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1
00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:08,840
SIAN PHILLIPS (VO):
It's spring tide.
2
00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:16,120
The Atlantic Ocean is being squeezed
between Ramsey Island
3
00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:18,200
and the Pembrokeshire mainland.
4
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:22,880
Known as the Bitches
5
00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,680
these are some of the fastest ocean rapids
on Earth.
6
00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,360
Here, the water races
over the shallow reef below.
7
00:00:38,80 --> 00:00:42,880
Dangerous whirlpools and eddies become
a white-water playground...
8
00:00:44,80 --> 00:00:45,520
for thrill-seekers.
9
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,280
The shallow seas below them...
10
00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,880
as exciting and dramatic
as anything that rides above.
11
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:01,800
MAN SHOUTS
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00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,160
With rich habitats as varied
as anything on land.
13
00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:15,160
Populated with creatures
straight from Welsh myth.
14
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,640
Transforming shape...
15
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:23,520
colour...
16
00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,760
and even sex.
17
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,440
All bursting into life...
18
00:01:35,40 --> 00:01:37,200
for a few short months.
19
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,880
Thanks to the magical powers
of the sun's caress.
20
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,80
This is an adventure...
21
00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,800
into the kingdom of myths.
22
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:55,880
Woo!
23
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,200
SIAN (VO):
Wales is a coastal nation.
24
00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,400
The sea is in our soul.
25
00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,440
Full of hidden treasures...
26
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,00
wonders...
27
00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,80
and giants.
28
00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,400
A sea of mythical coasts...
29
00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,320
with extraordinary creatures...
30
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,560
secretive shallows...
31
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,320
and hidden depths.
32
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,80
These are the Wonders of the Celtic Deep.
33
00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:49,640
BIRDS CAW
34
00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,680
The Llyn Peninsula in North Wales.
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00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,440
This narrow finger of land,
some 45 kilometres long
36
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,880
is surrounded by shallow seas.
37
00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,920
They make up just seven percent of the ocean
38
00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,40
but are home to nearly a third
of all marine animals.
39
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,480
By May,
these shallows are bursting with life.
40
00:03:29,00 --> 00:03:31,440
Human visitors are also arriving.
41
00:03:33,80 --> 00:03:37,160
Out enjoying the calm, crystal-clear water.
42
00:03:39,40 --> 00:03:43,120
Just beneath them
lies an extraordinary marine world.
43
00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,00
One of the most productive eco-systems
on Earth.
44
00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,480
A mysterious underwater forest.
45
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:57,760
This is the kingdom...
46
00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,640
of the giant kelp.
47
00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,440
Each plant here is home
to some 8,000 microscopic creatures
48
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,640
bringing in a vast array of larger animals.
49
00:04:29,00 --> 00:04:30,840
Hiding in the canopy...
50
00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,800
a ballan wrasse patrols its territory...
51
00:04:38,80 --> 00:04:41,440
using oar-like fins to row
through the water...
52
00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,00
on the lookout for its next meal.
53
00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,280
Its bee-stung lips hide a set of teeth
54
00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,360
which can crush through crab shells
with ease.
55
00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,880
But not every animal
is looking for a meal just yet.
56
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,440
Also weaving through the forest
is a female catshark.
57
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,880
At a metre long, she's looking out
for a safe place to lay a precious cargo.
58
00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,760
But this kelp is too exposed.
59
00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,800
She heads onto the forest floor...
60
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,40
and finds the ideal spot.
61
00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:06,240
Tucked into the undergrowth is an egg case
known as a mermaid's purse.
62
00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:08,880
Inside...
63
00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,320
is a tiny embryo.
64
00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,600
In a few months' time,
if the kelp holds firm...
65
00:06:21,00 --> 00:06:24,680
it will hatch
into a perfectly-formed catshark.
66
00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:35,240
Across the seafloor is a tangled thicket
of smaller seaweeds
67
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,80
which need less light to grow.
68
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,560
Home to a group
of otherworldly-looking creatures...
69
00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,880
including the sea hare.
70
00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,400
These strict vegetarians
have a voracious appetite.
71
00:06:58,400 --> 00:06:59,760
Both for food...
72
00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,200
and for love.
