All language subtitles for Atlantic A Year In The Wild 01

- [Narrator] The Atlantic.

Immense, hostile and brutal.

The world's second largest ocean.

So vast, it generates weather.

An irresistible power that shapes lands

with its unstoppable force.

To survive in the world's wildest ocean

takes tenacity and strength.

This is the story of birth and death.

Struggle and survival.

Where the Atlantic meets Europe.

This is "A Year in the Wild."

The Atlantic Ocean stretches

from one end of the planet to the other.

From Antarctica in the south
to the Arctic in the north.

From the Americas to Africa and Europe

where it slams into the land.

Here, it's merciless,

but also rich and diverse.

It's November in the Atlantic's far north.

The mercury has dropped close to zero.

The air is even colder than the ocean.

Animals that spend the
winter here must prepare

or risk falling victim
to its fierce onslaught.

Roughly half way between
Norway and mainland Scotland

lie the Shetland Islands.

Home to the highest density
of river otters in Europe.

No one knows when or how they got here.

But Shetland has no rivers

so they've been forced

to adapt to a life on the coast.

Two cubs have just emerged
from their underground home.

Their mother encourages them

to explore their new watery world.

Their thick fur makes them extra buoyant,

trapping them at the surface.

While she dives down to hunt for food.

The sea temperature has dropped
below 10 degrees celsius,

forcing her to keep fishing trips short.

Her dense fur is her
only form of insulation,

so she must take care of it.

A good shake removes 70% of the water,

right to the tip of her tail.

Rolling on the seaweed helps
to squeeze out the remainder.

But there is no peace.

Until the cubs learn to hunt,

she is their only source of food.

Without her, they will die.

Once her back is turned,
they get up to mischief.

(playful music)

Play also builds strength
and confidence in the water.

Food deliveries are frequent and varied.

An octopus.

A lumpsucker.

Small ocean fish of all shapes and sizes.

Each meal vital for their survival.

As winter approaches the
sea temperature drops

and access to prey becomes harder.

Starvation a real threat to the two cubs.

Scotland's Atlantic coast
stretches 6,000 miles

and includes 800 islands.

Rugged cliffs, rocky shores

and sweeping bays

are all at the mercy of
the ever changing Atlantic.

(gentle music)

The Orkney Islands lie where the Atlantic

meets the North Sea.

Every year, its beaches
witness a remarkable gathering.

The UK is home to a third
of the world's gray seals.

Early winter is their
pupping and breeding season.

Hundreds of gray seals are
gathering to give birth.

The newborn are covered
in thick white fur,

a throwback to the last ice age,

when ice and snow covered this coast.

Days are spent sleeping,

playing

(seal pup cries)

and most importantly, feeding.

A regular supply of rich,
creamy milk is vital

if they're to build the thick layer of fat

needed to see them through
their first Atlantic winter.

The mother pup bond is strong

but also short.

Mother's don't eat while nursing

and can lose a third of their body weight.

In just three weeks, she must
return to the Atlantic to feed

and then, breed again.

Leaving her pup to fend for itself.

Half-starved, the overly
protective mothers

tussle for the prime spots on the beach.

Tensions rise,

even spreading to the pups.

(pups squealing)

Birthing season triggers
interest from the massive males.

Testosterone fueled, they're here to fight

for the right to mate.

A dominant bull makes a move on a female

but she's not yet ready to
breed and stands her ground.

His relentless harassment
draws her attention

away from her pup who is being
swamped by the rising tide.

Still not waterproof or able to swim,

it tries desperately to cling on.

But there's no help coming.

(tense music)

The pull of the Atlantic is too strong.

It loses its battle and
is consumed by the waves.

Every year, bitter storms and high tides

account for many gray seal pups.

December.

Air temperature continues to drop

but along Europe's most
northerly Atlantic coast

the warm Gulf Stream from the Caribbean

helps to keep Norway's fjords ice free.

Throwing a lifeline to the
world's top ocean predators.

Every winter, orca gather
here to hunt herring

that are getting ready to spawn.

Led by the matriarch the orca swim

at up to 30 miles per hour.

Once they've tracked down the herring,

they move in for the kill.

Surrounding the fish,

coordinating the attack with loud calls.

They split them into smaller groups,

trapping them at the surface

before swiping them with
their powerful tails.

The explosive smack stuns the herring

which the whales pick off one by one.

This feast will feed the
whales right through the winter

until the herring move back
out into the open ocean

forcing the orca to hunt elsewhere.

