
00:30:49,398 --> 00:30:52,435
They're heading for
a particular stretch of coast
255
00:30:52,518 --> 00:30:54,474
deep in the network of channels,
256
00:30:54,558 --> 00:30:58,267
where they know they can find
the great shoals of herring.
257
00:31:01,398 --> 00:31:04,390
It's to these ancestral feeding grounds
258
00:31:04,478 --> 00:31:07,231
that the mother now guides her new calf.
259
00:31:13,038 --> 00:31:16,030
The unique geography of this coastline
260
00:31:16,118 --> 00:31:19,793
holds the final secret
to this great event.
261
00:31:24,358 --> 00:31:26,553
Glaciers have carved a landscape
262
00:31:26,638 --> 00:31:31,189
of deep fjords and islands
over tens of thousands of years.
263
00:31:38,878 --> 00:31:42,075
This patchwork creates a labyrinth
264
00:31:42,158 --> 00:31:46,231
through which powerful ocean
and tidal currents flow,
265
00:31:46,318 --> 00:31:49,993
bringing up the vital raw ingredients
needed for the bloom.
266
00:31:51,358 --> 00:31:54,316
It's as if an endless supply
of fertiliser
267
00:31:54,398 --> 00:31:56,548
is being added to the water.
268
00:32:00,438 --> 00:32:04,636
In other seas, the plankton
would be subsiding by now.
269
00:32:05,798 --> 00:32:09,029
But here the seas are
repeatedly invigorated,
270
00:32:09,118 --> 00:32:10,995
which fuels the plankton bloom
271
00:32:11,078 --> 00:32:13,990
time and again throughout the summer.
272
00:32:19,198 --> 00:32:21,666
And with the sun at its most powerful,
273
00:32:21,758 --> 00:32:23,714
all these elements combine
274
00:32:23,798 --> 00:32:27,632
to create a plankton bloom
of great intensity.
275
00:32:32,078 --> 00:32:35,673
In July, the ocean is alive.
276
00:32:39,238 --> 00:32:42,594
This floating community
of plants and animals
277
00:32:42,678 --> 00:32:45,476
is the basis for all life here,
278
00:32:45,558 --> 00:32:47,549
and a bloom of this intensity
279
00:32:47,638 --> 00:32:51,517
signals the start
of a truly great feast.
280
00:32:55,958 --> 00:32:58,518
Where this rich soup hits the sea bed,
281
00:32:58,598 --> 00:33:01,874
life carpets every available surface.
282
00:33:14,478 --> 00:33:19,154
The feasting begins
with millions of tiny mouths.
283
00:33:24,878 --> 00:33:29,668
Barnacles sift morsels of plankton
brought in on the currents.
284
00:33:31,638 --> 00:33:34,311
Many of these creatures
started their lives
285
00:33:34,398 --> 00:33:37,708
as part of the plankton
before reaching adulthood
286
00:33:37,798 --> 00:33:40,312
and settling on the sea floor.
287
00:33:46,798 --> 00:33:49,107
These animals are giants.
288
00:33:49,198 --> 00:33:51,428
They filter the plankton-rich water,
289
00:33:51,518 --> 00:33:54,954
growing larger here
than anywhere else in the world.
290
00:34:04,718 --> 00:34:08,631
Jellyfish gather, forming great swarms.
291
00:34:16,918 --> 00:34:21,036
They, too, eat the plankton,
rising to the surface
292
00:34:21,118 --> 00:34:23,586
where it is at its most abundant.
293
00:34:34,558 --> 00:34:38,233
By late summer,
the plankton bloom is so vast
294
00:34:38,318 --> 00:34:40,991
it radiates across the North Pacific.
295
00:34:44,838 --> 00:34:50,071
Blooms like these provide Earth
with over half of its oxygen.
296
00:34:52,238 --> 00:34:55,514
This bloom eclipses even
the Amazon rainforest
297
00:34:55,598 --> 00:34:58,510
in sheer abundance of plant life.
298
00:35:04,078 --> 00:35:05,989
And it is most intense
299
00:35:06,078 --> 00:35:10,515
where the ocean streams through
the maze of coastal waterways.
300
00:35:16,598 --> 00:35:20,193
The shoals of herring are now
at their most plentiful.