73
00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:17,480
Round here, it's not just
the water temperature that's rising.
74
00:07:21,00 --> 00:07:23,760
This individual is looking for a mate.
75
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,200
And here he comes.
76
00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,00
Or is it a she?
77
00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,00
It's of no importance.
78
00:07:39,00 --> 00:07:41,720
For sea hares are hermaphrodites.
79
00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:44,720
They are both male...
80
00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:47,480
and female.
81
00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,440
Once our pair have decided
they want to hook up...
82
00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:03,40
they release invisible pheromones
which waft out across the forest floor.
83
00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,760
This magical love potion
84
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,160
soon attracts another sea hare...
85
00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:14,00
and another...
86
00:08:16,00 --> 00:08:17,240
and another!
87
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:25,640
Over the next three days,
many more sea hares join in this loveโathon.
88
00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,80
Each sea hare being male
at the front end of their body...
89
00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,800
and female at the rear.
90
00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:41,760
Soon, a string of eggs lace around
a feathery boudoir.
91
00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,680
Several million in a single chain.
92
00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,240
But all good swinging parties
must come to an end.
93
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:02,600
Exhausted...
94
00:09:03,40 --> 00:09:07,800
the lascivious libertines retreat
into their leafy hideaways.
95
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:14,680
SEABIRDS CRY
96
00:09:18,40 --> 00:09:19,960
Ceibwr Bay, Pembrokeshire.
97
00:09:20,40 --> 00:09:21,360
WOMAN:
Woo!
98
00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,840
SIAN (VO): Above the water,
it's clear summer hasn't quite arrived.
99
00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,40
But a group of daring souls
have come in search of adventure.
100
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,840
The only burst of colour
in this seemingly bare coastline.
101
00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:39,80
MAN:
Woah!
102
00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,360
SIAN (VO):
But as in Welsh folklore
103
00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,600
nothing is quite what it seems.
104
00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,560
Rocks shaped by wind and waves
over the millennia.
105
00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,00
But it's the cliffs beneath the waves...
106
00:10:00,80 --> 00:10:01,360
SEABIRDS CRY
107
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...where those legends become a reality.
108
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This is where the magic happens.
109
00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,640
Heading down the cliffs
and into the shallow sea...
110
00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,760
here, a mountainous landscape is revealed...
111
00:10:23,80 --> 00:10:27,00
cloaked with exotic gardens
of sponges and soft corals.
112
00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,40
The Great Barrier Reef of Wales.
113
00:10:38,80 --> 00:10:41,800
Thanks to the sunlight
that breaches this shallow mountain world
114
00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,120
there's a dazzling display
of shapes and colours.
115
00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,960
The rare scarlet and gold star coral.
116
00:11:01,00 --> 00:11:04,960
Anemones, strange soft-bodied creatures...
117
00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,40
that look like flowers.
118
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,840
They feed on a rich soup of plankton...
119
00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,640
that drift in on the tidal currents
that buffet the cliffs.
120
00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,760
But this land has larger predators.
121
00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,600
An ancient, armoured hunter
rules over this realm.
122
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A rare, spiny lobster
nearly half a metre long.
123
00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:03,640
He's ready for a feast...
124
00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,80
and mussels are on the menu.
125
00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,800
He uses delicate but dexterous claws
126
00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:27,600
like a knife and fork
127
00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:29,760
to prise open the mollusc.
128
00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,360
Systematically tearing the life
out of his prey.
129
00:12:43,00 --> 00:12:45,960
Feeding it into his waiting mandibles.
130
00:12:52,40 --> 00:12:54,80
The mussel is devoured.
131
00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,760
Feast over, he's returned to his cave.
132
00:13:15,00 --> 00:13:18,480
Heading into deeper water,
there's a mountain plateau.
133
00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,160
This is the domain
of an alien-like predator...
134
00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:33,600
which evolved in the shallow seas
some 450 million years ago.
135
00:13:36,80 --> 00:13:38,200
The spiny starfish.
136
00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:48,40
Beneath each of its five arms
are hundreds of feet, tipped with suckers
137
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,40
that detect chemical traces in the water...
138
00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:55,960
used in the search for prey.