The northeastern Atlantic coast

is home to another accomplished predator.

Curled octopus hunt using
a combination of stealth,

speed and intelligence.

It's said they have nine brains.

A central one plus millions
of additional brain cells

spread along each of their eight arms.

Receptors in each sucker
taste as they walk.

Octopus feed on many
different types of prey

but crabs are a firm favorite.

Keen eyesight spots the slightest movement

leaving no place for prey to hide.

Crabs may not be as intelligent as octopus

but they do have a protective outer shell.

They too, must feed.

One breaks cover.

Unaware it's being watched.

A fatal error.

It quickly immobilizes the crab

by injecting it with a powerful toxin.

Then devours it.

The crabs armor plating no match

for the octopus's incredible weaponry.

Fierce westerly winds
batter the Scottish islands.

But at a time of extreme hardship

the Atlantic also brings
an unexpected bounty.

On the Isle of Rum in the Inner Hebrides

red deer have discovered food

to supplement their poor winter diet.

Every day, as the tide
turns, they make their way

down to the coast to eat
seaweed washed up by the storms.

Each mouthful contains valuable nutrients

that will help them
through the long winter.

And by taking their calves along,

they pass this knowledge
on to the next generation.

This abundance lasts just
a few hours each day.

A heavily pregnant mum eats for two.

She must weigh up the risk of
being cut off by the incoming

tide against getting enough
calories to survive the winter

and being able to give
birth in the spring.

As winter drags on, days
shorten, the sea cools.

Coastal fish move to deeper water.

The Shetland otter mum must
work harder to find food

leaving her cubs alone for longer.

Another otter family is
trespassing on their patch.

The cubs call nervously for their mother.

Without her, they are defenseless.

They hunker down and call quietly.

Their mum returns with another octopus.

Instead of finding her
pups, she runs straight

into the intruders and
quickly loses her catch.

But they don't fight.

Rather than a territorial takeover,

it's more likely this is a family reunion.

Danger averted, she calls to her cubs.

Once reassured, they join the gathering.

And quickly take back their octopus.

Leaving the visitors to chew
on a leathery lumpsucker.

The adults leave them to it.

Perhaps they're sisters and
have some catching up to do.

The youngsters continue squabbling.

They may be family, but not
everything is for sharing.

As food becomes increasingly scarce,

conflict is inevitable.

Rock pools along the Atlantic shore

are home to beadlet anemones.

Stuck fast, they feed
on microscopic shrimps

and detritus floating in the water.

Stinging cells at the tip of
each tentacle paralyzes prey

which is then moved to their mouths

at the center of their bodies.

All looks tranquil but
speeding up the action

50 times reveals conflict.

One anemone searches
for a good spot to feed

but stumbles into another.

Both load blue sacs around their necks

with powerful toxins

and strike.

Then recoil in pain.

The intruder retreats.

The need for food is great,
but it's not worth dying for.

Back on the Orkneys, the
seal pups are growing fast.

Time for some swimming lessons.

Slowly at first.

With gentle encouragement from mum.

(gentle music)

The pups must learn fast.

Breeding season is here.

They're only three weeks old

but suddenly, family time is over.

Abandoned youngsters
search for their mothers

and are aggressively moved on.

They must wait another three weeks,

until they've grown a waterproof coat

and have built up enough
courage to enter the water.

This gives them the
chance to make friends.

If both of these pups are female,

their friendship will last a lifetime.

Each year, they'll be reunited
as they return to this beach

to give birth to their own pups.

In the shallows, a bull
approaches a female.

Who accepts his advances.

Courtship is tender and affectionate.

The beach will soon fall silent.

Until next year, when the seals return

to do it all over again.

Winter drags on.

A young red deer has succumbed

to the sub zero temperatures
and lack of food.

Parasites would have further weakened her.

Blood-sucking, wingless
deer flies leave her body.

But from her death, comes life.

Scavengers move in.

Hooded crows are first, but
the carcass is frozen solid,

so they're left to pick at the bugs.

To get to the meat, they need help.

A buzzard arrives.

Larger, but still not able to get through

the toughened hide.

But there's one bird that can.

A female white-tailed eagle.

Standing at three feet tall
and with an eight foot wingspan

they are Europe's largest eagle.

Her massive bill and powerful talons

make light work of the frozen carcass.

A smaller male waits patiently.

He knows his place in the pecking order.

White-tailed eagles were
hunted to extinction in the UK

in the early 20th century.

Despite a lengthy reintroduction program

their numbers are still low in Scotland.

