All language subtitles for Epic Animal Migrations Patagonia

[music]

[Male narrator] Patagonia.

One of the most beautiful and
ruthless landscapes on Earth.

Yet each year, she offers
a tiny gap for survival.

Many return to her rich
coastlines to breed.

And raise vulnerable young.

Thousands come home to feed.

Others, to hunt.

Some cross entire oceans
looking for a mate.

Or to forage in her
ancient forests.

All her creatures
bow to the seasons.

To move is to survive

in the wild extremes
of Patagonia.

[music]

It's August, deep winter
in the far south of Chile.

One of Patagonia's largest
mammals is on the move.

Herds of guanacos descend
from their alpine pastures

in the Andes,

4,000 feet down to the more
sheltered valleys below.

They're uniquely adapted
for living at high altitudes.

And a thick fur coat protects
them from the icy 70 mph winds.

But it's the snow and ice
that forces them to leave.

There's little grass on offer.

This is a group of survivors.

Resilient females and
last year's strongest young.

A single adult male watches over
his family and frozen territory.

They'll return here next spring,

but now,
they must move or starve.

With the descent comes danger.

The guanacos are easier to hunt
on the lower, open plains.

This family knows it.

Hungry eyes watch closely.

Condors will pick apart any
stragglers left behind.

There's a greater danger.

Not from the air,
but down on the ground.

Puma.

The guanacos
aren't the only ones

looking to make it
through the winter.

The snow starts to thin out
below 1,000 feet.

And as more guanacos
stream into the valleys,

families unite.

The bigger the herd, the better
the chance of survival.

For the strong,
these lower plains

will provide enough food
for winter.

Those that survive will
return to their higher pastures

once the snow melts.

Just in time for the expecting
mothers to give birth.

An event relished by
one mother puma.

She's been tracking the herds
down the mountains.

Her home range covers
over 50 square miles.

She's just as desperate
to secure a good meal.

[music]

Her cubs' lives depend on it.

At only three months old,

they're too young to
hunt by themselves.

[music]

To make it through winter,
they have no option

but to follow the herds down.

The migrating guanacos could be
their only lifeline.

By mid-September,
the first signs of spring

bring an inkling of warmth along
the east coast of Argentina.

For the past few months, just
beyond the Valdes Peninsula,

dusky dolphins
have been escorting

long-distance travelers
in from the deep.

Southern right whales.

These giants feed in
the plankton-rich waters

off Antarctica.

But a slight rise in temperature

draws them to Patagonia's
coastline to mate,

give birth,
and nurse their young.

By the end of winter, their
numbers peak at around 2,000.

During the coming months
of spring,

the warmer, protected bays
are the ideal nursery.

This youngster's a rarity.

Only five percent of southern
right whales are born white,

though it will darken with age.

They'll hide out here until the
calves are strong enough

to make the arduous journey
back to Antarctica in December.

The whales aren't the
only ones drawn to

Patagonia's warming coastline.

150 miles south of Valdes,

the beaches of Punta Tombo
are empty.

But not for long.

Close to half a million
Magellanic penguins

are about to make landfall.

[music]

These solitary animals

have spent winter widely
dispersed across the Atlantic.

Yet, each year,
they come together to breed.

The males arrive first.

This male's swum over a thousand
miles to get here,

to the biggest event
of the penguin year.

The pressure's now on to claim
a burrow in which to nest

before his partner arrives.

But the best real estate
is selling out fast.

Rival males have already
staked their claims.

He's found the last gem.

But if he wants it,
he'll have to defend it.

It's a rough neighborhood.

There's little respect
for squatter's rights.

It's every male for himself.

[music]

Victorious, he moves into
his hard-won burrow.

Abandoned since last summer,
this soon-to-be nursery

is in serious need
of renovations.

Some new furnishings will help.

Everything must be
perfect for the Mrs.

Magellanic penguins
mate for life,

and these reuniting pairs
haven't seen each other

for over five months.

At last, after two weeks of
preparation, the ladies arrive.

[Narrator]
Exhausted from their travels,

females have to locate
their life partners

in a sprawl
of 400,000 penguins.

[penguins calling]

Each male has a different call.

She recognizes his
above all the others.

[penguins calling]

Each year, they migrate
thousands of miles

to this exact spot to reunite.

[music]

He shows off his moves
to seal the deal.

[music]

Turns out, he's still got it.

She'll lay two eggs, incubated
and cared for by both parents.

Each take turns to head
back out to sea to feed.

If all goes well, the eggs will
hatch in around six weeks.

But the chicks will have
little time

to enjoy the security
of the beach.

They must learn to swim
and fend for themselves

in the southern Atlantic Ocean
before winter returns.

By October, the warmth of spring
reaches the high alpine meadows

in southern Chile.

The winter fortress of
Torres del Paine

gives way to a new landscape.

