Original subtitles

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ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HEY THERE, I'M DYLAN DREYER,

AND THIS IS EARTH ODYSSEY.

LAVA EXPLODING, CREATING ISLANDS FROM THE SEA.

OCEAN CURRENTS COMING TOGETHER,

CHANGING THE CLIMATE, FORCING PLANTS AND ANIMALS

TO ADAPT, AND SETTING THE SCENE FOR A NATURAL

PARADISE ON EARTH.

GET READY TO PLUNGE IN TO ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL,

VIBRANT, AND LIVING PLACES IN THE WORLD,

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: RAINBOW ROCK IS AN EXHIBIT HERE AT RIPLEY'S

AQUARIUM OF MYRTLE BEACH THAT REVEALS WHAT THE

FORMATION OF AN ACTUAL CORAL REEF LOOKS LIKE.

MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO,

A YOUNG SCIENTIST NAMED CHARLES DARWIN HAD A

THEORY ABOUT THESE REEFS.

HE BELIEVED THEY WERE MADE OF LIVING CREATURES THAT

GREW VERTICALLY BECAUSE THEY WERE REACHING TOWARD

THE SUNLIGHT.

IN FACT, DARWIN BELIEVED NATURE WOULD DO WHATEVER

IT TOOK TO SURVIVE, A THEORY THAT YOU COULD SAY

EVOLVED ON HIS TRIP TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ARE VOLCANIC HOTSPOTS DRIFTING

IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN A THOUSAND MILES WEST OF THE

SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY OF ECUADOR.

THESE ISLANDS REPRESENT EVOLUTION IN ACTION.

NATURE'S GREAT SCIENCE EXPERIMENT HAPPENED HERE.

IT WAS A LABORATORY FOR A 19TH CENTURY BOTANIST

NAMED CHARLES DARWIN.

AT JUST 26 YEARS OLD, DARWIN SAILED TO THE

GALAPAGOS ON HIS SHIP, THE HMS BEAGLE.

HE SPENT THE NEXT 30 YEARS STUDYING THE WILDLIFE HE

BROUGHT HOME FROM THESE ISLANDS.

HIS GROUNDBREAKING WORK CENTERED AROUND THE

ISLAND'S SMALLER INHABITANTS,

PARTICULARLY, THE FINCHES AND MOCKINGBIRDS.

BY OBSERVING CLOSELY, DARWIN DISCOVERED THAT

EACH SPECIES OF FINCH HAD A DIFFERENT BEAK.

SOME WERE LONG AND POINTY FOR SCRAPING OUT POLLEN

FROM THE CENTER OF FLOWERS.

OTHERS HAD STUBBY, SHORT BEAKS FOR MASHING UP

SEEDS.

DARWIN BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT EACH FINCH DESCENDED

FROM THE SAME BIRD.

THESE BIRDS EVOLVED INTO THEIR OWN SPECIES THROUGH

A PROCESS DARWIN CALLED NATURAL SELECTION.

THIS THEORY SHAPES SCIENCE CLASSES TO THIS DAY.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY GALAPAGOS NATIVE THAT

DARWIN FOLLOWED.

THESE ARE POSSIBLY THE MOST FAMOUS INHABITANTS OF

THE ISLAND, THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISE.

GALAPAGO IS AN OLD SPANISH WORD MEANING SADDLE.

IT'S A GREAT WAY TO DESCRIBE THE SHAPE OF

THEIR SHELLS.

THIS SPECIES OF TORTOISE IS ALSO THE LARGEST IN THE

WORLD, WEIGHING AS MUCH AS 550 POUNDS AND GROWING TO

BE FIVE FEET IN LENGTH.

THESE TORTOISES HAVE PERFECTED THE ART OF DOING

NOTHING.

THEY SLEEP, ON AVERAGE, 16 HOURS A DAY,

ONLY WAKING UP LONG ENOUGH TO GRAZE ON THE LONG

GRASSES.

THEY WARM THEIR COLD-BLOODED BODIES BY THE

SUN, AND WHEN THAT GETS TOO HOT,

SLOWLY, THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE WATER.