139
00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:02,760
Navigating using tiny pink eye spots
at the tip of each arm
140
00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:05,920
it's locked on to its next victim.
141
00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:08,800
A king scallop.
142
00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,560
The starfish must approach very carefully...
143
00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,520
for the scallop has
amazing underwater vision.
144
00:14:27,80 --> 00:14:30,120
Peering out from the fringe of tentacles
lining its shell
145
00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,800
are 200 tiny, metallic blue eyes.
146
00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,920
But the scallop doesn't have eyes
in the back of his shell.
147
00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,320
And this is a stealth attack from the rear.
148
00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:07,520
The scallop has also evolved
hundreds of millions of years ago
149
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,40
and has a trick of its own.
150
00:15:17,80 --> 00:15:20,760
It has lightening reflexes
to deal with its old enemy.
151
00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,200
Transforming into a pair of flying castanets.
152
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,240
It can only swim a few metres at one time.
153
00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,120
But it's enough to escape.
154
00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,320
The starfish won't be eating
king scallop tonight.
155
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:53,760
It's early summer...
156
00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,920
and the shallow waters are being warmed
by the sun.
157
00:16:03,00 --> 00:16:06,720
Beneath the mountain,
a stranger struts in from the deep.
158
00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,520
A young spider crab is travelling north
159
00:16:15,00 --> 00:16:16,800
on an epic pilgrimage.
160
00:16:20,40 --> 00:16:23,80
He's heading for an annual gathering
with other crabs...
161
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,160
congregating to shed their shells
at the end of the summer.
162
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,840
This should be his final moult.
163
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,920
As he makes the step into adulthood...
164
00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,600
he's on a 160-kilometre journey...
165
00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,440
that's full of dangers.
166
00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,400
BIRDS TWITTER
167
00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,840
PEOPLE SHOUT AND LAUGH
168
00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,160
As summer progresses
169
00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,40
holidaymakers flock to the coast.
170
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,200
By June...
171
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,760
the beaches of Abersoch
are completely packed.
172
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,840
Here, the sandy shore gently slopes
out to sea
173
00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:17,720
forming a vast submarine desert.
174
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,200
It may look devoid ot life...
175
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,320
but there's plenty here,
if you Know where to look.
176
00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:44,960
The desert plains are
a favourite hunting ground for catsharks.
177
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,920
Right now,
she's just surveying the seabed.
178
00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,400
Catsharks normally hunt at night.
179
00:18:02,40 --> 00:18:04,480
But the local sand-loving inhabitants...
180
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,520
aren't taking any chances.
181
00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:14,640
With nowhere to hide...
182
00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,200
everyone has to find
their own camouflage solution.
183
00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,760
The sandy-coloured brill
hides in plain sight...
184
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,240
while this hermit crab has
a completely different strategy.
185
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,920
It's decorated its shell
with seaweed
186
00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,400
topped off with a tiny hitchhiker...
187
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,160
a translucent fan worm
to provide extra cover.
188
00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:57,40
Other animals seem to know
they're safe from the catshark...
189
00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,80
and are making an exhibition of themselves.
190
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,560
From across the seabed
comes the sound of distant drums.
191
00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,440
LOW RAPID DRUMMING SOUND
192
00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,240
Astonishingly...
193
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:14,280
DRUMMING SOUND CONTINUES
194
00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,80
...it's a vocalisation from a tiny fish
195
00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:22,520
only six centimetres long.
196
00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,280
The painted goby.
197
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,520
He's trying to attract a mate.
198
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:35,960
But he's not alone.
199
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:45,200
There's a whole gang
competing for female attention.
200
00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,960
The males able to drum the longest
and with the most consistency...
201
00:19:54,40 --> 00:19:56,120
DRUMMING SOUND
202
00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,320
...are most likely to get the girls.
203
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,240
A female comes in.
204
00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,560
She doesn't Know which way to turn.
205
00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,440
So the stakes are raised.
206
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,600
Behind her, a male drums
207
00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,640
showing off his brightly-coloured dorsal fin.
208
00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:24,520
So much choice!
209
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,280
This male may hold the trump card
210
00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,640
showing off his ready-made shell home.
211
00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,200
Perfect for her eggs.