Spring flowers bloom and
the mountain rivers swell.

[music]

A resident torrent duck
has learned to master

these icy rapids.

Big feet provide grip
on the slippery rocks.

And stiff tail feathers
help brace against

the full force of the water

as he searches for fresh insect
larvae hidden under the rocks.

[music]

While on the alpine slopes,

Patagonian fox cubs
eagerly await

their mother's return with food.

Spring brings new opportunities
to both predator and prey.

A carpet of rich,
emerald grasses

lures the guanaco herds
back to higher pastures.

It's now a race for food
to build up milk supplies.

The new calves will be
arriving any day now.

This pregnant female joins up
with other expectant mothers.

These maternal groups offer
support and protection.

Because birthing is the most
dangerous time of the year.

The female puma continues
to track the herds

as they move back
up the mountain.

[music]

Her cubs are growing fast.

They're now around five months
old and weaning off her milk.

They're beginning to get
the taste for fresh meat,

which means she must make a kill
every few days.

The guanacos are now at
their most vulnerable.

[music]

The icy wind is relentless,
regardless of the season.

Wet newborns are at
high risk of hypothermia,

but the guanaco's
too-short tongue

prevents them from
licking them dry.

So the females give
birth at noon,

when the sun is at its highest.

[wind whistling loudly]

With pumas about, he has just
minutes to get to his feet.

[music]

His mother provides shelter
from the wind

while the weak sun
dries his fur.

His thick coat will soon keep
him warm,

while his mother's rich milk
helps build up his strength.

Only one in four youngsters

will make it through
their first year.

Those that don't survive are a
welcome gift for the foxes.

And caracaras.

In Patagonia,
nothing goes to waste.

Mothers need to stay alert.

Beyond the cold wind

and predators that could
kill their calves,

there's another threat
lurking on the horizon.

[Narrator] Lusty males
are a constant danger.

In Patagonia's short summer,
guanacos drop calves,

then immediately mate again.

Bachelors gather on the fringe,

eager to move in
at the first opportunity.

The females aren't
interested yet,

too focused on their newborns.

But ambitious males don't care.

[music]

Mothers try to shield their
young caught in the barrage.

With so many bachelors
hanging around,

male testosterone reaches
a boiling point.

Rivals compete for dominance.

Only the strongest win a
territory and breeding rights.

They target each other's
testicles

with razor-sharp teeth.

[music]

The guanacos battle it out,

oblivious to the hungry eyes
waiting in the wings.

Distraction is what the puma
has been waiting for.

[music]

She uses whatever cover she can
find, but in this open country,

there's little chance
for an ambush.

Out here,
it comes down to a chase.

The condors sense
a meal is coming.

[music]

The guanacos spot the puma
on the charge

and try to stick together
so not to become isolated.

[music]

One youngster is disorientated
in the panic.

A guanaco calf is lost,

but the lives of the
puma's cubs are assured.

Above, the cleanup crew
patiently waits its turn.

The males continue their brawls,

and the herd keeps moving.

Now's their chance to get ahead
of the pumas.

An eternal dance
across all the seasons.

It's now late November,
early summer in Patagonia,

which marks the arrival
of one of the smallest migrants

in the world.

These are the ancient Valdivian
Forests of southern Chile.

A vast stretch
of temperate rainforest

rising along the Pacific Coast.

This freeze-free refuge
is now home to species

found nowhere else on Earth.

While others migrate here

to take advantage of
a seasonal feast.

This is the green-backed
firecrown hummingbird.

Each summer, they migrate
hundreds of miles from Argentina

in time for the annual
Quintral bloom.

A parasitic mistletoe

that flowers deep within
this cold forest.

They rely on the sugary nectar
inside to survive

when other flowers are scarce.

Flapping their wings up to
80 beats per second

allows for the ultimate
precision flying.

But to compensate,
they must feed

every ten to fifteen minutes,

which in turn helps pollinate
more than 20%

of the forest's
flowering plants.

December is the
height of summer.

And as the birds follow the
nectar trail along the coast,

it's a very busy time back
at the penguin household.

The Magellanic penguin colony
has nearly doubled in size,

becoming the largest
in the world.

The rookery is
waddling with activity.

The pressure is on for the
five-week-old chicks

to gain weight
before the cold arrives

and the colony flees
across the Atlantic.

The demand for food
is relentless.

This fluffy coat gives way
to sleek swimming feathers.

Soon, they'll be ready to take
to the water on their own.

Until then, they pester
their parents for food.

The young chicks are unable
to digest whole fish.

So the parents regurgitate a
fatty, high-protein paste.

It's now his partner's turn to
head out to sea and find food.

She joins up with
thousands of other parents

making their way
to the shoreline.

[penguins calling]

[waves breaking]

Back at the nest,
someone is missing.

[music]

He calls out,
but there's no reply.