BATHING AND DRINKING FROM THE ISLAND'S LAKES HELPS

THESE GENTLE GIANTS REGULATE THEIR TEMPERATURE

ON HOT DAYS.

THIS LAIDBACK TORTOISE CAN GO A YEAR WITHOUT EATING

OR DRINKING.

THAT'S THANKS TO A SLOW METABOLISM AND AN INTERNAL

STORAGE AREA FOR WATER.

JUST AS THIS TORTOISE MUST ADAPT TO ITS SURROUNDINGS,

THE ISLANDS THEMSELVES KEEP CHANGING AS WELL.

A VOLCANIC HOTSPOT SIX HUNDRED MILES BENEATH THE

SEA KEEPS THINGS CHANGING.

LAVA CONTINUOUSLY ERUPTS FROM THE CENTER OF THE

EARTH.

THOSE ERUPTIONS FORM LAND MASSES THAT WILL COOL DOWN

AND MAKE THEIR WAY SOUTHEAST,

BUT DON'T EXPECT TO SEE ANY SUDDEN SHIFTS.

THESE VOLCANIC ISLANDS ONLY CREATE ABOUT TWO

INCHES EVERY YEAR.

A JOURNEY THAT ALWAYS ENDS THE SAME,

THE ISLANDS WILL ONE DAY BE SWALLOWED UP BY THE

OCEAN AGAIN.

THE NEWEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS IS

FERNANDINA.

THE ROUGH BLACK ROCKS FROM THE LAVA COAT THE ISLAND.

JUST A FEW PLANTS AND ANIMALS COULD EVER

SURVIVE.

WITH LITTLE COMPETITION, THIS REPTILE STAKES CLAIM.

THE MARINE IGUANA, IT'S THE ONLY LIZARD IN THE

WORLD THAT PREFERS TO SPEND MOST OF ITS TIME IN

THE WATER.

THESE LIZARDS ADAPTED TO THIS BARREN LANDSCAPE.

NOW THERE ARE MORE THAN 250,000

MARINE IGUANAS ON THE GALAPAGOS.

THE MARINE IGUANAS ARE COLD-BLOODED REPTILES,

AND THE OCEAN IS FREEZING COLD.

THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T MIX.

TO GET PREPARED, THESE CREATURES LIE OUT ON THE

HOT ROCKS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR TO WARM UP.

WHEN IT'S GO TIME, THE MARINE IGUANA PLUNGES DEEP

INTO THE SEA.

THIS IGUANA'S TAIL IS FLAT AND ACTS LIKE A BIG

FLIPPER, PROPELLING HIM AS DEEP AS 40 FEET DOWN.

THESE MARINE ANIMALS ARE VEGETARIAN.

THEY SEEK OUT THE RED AND GREEN ALGAE GROWING ON

UNDERWATER ROCKS.

LONG FINGER-LIKE CLAWS ALLOW THEM TO GRASP THE

ROCKS, HOLDING TIGHT AS THEY GRAZE.

A SHORT SNOUT LETS THE IGUANA GET CLOSE TO THE

LAVA ROCKS, TEARING AT THE ALGAE.

AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, THE ICY WATER MAKES THEIR

MUSCLES SEIZE UP.

IF THE IGUANAS DON'T SURFACE QUICKLY,

THEY COULD GET STUCK UNDERWATER.

INSTINCT DRIVES THE IGUANAS TO RETURN TO THE

ROCKS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

MARINE IGUANAS END UP SWALLOWING A GREAT DEAL OF

SALT DURING THESE DIVING EXPEDITIONS.

SPECIAL GLANDS ABOVE EACH EYE COLLECT THE SALT.

WHEN THEY'RE READY, THE IGUANAS JUST SNEEZE OUT

THE EXCESS SALT.

COMING UP ON EARTH ODYSSEY,

MEET AN ANIMAL WHO SWAM THOUSANDS OF MILES TO

REACH THE GALAPAGOS.

AND LATER, WATCH OUT.

THESE BIRDS ARE COMING IN FOR A CRASH LANDING.