301
00:35:27,918 --> 00:35:29,988
After feeding through the summer months,
302
00:35:30,078 --> 00:35:33,229
the fish themselves are a good catch,
303
00:35:33,318 --> 00:35:36,833
the main target for predators
now gathering here.
304
00:35:51,598 --> 00:35:53,793
After enduring the bitter winter,
305
00:35:53,878 --> 00:35:57,666
the sea lions can enjoy the bounty
they've been waiting for.
306
00:36:13,278 --> 00:36:17,476
Hunting together,
they drive the herring to the surface.
307
00:36:31,838 --> 00:36:34,830
Then, with mesmerising grace,
308
00:36:34,918 --> 00:36:37,751
they pick off fish one by one.
309
00:37:05,758 --> 00:37:07,669
For a few short weeks,
310
00:37:07,758 --> 00:37:11,433
they'll have their share
of the great feast.
311
00:37:17,678 --> 00:37:21,466
Others arrive to feed
in the coastal waterways.
312
00:37:23,598 --> 00:37:25,509
(DOLPHINS CLICKING)
313
00:37:28,318 --> 00:37:31,390
Pacific white-sided dolphins.
314
00:37:36,398 --> 00:37:40,186
They dart in and snatch fish as they go.
315
00:37:44,878 --> 00:37:49,315
The tidal currents now
sweep herring up to the surface.
316
00:37:58,038 --> 00:38:01,792
Here, they're within
diving range of sea birds.
317
00:38:08,238 --> 00:38:11,355
Murres are the first to find the fish.
318
00:38:16,958 --> 00:38:19,028
The shoal twists and turns,
319
00:38:19,118 --> 00:38:21,837
trying to escape the surface dangers.
320
00:38:32,158 --> 00:38:36,390
But murres are so fast
they can even out-swim the herring.
321
00:38:38,318 --> 00:38:39,751
They head off the escape,
322
00:38:39,838 --> 00:38:44,593
making the shoal turn in on itself,
creating a bait ball.
323
00:38:51,118 --> 00:38:53,029
The birds corral the herring
324
00:38:53,118 --> 00:38:55,552
into an ever-tighter ball.
325
00:39:01,558 --> 00:39:04,436
But the commotion hasn't gone unnoticed.
326
00:39:07,558 --> 00:39:12,074
Gulls, ever the opportunists,
are the next to turn up.
327
00:39:18,558 --> 00:39:21,231
They can dive no more than a metre,
328
00:39:21,318 --> 00:39:24,116
so the fish are still out of reach.
329
00:39:27,718 --> 00:39:30,755
The murres only attack from beneath,
330
00:39:30,838 --> 00:39:33,557
trapping the fish against the surface.
331
00:39:40,038 --> 00:39:43,235
But they push the herring
within range of the gulls.
332
00:39:46,838 --> 00:39:48,874
It's a feeding frenzy.
333
00:40:13,278 --> 00:40:17,669
The table is set for
the mightiest predator of them all.
334
00:40:26,918 --> 00:40:30,672
The humpbacks have reached
their feeding grounds.
335
00:40:34,558 --> 00:40:37,152
After six months without a bite to eat,
336
00:40:37,238 --> 00:40:40,116
the humpbacks can finally
break their fast.
337
00:40:46,678 --> 00:40:51,547
The whales have learned to target
these ready-made balls of fish.
338
00:41:08,878 --> 00:41:11,346
But they'll need more than
just a mouthful,
339
00:41:11,438 --> 00:41:13,713
and with the feast now in full swing,
340
00:41:13,798 --> 00:41:15,834
this is their chance.
341
00:41:22,438 --> 00:41:26,397
To exploit the vast shoals of herring
that are in deeper water,
342
00:41:26,478 --> 00:41:28,673
they rely on teamwork.
343
00:41:28,758 --> 00:41:33,388
For these whales have developed
a truly remarkable way of hunting.
344
00:41:47,078 --> 00:41:49,717
(WHALES SINGING)
345
00:41:52,358 --> 00:41:57,273
The inlets echo to the sound
of a mysterious song.
346
00:41:58,878 --> 00:42:01,267
(WHALES SINGING)
347
00:42:05,958 --> 00:42:08,313
A curtain of bubbles
348
00:42:08,398 --> 00:42:11,834
and a haunting call hold the secret
349
00:42:11,918 --> 00:42:14,591
to an ingenious way of fishing.