212
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,320
She comes in for an inspection.
213
00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,800
If she agrees to mate...
214
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,600
he'll be the one looking after the babies.
215
00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:51,760
But the fickle female heads off.
216
00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,00
He won't see her for dust.
217
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,120
The young spider crab is
halfway through his journey north.
218
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,960
Spider crabs all moult in one place,
at one time
219
00:21:16,40 --> 00:21:18,280
to protect themselves from predators.
220
00:21:19,00 --> 00:21:21,240
So, he's on a date with destiny
221
00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,160
and mustn't be late.
222
00:21:26,40 --> 00:21:28,800
He can move quickly
through this flat expanse
223
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,80
and has come close to the beach.
224
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,680
He may not be fully mature...
225
00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,160
but this young knight
already has an impressive suit of armour.
226
00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:46,720
And his exoskeleton
is about to be put to the test.
227
00:21:55,40 --> 00:21:59,80
This older male has claimed this desert land
as his own...
228
00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:06,880
and stands defiantly between the young crab
229
00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:08,880
and his destination.
230
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,00
Up to 20 centimetres wide...
231
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,880
spider crabs are the largest crabs
in the Celtic Sea
232
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,120
and notoriously combative.
233
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,400
As they square up for battle,
the older crab takes the first swipe.
234
00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:42,880
And with his mace-like claw...
235
00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:46,800
he pins the young crab to the seafloor.
236
00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,960
Using some nimble footwork,
he escapes.
237
00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,840
But his adversary is a veteran fighter.
238
00:23:03,00 --> 00:23:06,400
Rearing up on his hind legs,
he has the advantage...
239
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:11,680
and takes another swipe.
240
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:15,640
He misses.
241
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,680
But the young pretender knows
he's been defeated.
242
00:23:24,40 --> 00:23:28,240
There's nothing left to do,
but stage a dignified retreat.
243
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,560
He'll have to find a long way round.
244
00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,440
He still has many kilometres to go.
245
00:23:51,00 --> 00:23:56,00
Some animals drawn in by the sun's rays
come from much further afield.
246
00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,600
It's the summer solstice.
247
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,960
The sun is rising
on the longest day of the year.
248
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,520
BIRDS CAW
249
00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:08,880
Revered by druids
250
00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:13,320
the Island of Anglesey has an influx
of noisy sunseekers.
251
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,760
BIRDS CAW
252
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:21,680
Arctic terns make the longest migrations
of any bird on Earth.
253
00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:28,320
They constantly follow the sun
to stay in perpetual summer.
254
00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:35,560
They've come from Antarctica to Cemlyn Bay,
a sanctuary for tern colonies.
255
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:42,760
Effortless flyers, in a 30-year lifetime
an Arctic tern can travel
256
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,160
the distance to the moon and back...
257
00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:47,200
three times.
258
00:24:49,00 --> 00:24:50,680
But for a few short months
259
00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,00
this group will join
both Common and Sandwich terns
260
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,480
to make home here.
261
00:24:57,00 --> 00:24:58,520
Raising their chicks
262
00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:00,880
until they're strong enough
to head back south.
263
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:02,960
BIRDS CHIRP
264
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:09,640
The chicks are so demanding,
adults even have to drink on the wing...
265
00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:11,720
TERN CAWS
266
00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,680
... regularly exchanging calls
with their young.
267
00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,200
TERNS CHIRP
268
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,360
Once a fish is spotted
269
00:25:28,00 --> 00:25:31,520
a tern will hover in mid-air
like a hummingbird
270
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,00
and from a height of up to six metres
271
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:36,960
they'll dive...
272
00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,840
plunging beneath the surface
to spear their prey.
273
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,80
This parent has caught a sand eel.
274
00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,480
He has an older chick,
who's extremely vocal.
275
00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:58,520
TERN CHICK CHIRPS
276
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,960
But as every parent knows,
as youngsters get bigger
277
00:26:03,40 --> 00:26:04,480
they get more fussy.
278
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:07,440
But he tries again.
279
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,520
TERN CHIRPS RAPIDLY
280
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:16,760
Success!
281
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,760
And the hard-working dad heads back
to the water to fish.