THAT AND MUCH MORE ON EARTH ODYSSEY.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

ANNOUNCER: THIS EPISODE OF EARTH ODYSSEY WITH DYLAN

DREYER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIPLEY'S AQUARIUMS.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

ON EVERY "EARTH ODYSSEY" WE FIND

A DIVERSE GROUP OF WILDLIFE.

ALL WITH UNIQUE TRAITS THAT SERVE THEM IN THE WILD.

WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET ANOTHER ANIMAL WITH

A SPECIAL TALENT FOR SURVIVING AND THRIVING.

TAKE A LOOK.

ISABELLA IS BY FAR THE LARGEST IN THE CHAIN OF

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

STILL BUBBLING BENEATH ITS SURFACE,

A REMINDER OF ITS EXPLOSIVE PAST AS AN

ACTIVE VOLCANO.

IT'S THOUGHT THAT THIS GALAPAGOS SETTLER WAS ONCE

JUST A CALIFORNIA DREAMER.

SCIENTISTS SAY ANCESTORS OF THE SEA LION LEFT THEIR

NORTH AMERICAN HOME AND SWAM NEARLY THREE THOUSAND

MILES TO ISABELLA ISLAND.

GALAPAGOS SEA LIONS ARE SMALLER THAN THEIR

AMERICAN COUSINS.

TEN FEET LONG AND WEIGHING IN AT MORE THAN FIVE

HUNDRED POUNDS, THIS ONE IS NO PUSHOVER.

SEA LIONS ARE THE LARGEST MAMMALS ON THESE ISLANDS

AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST ANIMALS THAT DARWIN

SAW SUNBATHING ON THE ROCKS.

COMFORTABLE ON LAND AND IN THE SEA,

THESE CREATURES HAVE HIND FLIPPERS THAT HELP THEM

NAVIGATE THE SLIPPERY ROCKS.

NEWBORN PUPS ARE PUT IN A NURSERY ABOUT A WEEK AFTER

BIRTH.

ONE FEMALE IS IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE LOT.

THE OTHER FEMALES GO ON TRIPS,

LOOKING FOR FOOD.

THOSE TRIPS CAN LAST SEVERAL DAYS.

MEANWHILE, THE PUPS LEARN TO SOCIALIZE AND PLAY

TOGETHER.

WHEN THE MOTHERS RETURN, THEY CALL OUT FOR THEIR

YOUNG PUPS.

[SEA LION BARKING]

WHEN THE PUPS GROW OLDER, THEY'LL LEARN TO DO THE

SAME, CALLING FOR THEIR MOTHERS.

[SEA LION BARKING]

THE MALES STAY OUT OF THE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO

PUP-REARING.

USUALLY, THERE'S ONE BULL SEA LION CALLED A

BEACHMASTER.

HE WATCHES OVER A GROUP OF FEMALES AND THEIR PUPS,

BUT HE'S CHALLENGED BY OTHER BULLS,

AND OFTEN THE TURNOVER IS FAST.

THIS BEACHMASTER WILL PROBABLY STAY IN CHARGE

FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE GIVING UP.

THE LONGEST ANYONE KEEPS THE JOB IS ABOUT THREE

MONTHS.

EXHAUSTED FROM CONSTANTLY PATROLLING,

THE SEA LIONS TAKE A COLLECTIVE NAP ON THE

SHORES.

A VISITOR COMES BY TO CHECK IN ON THEM.

THIS LAVA LIZARD FEEDS ON THE FLIES THAT IRRITATE

THE SEA LIONS, JUMPING ON THEIR ENORMOUS BACKS TO

CATCH THE BUZZING INSECTS.

IT'S BETTER THAN A FLYSWATTER AS LONG AS THEY

DON'T END UP POKING YOU IN THE EYE.

FURTHER EAST IS ANOTHER ISLAND IN THE GALAPAGOS

CHAIN.

SANTA CRUZ IS HOME TO A STRANGE-LOOKING BIRD THAT

FLIES AERIAL MISSIONS WITH ITS FELLOW WINGED

WARRIORS.