350
00:42:14,678 --> 00:42:17,431
(WHALES SINGING)
351
00:42:18,038 --> 00:42:20,188
(HIGH-PITCHED SINGING)
352
00:42:37,678 --> 00:42:40,351
This is ''bubble-net feeding''.
353
00:42:48,318 --> 00:42:52,914
A dozen whales work together
to harvest the herring bonanza.
354
00:43:04,158 --> 00:43:07,434
Such fishing requires
an extraordinary level
355
00:43:07,518 --> 00:43:09,986
of intelligence and cooperation.
356
00:43:12,878 --> 00:43:15,108
The lead whale dives first.
357
00:43:15,198 --> 00:43:17,587
She is the bubble-blower.
358
00:43:20,118 --> 00:43:22,507
It's her job to find the fish.
359
00:43:22,638 --> 00:43:24,230
(WHALE SPOUTING AIR)
360
00:43:25,398 --> 00:43:27,992
The rest follow in formation.
361
00:43:34,478 --> 00:43:38,756
Each takes exactly
the same position in every lunge.
362
00:43:48,318 --> 00:43:50,229
Once she's located the fish,
363
00:43:50,318 --> 00:43:52,548
the leader blows a net of bubbles
364
00:43:52,638 --> 00:43:55,152
that completely encircles the shoal.
365
00:44:01,038 --> 00:44:02,835
(WHALE SINGING)
366
00:44:03,478 --> 00:44:06,914
Another whale calls
to synchronise the group.
367
00:44:09,118 --> 00:44:11,507
(WHALE SINGING CONTINUES)
368
00:44:27,758 --> 00:44:31,148
Panicked by the eerie sound
and the blinding bubbles,
369
00:44:31,238 --> 00:44:34,275
the fish won't cross
this fizzing curtain.
370
00:44:39,238 --> 00:44:41,706
(HIGH-PITCHED SINGING)
371
00:45:22,838 --> 00:45:24,556
As few as 1 00 humpbacks
372
00:45:24,638 --> 00:45:28,233
have learnt how to feed
as a team like this.
373
00:45:41,998 --> 00:45:46,549
And this is the only place on the planet
where whales fish in this way.
374
00:45:55,718 --> 00:45:57,231
(LOUD MOANING)
375
00:45:58,398 --> 00:46:00,195
At the height of the great feast,
376
00:46:00,278 --> 00:46:02,553
these humpbacks fish around the clock,
377
00:46:02,638 --> 00:46:05,710
each eating a ton of herring a day.
378
00:46:12,358 --> 00:46:15,589
Only man has learnt to exploit the seas
379
00:46:15,678 --> 00:46:17,396
on a greater scale.
380
00:46:32,598 --> 00:46:36,671
As the summer ends,
the feast draws to a close.
381
00:46:43,198 --> 00:46:44,950
The sun is weakening,
382
00:46:45,038 --> 00:46:48,667
and with it,
the plankton bloom subsides.
383
00:46:52,398 --> 00:46:54,548
The microscopic plants that brought life
384
00:46:54,638 --> 00:46:57,914
to empty seas begin to die.
385
00:47:04,358 --> 00:47:08,670
The herring descend
to spend the winter in the depths.
386
00:47:16,038 --> 00:47:20,190
Life for the sea lions
will be harder once again.
387
00:47:24,038 --> 00:47:27,997
But they've fed well enough
to face the dark days ahead.
388
00:47:40,558 --> 00:47:42,708
(WHALES SPOUTING AIR)
389
00:47:43,478 --> 00:47:47,027
The humpback whales
will soon leave these shores.
390
00:47:53,638 --> 00:47:55,196
It's astonishing to think that
391
00:47:55,278 --> 00:47:58,031
some of our world's mightiest creatures
392
00:47:58,118 --> 00:48:01,315
ultimately rely on some of its tiniest.
393
00:48:10,198 --> 00:48:13,110
Here, along the North Pacific coast,
394
00:48:13,198 --> 00:48:16,952
the interplay between land, sea and sun
395
00:48:17,038 --> 00:48:20,269
has produced a bloom of plankton
so immense
396
00:48:20,358 --> 00:48:24,829
it has created
one of nature's great events.
397
00:48:42,518 --> 00:48:45,078
To capture the spectacle
of the great feast,
398
00:48:45,198 --> 00:48:47,393
the team would face many challenges,
399
00:48:47,478 --> 00:48:50,629
none greater than filming it underwater.