282
00:26:27,80 --> 00:26:29,80
SEABIRDS CRY
283
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,640
Anchored between Anglesey
and Aberdaron to the south
284
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,680
Caernarfon Bay is a picture postcard
285
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,200
nestled in the lap of the Irish sea.
286
00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,240
BIRDS CHIRP
-โ INSECTS CHITTER
287
00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:50,800
It seems everyone is out
enjoying the tranquil blue water.
288
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,840
But not all days are like today.
289
00:26:59,40 --> 00:27:02,960
The cliff boasts razor teeth
of jagged rock.
290
00:27:06,80 --> 00:27:10,80
They warn of a reef
that sits just beneath the waves.
291
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,760
One, which over the centuries,
has proved deadly to many ships.
292
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,480
One and a half kilometres from shore
lies one such unlucky vessel.
293
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,760
This is the rotting carcass
of the SS Gwynfaen.
294
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:48,00
A former 300-tonne cargo ship,
long since dragged down to a watery grave.
295
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,200
Her bare bones have become
a post-apocalyptic marine city.
296
00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,920
And like all good urban environments
297
00:28:03,40 --> 00:28:06,160
it's home to a diverse range of characters.
298
00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:12,120
Attached to the structure...
299
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,600
are fleshy mounds of a soft coral.
300
00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:19,560
The aptly named dead man's fingers.
301
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,920
Huge sea urchins the size of saucers
302
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,800
slowly patrol the city limits...
303
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,400
grazing on the thick crust of barnacles.
304
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,640
The Gwynfaen's spacious hull
305
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,440
provides a protected gathering place
for large shoals of fish.
306
00:28:53,80 --> 00:28:56,440
This gang of bib
are members of the cod family.
307
00:28:59,40 --> 00:29:00,840
There's safety in numbers.
308
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:07,400
Along their flanks is a line of sensors
used as a mini sonar system.
309
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,360
If any one individual senses dangev...
310
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,00
the entire shoal...
311
00:29:18,80 --> 00:29:18,920
darts away.
312
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,200
The bib have reason to be on their guard.
313
00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:31,640
In the engine room
lives a real-life sea monster.
314
00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,240
A female conger eel.
315
00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,360
These are the largest eels in the Celtic seas
316
00:29:41,40 --> 00:29:43,160
up to three metres in length.
317
00:29:45,40 --> 00:29:48,760
During the day,
she hides within the old boiler.
318
00:29:50,80 --> 00:29:54,440
Her powerful jaws contain
rows of densely packed teeth.
319
00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,360
Most of the residents of the wreck
keep a wide berth.
320
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,360
But not everyone.
321
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,240
Halfway down the conger eel
322
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:17,640
this little gang of prawns choose
to dance with death.
323
00:30:20,00 --> 00:30:24,480
These scavengers snack on the leftovers
from her hunting forays...
324
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,360
while staying well clear
of the conger's business end.
325
00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:40,800
On the far side of the engine room
326
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,240
lives the ship's captain...
327
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:49,520
a huge lobster
more than 50 centimetres long.
328
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:58,240
With his powerful muscular claws,
he is the original Captain Hook.
329
00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:04,920
His massive left-hand pincer
can crush through shells with ease.
330
00:31:07,80 --> 00:31:11,360
And his smaller righthand claw
makes a Superb cutlass...
331
00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,80
to slice through flesh.
332
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:21,360
He's 30 years old,
relatively young for a lobster
333
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:26,160
and he could live much longer
and grow even bigger...
334
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,240
thanks to an enzyme in his cells
335
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,400
which allows them to regenerate.
336
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,240
An elixir of life.
337
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,960
As long as he remains in the ship
338
00:31:42,40 --> 00:31:45,00
and keeps shedding and re-growing his shell
339
00:31:45,80 --> 00:31:46,880
it's just possible...
340
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,640
he could live... forever.
341
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:57,120
But perhaps the most diverse adaptation
to life in this dystopian world
342
00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,400
belongs to small shoal of fish
343
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,840
that looks like they've just swam in
from the Caribbean.
344
00:32:07,00 --> 00:32:13,00
These are female Cuckoo wrasse,
part of a hareem headed up by a single male.