THESE ARE THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES.

TOGETHER, FROM ONE HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR,

THEY PLUNGE INTO THE COLD WATERS OFF OF SANTA CRUZ.

60 MILES AN HOUR, REACHING DEPTHS OF 80 FEET TO CATCH

FISH.

THEY DON'T EVEN BOTHER WAITING TO EAT.

THESE BIRDS GULP DOWN THEIR DINNER UNDERWATER.

THERE ARE AROUND 20,000 PAIRS OF THESE BIRDS IN THE GALAPAGOS,

AND THAT'S JUST ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WORLD'S

POPULATION.

THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE

COLOR OF THEIR FEET.

STRUTTING AROUND, THESE BIRDS SHOW A POTENTIAL

MATE HOW QUALIFIED HE IS, BECAUSE FEMALES ALWAYS

LIKE THE MALES WITH THE BLUEST FEET.

ANOTHER TACTIC, SKY-POINTING THEIR BILLS.

THAT'S WHEN THE BIRDS CROSS THEIR WINGS,

HUNCHING OVER.

OBVIOUSLY, SHE THINKS IT'S CUTE AND COPIES HIM.

ANOTHER MALE BIRD TRIES TO GET IN ON THE ACTION.

BUT AFTER A LITTLE SWORDPLAY WITH THEIR

BEAKS, HE'S TURNED AWAY.

BEST TO TRY SOMEWHERE ELSE.

COMING UP ON EARTH ODYSSEY,

THE WORLD'S OCEAN CURRENTS COME TOGETHER,

CREATING A SPECTACULAR BREEDING GROUND FOR ONE

ODD-LOOKING SHARK.

AND LATER, WATCH OUT, THIS YELLOW-BILLED AVIATOR IS

COMING IN FOR A LANDING.

THAT AND MUCH MORE COMING UP NEXT ON EARTH ODYSSEY.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO EARTH ODYSSEY.

INSIDE THIS EXHIBIT, YOU'LL FIND A SAWFISH

WHOSE UNIQUE FACE REALLY MAKES AN IMPRESSION.

STRANGE-LOOKING CREATURES LIKE THIS CAN BE FOUND

THROUGHOUT THE OCEANS, INCLUDING THE GALAPAGOS,

FROM GIANT TORTOISES TO BIRDS THAT LOOK LIKE

THEY'VE STEPPED IN BLUE PAINT,

AND JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT'S SWIMMING AROUND

JUST OFF THE COAST OF THESE ISLANDS.

THERE ARE THREE OCEAN CURRENTS THAT COLLIDE

RIGHT AT THE GALAPAGOS, AND EVEN THOUGH THESE

ISLANDS ARE ON THE EQUATOR,

ONE OF THE HOTTEST POINTS ON EARTH,

THEY ENJOY DRIER, COOLER AIR.

THE OCEAN CURRENTS HEAVILY IMPACT THE CLIMATE.

FIRST, THE PANAMA CURRENT WARMS THE WATER FOR THE

TROPICAL MARINE LIFE.

THE FREEZING COLD HUMBOLDT CURRENT FROM ANTARCTICA

CHILLS THE WATER.

AND THE CROMWELL CURRENT CARRIES DEEP,

COOL WATER TO THE SURFACE AS IT APPROACHES THE

GALAPAGOS SHELF.

THE MIXTURE OF CURRENTS IS THE PERFECT RECIPE TO

CREATE A NUTRIENT-RICH OCEAN FULL OF GREEN ALGAE,

WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE FAVORITE FOOD FOR THE FIVE

HUNDRED PLUS SPECIES OF FISH SWIMMING IN THESE

WATERS, LITTLE AND BIG.

WITH SUCH ABUNDANT FOOD, THESE PREDATORS HUNT OFF

THE GALAPAGOS COASTLINES ALL YEAR.

HAMMERHEAD SHARKS GET THEIR NAMES FROM THEIR

UNUSUALLY SHAPED HEADS.

THEIR EYES ARE THREE-AND-A-HALF FEET

APART, AND SOME HAMMERHEADS GROW TO BE 12

FEET LONG.