400
00:48:51,998 --> 00:48:55,388
It was to lead
to some surprising encounters.
401
00:49:06,278 --> 00:49:08,838
The crew had three weeks in late summer
402
00:49:08,918 --> 00:49:12,149
to try to film all the underwater drama.
403
00:49:17,238 --> 00:49:20,628
They wanted to find the bait balls
of herring that occur here,
404
00:49:20,718 --> 00:49:22,868
in the hope of discovering exactly how
405
00:49:22,958 --> 00:49:25,631
the different predators round them up.
406
00:49:29,838 --> 00:49:32,750
Cameramen Shane Moore
and David Reichert
407
00:49:32,838 --> 00:49:35,671
both have years of experience
working here,
408
00:49:36,198 --> 00:49:39,508
but even they were in
for a big surprise.
409
00:49:42,318 --> 00:49:46,789
The key to filming the bait balls
was to first find the predators.
410
00:49:50,638 --> 00:49:53,755
We're looking for gulls
because the gulls tell us
411
00:49:53,838 --> 00:49:57,148
where the diving birds are
that are pushing the herring up.
412
00:49:57,238 --> 00:49:59,957
So, these are our first clue
413
00:50:00,078 --> 00:50:04,754
to the good action, is these gulls,
distant gulls in the air.
414
00:50:05,278 --> 00:50:06,631
A lot of diving birds, though.
415
00:50:06,718 --> 00:50:08,948
The murres are all here,
and the auklets.
416
00:50:09,038 --> 00:50:12,826
So they're the ones that bring it
all together, so they're all here.
417
00:50:12,918 --> 00:50:14,988
So we just have to watch it.
418
00:50:16,998 --> 00:50:20,468
That's something.
I think that's some bait right there.
419
00:50:21,038 --> 00:50:22,710
ATTENBOROUGH:
Bait balls don't last long,
420
00:50:22,798 --> 00:50:25,790
so the crew had to
get to this one quickly.
421
00:50:32,278 --> 00:50:36,476
But once in the water,
a very careful approach is called for.
422
00:50:42,118 --> 00:50:44,188
So as not to panic the birds,
423
00:50:44,278 --> 00:50:47,270
David eased closer to the action.
424
00:50:53,078 --> 00:50:55,069
(BIRDS SCREECHING)
425
00:50:57,358 --> 00:50:59,394
And with this sensitive approach,
426
00:50:59,478 --> 00:51:02,834
the birds stayed focussed
on the feeding frenzy,
427
00:51:02,918 --> 00:51:06,547
giving David the chance
for a rather close-up view.
428
00:51:12,918 --> 00:51:17,116
But with so many predators,
the fish were getting hammered.
429
00:51:17,198 --> 00:51:19,871
The bait ball was gone within minutes.
430
00:51:24,038 --> 00:51:25,915
It was an encouraging start,
431
00:51:25,998 --> 00:51:28,193
but to get the full sequence
they hoped for,
432
00:51:28,278 --> 00:51:31,190
the crew would need to
film more bait balls.
433
00:51:32,398 --> 00:51:36,277
And of course, they weren't
the only ones looking for herring.
434
00:51:43,398 --> 00:51:45,514
It's only in the last
five or six or seven years
435
00:51:45,598 --> 00:51:49,796
that the humpback population
here in this area has increased,
436
00:51:49,878 --> 00:51:51,948
which is really encouraging.
437
00:51:52,038 --> 00:51:54,506
Look, you can see one way over there.
438
00:51:58,478 --> 00:52:00,673
ATTENBOROUGH: It was good to see
the whales return,
439
00:52:00,758 --> 00:52:04,797
but it posed an intriguing
safety concern for Shane.
440
00:52:04,878 --> 00:52:07,073
I think it's extremely unlikely
441
00:52:07,158 --> 00:52:08,716
that you could get swallowed by a whale,
442
00:52:08,798 --> 00:52:10,072
(MAN LAUGHING)
443
00:52:10,158 --> 00:52:12,513
but if there is a place,
this is the place to do it because
444
00:52:12,598 --> 00:52:15,590
they're coming up, they're very
motivated to get his ball of fish,
445
00:52:15,678 --> 00:52:19,910
and we're right there and we're just
a little thing to a 30-ton whale.