345
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,400
With his blue and orange stripes,
he's a real head turner.
346
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,800
His female companions have different
but equally tropical colours.
347
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:27,720
Coral pink...
348
00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,480
topped by a fringe of distinctive
black and white blotches.
349
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:36,480
In the bottom of the wreck...
350
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:39,760
another shoal of wrasse is under threat.
351
00:32:43,00 --> 00:32:45,360
These females have no male.
352
00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,40
He fell victim to the conger eel.
353
00:32:52,80 --> 00:32:55,840
But, in a twist,
straight from ancient Welsh myth
354
00:32:57,00 --> 00:33:00,840
there is a strange sexual sorcery
at work here.
355
00:33:03,00 --> 00:33:04,680
The senior female...
356
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,320
has just started
to sport male colours.
357
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,160
In a few weeks' time
358
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,760
an extraordinary transformation
will take place...
359
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,840
which could potentially save them.
360
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,320
Just inshore from the Gwynfaen...
361
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,720
lies the tiny fishing village
of Porthdinllaen.
362
00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:45,600
This sheltered bay has been a safe harbour
for generations of seafarers and fishermen.
363
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,80
And provides the perfect conditions
364
00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:57,240
for one of the rarest marine habitats
in the world.
365
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,760
Hidden beneath these crystal-clear waters
366
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,800
lies a vast sea grass meadow.
367
00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:17,440
The size of 28 rugby fields,
it's one of the largest in Wales.
368
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:24,920
These lush pastures are dependent
on direct sunlight
369
00:34:26,40 --> 00:34:28,480
so only grow in shallow water.
370
00:34:36,00 --> 00:34:39,920
Sea grass is the ocean's
only pollinating plant
371
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,200
and takes in huge quantities
of carbon dioxide.
372
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:48,480
Metre for metre...
373
00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:51,880
more than the Amazon rainforest.
374
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:01,400
In Summer...
375
00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,960
the meadow is a nursery
376
00:35:04,40 --> 00:35:06,560
for fish of all shapes and sizes.
377
00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:14,200
Elegant eels...
378
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:20,720
corkwing wrasse...
379
00:35:25,40 --> 00:35:27,40
and a polka-โdotted plaice.
380
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:36,640
The sea grass also offers a resting place
for the intrepid spider crab.
381
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:40,00
His battle scars are healing
382
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,280
and he's back on schedule
383
00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:44,720
for his date with destiny.
384
00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:48,960
Near the back of the meadow
385
00:35:49,40 --> 00:35:52,760
a male sea stickleback
is busily constructing a nest.
386
00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,280
He's not fussy about where he gets
his building materials.
387
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:06,800
These wispy strands of sargassum
originally floated here from the Pacific.
388
00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,600
He interweaves the delicate threads
to create a cosy nest.
389
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,40
He's something of a perfectionist.
390
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:27,160
He wants to ensure his home can withstand
the summer storms ahead.
391
00:36:32,240 --> 00:36:34,320
When it comes to raising a family...
392
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,600
it's definitely advisable
to have a penthouse suite...
393
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,200
for big beasts prowl the floor below.
394
00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:53,960
Across the meadow,
this bull huss shark is keeping a close eye
395
00:36:54,40 --> 00:36:55,880
on another dad-to-be.
396
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:03,920
This pipe fish is the straight bodied cousin
of the sea horse.
397
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:08,240
He doesn't need to make a nest
398
00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:10,680
because remarkably...
399
00:37:12,80 --> 00:37:13,560
he's pregnant!
400
00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:19,520
In 20 days' time,
he'll give birth to live young.
401
00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,400
The seagrass camouflages him
from predators...
402
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:33,240
and is also full of plankton
and tiny crustations he can feed on.
403
00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:37,680
Luckily, he has the most extraordinary eyes.
404
00:37:41,80 --> 00:37:44,200
Each eye moves independently
405
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,680
allowing him to spot minute prey
406
00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:52,00
which he sucks up with his straw-like snout.
407
00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,160
Back across the seagrass meadow...
408
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:04,280
the sea stickleback may be in luck.
409
00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:08,800
A female has spotted his nest.
410
00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,40
He's still making adjustments.