One of the chicks
is following his mother

all the way to the ocean.

[music]

At the water's edge,
the commuting parents

detect an unwelcome visitor.

A penguin killer is on the hunt.

[Narrator] At this time of year,
huge sea lions,

a hundred times
the penguins' size,

feed along this same coastline.

The penguins must time
their entry just right.

In the water, the adults have
the speed, agility and numbers

to overwhelm the sea lions,

but any young chicks
are easy pickings.

[music]

His fluffy coat quickly becomes
waterlogged, dragging him down.

Mom to the rescue!

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

It's been a rough day at school.

With a long, cold walk
back to the nest.

[music]

Reunited, he warms up and waits
for their next meal to arrive.

The chicks have just
two months left to prepare

for a life at sea.

Any that aren't ready to leave
this beach will die of cold

when winter returns.

By February, the summer season
is beginning to turn.

The southernmost tip
of South America

is first to feel the chill,

signaling the imminent departure
of a long-distance migrant.

Thousands of red knots
have spent the summer

gorging on mollusks
and sea worms

in the remote marine wetlands of
Tierra del Fuego.

They arrived in December,
having flown all the way

from the Canadian Arctic.

They've got just three months
to double their weight

before they head home.

An annual round trip
of over 18,000 miles.

It's one of
the longest migrations

made by any animal on Earth.

Enormous flocks of larger
godwits join the red knots,

also here to fuel up
before the long journey north.

Buried just beneath the sand is

an abundant supply
of bloodworms.

But the birds need a little bit
of water to dig them out.

[music]

When the tide is just right,
they take to the air

and head to the flats.

[music]

[music]

They only have a
short window to feed

before the water gets too deep.

The birds probe and plough
through the loose, wet sand,

using their sensitive bills
to detect the slightest change

in water pressure.

Once discovered,
they swallow their prey whole.

They'll gorge themselves
for another month

until they're strong enough to
attempt the return leg north.

Over 9,000 miles back to their
Arctic summer breeding grounds

to escape the bitter
Patagonian winter.

[music]

On their journey up
the east coast of Patagonia,

they'll pass over
another migrant

who's getting ready to leave
the Valdes Peninsula.

By March, the barren beaches
of Punta Norte

are cold and windswept.

Thousands of southern sea lions

feel the summer window
beginning to close.

They've been here since
December, birthing pups.

Now, attentions turn to siring
next year's generation.

The males know their time
to mate is running out.

The most dominant bulls
cause chaos in the ranks.

[music]

[music]

These are the final battles for
this season's mating rights.

It's a very dangerous time
for any females

who have yet to give birth.

[music]

She has just weeks to get her
newborn ready for open water

before winter closes in.

Such a busy colony
can be overwhelming.

She teaches her pup a unique
call, individual to each pair,

in case they get separated
in this late summer rush.

[music]

Her protein-rich milk allows her
pup to quickly put on weight.

But to maintain her milk supply,
she must feed regularly.

Her pup's coat
isn't thick enough

to brave the icy waters yet,

so after nursing,
she has no choice

but to leave her pup on shore.

She may be at sea
for up to three days.

[music]

For this late pup,
it's the wrong time to be alone.

[Narrator]
750-pound fighting males

don't care who's in their way.

[music]

And irritable mothers
don't like sharing milk.

[music]

[music]

The lone pups find
comfort in each other,

while the older ones
playfight and wrestle,

already toughening up
to face Patagonia alone.

When the tide is out,
the reef offers shallow channels

for the pups to play.

And learn to swim.

But when the tide rolls in
and floods the reef,

it's time for the pups
to retreat to shore.

Danger lurks in the surf.

[music]

Orca.

Here in Patagonia, they've
learned to ride the waves

and pluck pups off the beach.

These seasonal migrants
time their arrival

to terrorize naive new additions
to the colony.

At high tide,
the pod moves closer inshore.

The once shallow channel is
now deep enough to enter.

The tide pushes up
the sandy beach.

And another orca lines up...

Waiting for the perfect wave.

[music]

[music]

She needs the outgoing waves
to float her six-ton frame free.

[music]

These are the only orcas
in the world

who have learned
to hunt in this way.

For an adult female,
every return to the beach

is fraught with
potential tragedy.

She calls out to her pup.

There's no reply.

She searches frantically
amongst the chaos.

At last, a familiar cry.

The most dangerous
swimming practice on earth

begins again tomorrow.

[music]

For those that survive the
gauntlet, winter looms.

By April, the colony will vanish

as sea lions disperse along
Patagonia's wild coastline.

This hostile land
at the end of the world

closes her doors again.

Those that risked traveling
thousands of miles to get here

now leave carrying young.

Others must part ways
and endure winter alone,

carrying the strength
of their bond

through the dark months ahead.

And for those that
call Patagonia home,

their only chance of survival
is to keep moving.

[music]