446
00:52:19,998 --> 00:52:23,035
The good news is I've seen whales
swallow birds and other things
447
00:52:23,118 --> 00:52:26,349
and even big fish that they don't like,
and they stop and spit it out.
448
00:52:26,478 --> 00:52:29,151
So, just way, way, way
in the back of my mind
449
00:52:29,238 --> 00:52:32,355
is the outside possibility
that they might swallow David.
450
00:52:32,438 --> 00:52:33,951
You didn't tell me that.
451
00:52:34,038 --> 00:52:35,790
(SHANE LAUGHING)
452
00:52:36,278 --> 00:52:38,587
ATTENBOROUGH: Mindful that
there were whales in the area,
453
00:52:38,678 --> 00:52:40,634
the crew turned
their attention to filming
454
00:52:40,718 --> 00:52:43,073
the other stars of the great feast,
455
00:52:43,158 --> 00:52:44,910
Steller's sea lions.
456
00:52:47,918 --> 00:52:50,113
The plan was to dive amongst the kelp
457
00:52:50,198 --> 00:52:53,156
and wait for the sea lions
to come to them.
458
00:52:53,238 --> 00:52:55,627
We'll go in and try to, like,
find a little eddy in there
459
00:52:55,718 --> 00:52:58,391
because the animals
are just on that point there.
460
00:53:01,238 --> 00:53:05,231
ATTENBOROUGH: This coast has some of the
strongest tidal currents in the world,
461
00:53:05,318 --> 00:53:08,708
essential for fuelling
the plankton bloom,
462
00:53:08,798 --> 00:53:11,392
but not so good
if you're swimming against them
463
00:53:11,478 --> 00:53:13,389
pushing a bulky camera.
464
00:53:19,038 --> 00:53:23,589
The current was getting stronger and
the sea lions were nowhere to be seen.
465
00:53:28,358 --> 00:53:30,155
David was forced to admit
466
00:53:30,238 --> 00:53:34,277
that even the best-laid plans
don't always work.
467
00:53:34,358 --> 00:53:36,269
DAVID: That dive was a bit of a mess.
468
00:53:36,358 --> 00:53:38,269
You know, the currents come up
so fast around here
469
00:53:38,358 --> 00:53:41,350
that as soon as we got down there
and got set up,
470
00:53:41,438 --> 00:53:43,394
the current was going like four knots
471
00:53:43,478 --> 00:53:45,389
and we were just hanging on to kelp
472
00:53:45,478 --> 00:53:48,834
and trying to get in to find,
like, some sort of
473
00:53:48,918 --> 00:53:50,749
an eddy or something to work in,
474
00:53:50,838 --> 00:53:53,398
but we never did and finally
we just got washed down.
475
00:53:54,918 --> 00:53:58,593
ATTENBOROUGH: The team had
to wait for the tide to calm down.
476
00:54:01,198 --> 00:54:02,517
And it wasn't just the currents
477
00:54:02,598 --> 00:54:06,068
that made filming sea lions underwater
a bit tricky.
478
00:54:08,278 --> 00:54:11,236
What's really kinda driving us crazy
here is all this plankton,
479
00:54:11,318 --> 00:54:13,309
the water's very green,
480
00:54:13,398 --> 00:54:17,391
not at all like the tropics where
it's, you know, clear and beautiful.
481
00:54:17,478 --> 00:54:20,754
It's also what feeds everything here
and that's why we have
482
00:54:20,838 --> 00:54:24,467
the great amount of sea lions
and all the fish and invertebrates.
483
00:54:25,278 --> 00:54:27,269
ATTENBOROUGH: On the next slack tide,
484
00:54:27,358 --> 00:54:30,714
it was back into the soupy water
to try again.
485
00:54:32,478 --> 00:54:34,912
They'd have to settle down
on the sea bed and hope
486
00:54:34,998 --> 00:54:38,388
the sea lions' inquisitive nature
would draw them in.
487
00:54:41,678 --> 00:54:45,466
And this year's youngsters
were definitely not camera-shy.
488
00:54:50,998 --> 00:54:53,114
The sea lions were obviously comfortable
489
00:54:53,198 --> 00:54:56,315
getting up close
and personal with Shane.
490
00:54:58,878 --> 00:55:01,472
Sometimes even a bit too personal.
491
00:55:10,278 --> 00:55:12,997
Even this three-metre-long male
492
00:55:13,078 --> 00:55:16,354
seemed to want his share
of the limelight.