BUT POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST SURPRISE DOWN HERE FOR

SCIENTISTS, PENGUINS, LOTS OF THEM,

AND THE ONLY KIND OF ITS SPECIES NORTH OF THE

EQUATOR.

SCIENTISTS THINK GALAPAGOS PENGUINS SWAM UP FROM

ANTARCTICA DURING THE LAST ICE AGE.

WHEN THE EARTH WARMED UP AND THE ICE MELTED,

THE PENGUINS COULDN'T GET BACK TO THE SOUTH POLE.

STUCK ON THE ISLANDS, THEY LEARNED TO ADAPT TO THE

WARMER CLIMATE, ENJOYING THE ABUNDANT MARINE LIFE

DOWN BELOW.

COMING UP NEXT ON EARTH ODYSSEY,

A FOUR-MILLION-YEAR-OLD ISLAND HOLDS SECRETS OF

THE EARTH, AND THEN MAKING A RUN FOR IT;

THESE GALAPAGOS NATIVES ARE READY FOR TAKEOFF.

THAT AND MUCH MORE COMING UP NEXT ON EARTH ODYSSEY.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO EARTH ODYSSEY.

SPEWING HOT LAVA FROM THE EARTH'S CENTER FORCED THE

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TO SHOOT OUT OF THE OCEAN MILLIONS

OF YEARS AGO, AND EVERY YEAR,

THE ISLANDS SLOWLY DRIFT AWAY FROM THE ACTIVE

VOLCANIC HOTSPOT DEEP BENEATH THE WATER,

NONE AS MUCH AS THE ISLAND OF ESPANOLA.

THIS ANCIENT VOLCANIC MASS DRIFTED ONE HUNDRED MILES

FROM ITS ORIGINAL VOLCANIC HOTSPOT OVER ITS

FOUR-MILLION-YEAR LIFESPAN,

EVERY YEAR COOLING AND CONTRACTING A LITTLE MORE.

IT'S A FLAT, DRY SURFACE WITH LITTLE LEFT TO OFFER,

EXCEPT PERHAPS THE PERFECT RUNWAY FOR A WAVED

ALBATROSS, ANOTHER ONE OF GALAPAGOS' GIANT SPECIES

OF BIRDS.

ESPANOLA IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD THAT THE

WAVED ALBATROSS WILL RAISE ITS YOUNG CHICKS.

EVERY SPRING, 24,000 HOPEFUL PARENTS MAKE THEIR

WAY BACK TO THIS ISLAND.

THESE BIRDS HAVE ONE PARTNER FOR LIFE.

IT TAKES FIVE DAYS TO CATCH UP AFTER A WHOLE

YEAR APART FROM ITS MATE.

[BIRD SQUAWKING]

THE PARENTS WILL TRAVEL ALMOST TWO THOUSAND MILES

ROUNDTRIP LOOKING FOR FOOD FOR THEIR YOUNG.

THE HARDEST PART MAY BE TAKING OFF AND LANDING.

THE WHOLE COLONY OF BIRDS WILL STAY ON ESPANOLA FOR

EIGHT MONTHS.

ONCE THE CHICKS TAKE FLIGHT,

THEY WILL STAY AWAY FROM THE ISLAND FOR FIVE OR SIX

YEARS UNTIL THEY ARE READY TO BE PARENTS THEMSELVES.

THESE ISLANDS ARE FULL OF SURPRISES,

THE SECRETS OF NATURE EVOLVING OVER THOUSANDS OF

YEARS.

THE GALAPAGOS ARE LIKE EARTH'S GREAT SCIENCE

CLASSROOM, STILL TEACHING US HOW THE WORLD WORKS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS JOURNEY TO

POSSIBLY THE GREATEST VOLCANIC HOTSPOT ON EARTH.

IT'S EXCITING TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW DARWIN'S

VISIT TO THE GALAPAGOS SHAPED OUR UNDERSTANDING

OF OUR NATURAL WORLD.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EARTH ODYSSEY.

[MUSIC]