Feeding on carcasses helps
them through the winter

and prepares them for breeding

and nest building in the spring.

(somber music)

Eagles are not the only
predators that rely

on the misfortune of others
to survive the frozen months.

In the Atlantic's far north,

on the edge of the Arctic
circle, lies Iceland.

Winter days are short.

The night sky illuminated
by the aurora borealis.

An arctic fox patrols its territory.

They are Iceland's only native land mammal

that got here by walking
across the frozen ocean

from Greenland during the last ice age.

Once the ice retreated,
they were stranded.

But they're adapted to live here.

Thick fur keeps out the cold.

Short legs and a compact
body minimizes heat loss.

Furry feet help them
walk on top of the snow

and their fluffy brush tail

works both as a balance and a blanket.

It's not until he's on the beach

that his latest adaptation
becomes obvious.

90% of the world's arctic foxes are white.

In Iceland, 70% are black.

Rather than matching
the color of the snow,

he matches the color of the rock

letting him hunt without being seen.

Winter is his enemy.

It will be another two
months before he can hunt

nesting seabirds again,

so the tidal zone is his only hope.

A dead crab washed up in the seaweed.

Meager pickings, but every
morsel helps keep him alive.

He doesn't have it all to himself.

A younger arctic fox, slighter in build

and lighter in color
invades his territory.

(fox screaming)

Forcing him to take action.

The fight is short.

The intruder leaves, having
wasted valuable energy.

With food so scarce,
starvation is a real risk.

The northernmost part
of the Atlantic may be

in winter's grip, but further
south, warmer ocean currents

sweeping in from the US
are drawing in marine life.

100 miles off West Africa,
a group of volcanoes

that make up the Canary Islands.

They rise steeply, 10,000
feet from the ocean floor

creating habitats for a vast
array of plants and animals.

A Portuguese man-of-war
drifts in the wind.

It's not a jellyfish,

but four specialized
individuals living together.

Each has its own unique roll.

One is the sail.

One the reproductive organs.

Another the digestive tract

and finally, the killing tentacles

which are deadly to small fish.

But bizarrely, some fish
actively seek out these killers.

Two blue and white
Portuguese man-of-war fish

call this home.

Their extra large pectoral fins

help them dodge the stinging tentacles.

They're joined by two much
darker imperial black fish.

Perhaps they've lost contact

with their usual jellyfish host.

Until they find a new
home, they must take care,

one wrong move could be their last.

A pilot whale mother rests with her calf.

She spent the night hundreds
of feet deep hunting squid.

With the return of morning,
the family gathers.

Their bond strong.

Large males measuring up to 18 feet long

patrol the outer edge of the group

to protect the youngsters
from oceanic sharks.

Teaming up with dolphins

offers them additional safety in numbers.

20 species of whale and
dolphin feed in the deep ocean

around the Canary Islands,

one of the highest numbers
anywhere in the world.

Late winter.

Thousands of Atlantic spotted dolphins

gather to hunt bait fish and mackerel

which are flourishing in
the nutrient-rich water.

Racing in at 25 miles per hour,

they corral the fish into
tight groups, then strike.

Their prey may be plentiful,

but it's also fast moving and elusive.

Whistles, buzzes, squawks and barks

help keep the fish together.

The commotion draws in shearwaters.

These seabirds can dive to 50 feet.

In no time at all, the shoal is demolished

and a calm returns.

The Atlantic's incredible fertility

produces huge fish stocks

attracting both marine predators

and fisherman.

Their fishing line is strong and durable,

qualities that make it
extremely hazardous when dumped.

A raft of fishing tackle
provides shelter for small fish

but has snared and killed a shearwater.

Plastic fishing line takes
over 500 years to decompose

so continues to kill aquatic
life long after it is dumped.

Between hunts, the
spotted dolphins hang out

with a Bryde's whale calf.

At 30 feet long, it's
still only a youngster.

Once fully grown, it
will reach 45 feet long

and weigh 25 tons.

Making it one of the largest
animals on the planet.

For now, it waits for its
mother to return from fishing

content to spend time with the dolphins.

Atlantic winters bring fierce storms,

suffering and conflict,

but it also brings hope and opportunity.

Food is abundant under the surface.

It's also plentiful along the coast,

if you know where to find it.

Those that made it through the
winter can now look forward

to longer days and climbing
temperatures as spring arrives.

Next time, storms are replaced by sun,

hardship by new life.

But spring is short, the
race is on to find a mate,

build a home and start
the next generation.