493
00:55:20,638 --> 00:55:22,708
After success with the sea lions,
494
00:55:22,798 --> 00:55:24,914
it was time for Shane and David
495
00:55:24,998 --> 00:55:28,035
to turn their attention
back to the bait balls.
496
00:55:32,518 --> 00:55:35,794
The strengthening tides were
bringing more fish to the surface
497
00:55:35,878 --> 00:55:38,187
and so, with just a few days left,
498
00:55:38,278 --> 00:55:42,112
this was their best chance
to get the shots they still needed.
499
00:55:55,358 --> 00:55:58,828
The birds were gorging on herring,
500
00:55:58,918 --> 00:56:01,671
but at least one fish
had a lucky escape.
501
00:56:02,478 --> 00:56:05,436
The herring, of course, in a panic
look for a place to hide,
502
00:56:05,518 --> 00:56:07,429
(CHUCKLES) and they found my camera,
503
00:56:07,518 --> 00:56:09,395
so they'd be up in my view finder,
504
00:56:09,478 --> 00:56:11,309
and of course they get
in between those tubes there
505
00:56:11,398 --> 00:56:14,390
because everything is
trying to eat them, you know,
506
00:56:14,478 --> 00:56:16,230
the murres and the... Everything.
507
00:56:16,318 --> 00:56:18,036
(ALL CHATTERING)
508
00:56:18,118 --> 00:56:20,427
There he is. Okay.
509
00:56:20,518 --> 00:56:24,033
So, this might be the lucky one.
510
00:56:32,438 --> 00:56:34,349
Big ball of fish.
511
00:56:35,278 --> 00:56:37,587
ATTENBOROUGH: It was
the best year for bait balls
512
00:56:37,678 --> 00:56:40,590
that David and Shane had ever seen.
513
00:56:41,958 --> 00:56:45,587
And they discovered how
each of the predators feeds.
514
00:56:45,678 --> 00:56:49,387
It's the murres that corral
the bait ball against the surface,
515
00:56:49,478 --> 00:56:51,753
only ever attacking from beneath,
516
00:56:51,838 --> 00:56:54,671
while the gulls just grab what they can.
517
00:56:59,318 --> 00:57:02,833
But no one was prepared
for what happened next.
518
00:57:04,038 --> 00:57:05,869
(BIRDS SCREECHING)
519
00:57:12,918 --> 00:57:13,987
Oh!
520
00:57:14,078 --> 00:57:16,353
And David was right there.
521
00:57:17,838 --> 00:57:22,787
So, what's it like to find yourself
that close to a feeding humpback?
522
00:57:22,878 --> 00:57:25,267
Everything was hitting the ball,
523
00:57:25,358 --> 00:57:28,509
and then I could hear the seagulls,
of course, they were all around,
524
00:57:28,598 --> 00:57:30,907
all of a sudden, poom,
it got quiet and they all lifted off
525
00:57:30,998 --> 00:57:32,272
and I said, ''Hmm.''
526
00:57:32,358 --> 00:57:35,270
And then sure enough, all the murres
dropped out of the bottom,
527
00:57:35,358 --> 00:57:37,747
and he was right there, right?
When I got real close, I was like...
528
00:57:37,838 --> 00:57:39,237
(EXCLAIMING)
529
00:57:39,318 --> 00:57:40,876
His mouth was just...
530
00:57:40,958 --> 00:57:42,630
(DAVID GRUNTING)
531
00:57:49,758 --> 00:57:52,067
-MAN: Scary?
-Yeah, it was scary.
532
00:57:54,278 --> 00:57:56,997
ATTENBOROUGH: To capture
such astonishing images,
533
00:57:57,078 --> 00:58:01,674
and for the very first time,
was an unforgettable experience.
534
00:58:02,558 --> 00:58:06,676
Sitting beside that bait ball,
and there's that moment of tension,
535
00:58:06,758 --> 00:58:09,431
and that whale just came
roaring through there,
536
00:58:09,518 --> 00:58:13,636
and, you know, that's something
that's gonna stay with me forever.
537
00:58:19,318 --> 00:58:22,947
ATTENBOROUGH: Shane and David
had revealed a dramatic new way
538
00:58:23,038 --> 00:58:27,077
that humpback whales take advantage
of the great feast.
539
00:58:27,127 --> 00:58:31,677
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