411
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:22,200
If she decides to lay her eggs in his nest...
412
00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:26,440
she'll leave him to raise their offspring!
413
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,720
She's definitely impressed...
414
00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:40,80
and makes her way towards the nest.
415
00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:44,280
A final bit of sprucing up...
416
00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,00
and she's in...
417
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:50,960
and laying her eggs.
418
00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:54,680
If all goes well
419
00:38:55,00 --> 00:38:59,120
he will soon be the proud father
of a brood of baby sticklebacks.
420
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,360
As one sea ruler sets...
421
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,320
another rises.
422
00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:18,400
By night...
423
00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,960
the world of shallows is full...
424
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,120
of mystery...
425
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:26,960
and monsters.
426
00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:36,640
Back in the sandy bed close to Abersoch
427
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,760
a pair of huge eyes peeps out
from the seabed.
428
00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:50,480
They belong to a small
but tenacious nocturnal hunter.
429
00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:54,880
An Atlantic bobtail squid.
430
00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,760
No bigger than a golf ball.
431
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,880
But she's doesn't want to become
someone else's dinner.
432
00:40:08,40 --> 00:40:11,320
So, like a supernatural shape shifter
433
00:40:12,80 --> 00:40:13,720
she changes colour...
434
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:16,880
to match the sandy bottom.
435
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,320
Once she reaches the red kelp...
436
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:27,80
another transformation!
437
00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:32,00
With an enormous brain for her size
438
00:40:32,80 --> 00:40:34,920
she's triggered strong muscle contractions
439
00:40:35,00 --> 00:40:38,640
that move pigment and light-reflecting cells.
440
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:44,720
Back in the sand...
441
00:40:46,00 --> 00:40:48,920
her cloak of invisibility is used yet again.
442
00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,480
But her vanishing act doesn't fool everyone.
443
00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:04,40
A male Atlantic bobtail also lives
in the neighbourhood.
444
00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:11,760
His large eyes are especially adapted
for seeing in the dark.
445
00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:16,800
And he's set his sights on her.
446
00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:22,440
He pounces...
447
00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:25,880
grasping hold of her with his tentacles.
448
00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:28,880
They start to mate...
449
00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:38,160
under the moon light...
450
00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:45,920
for over an hour.
451
00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:58,880
The night isn't just for lovers.
452
00:42:00,240 --> 00:42:03,280
This is the time for catsharks
to start hunting.
453
00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:10,600
She too has superb night vision...
454
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:14,840
and an extraordinary sixth-sense...
455
00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,80
of electro-reception in her snout.
456
00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:26,160
Capable of detecting
the tiny electric currents
457
00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:29,00
that emit from all living animals.
458
00:42:34,00 --> 00:42:35,800
The bobtail acts quickly.
459
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,560
Using her two front arms
460
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:39,520
she buries herself with gravel.
461
00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:44,960
But for the cat shark...
462
00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:49,640
prey hidden in the sand make easy pickings.
463
00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:03,760
This time...
464
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,320
it wasn't the bobtail.
465
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:12,760
As the summer comes to an end
466
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,120
there's a danger waiting...
467
00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,520
that comes from the sea itself.
468
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,480
A challenge to every animal
in the shallow waters.
469
00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:29,800
Llyr, the God of the ocean
470
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,00
is about to unleash his furious hand
471
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,960
across the entire Welsh coastline.
472
00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:47,760
As the planet warms
473
00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:50,960
summer storms become stronger
and more frequent.
474
00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,560
While the ancient cliffs can withstand
the battering...
475
00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,880
underwater, it's a different story.
476
00:44:03,720 --> 00:44:09,520
The fragile sea grass nursery is being ripped
from its roots.
477
00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,240
The tall kelp is smashed against the rocks.
478
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,400
The shipwreck provides shelter for some.
479
00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:38,920
While the fish shoals are torn apart.
480
00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:49,520
In the marine desert...
481
00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:54,440
a seaborn sandstorm...
482
00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:00,40
tears through the subterranean homes.
483
00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,480
BIRDS TWITTER
484
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:18,760
The following morning...
485
00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:21,520
the storm has passed.
486
00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:30,320
But the sea god has left his mark.
487
00:45:32,80 --> 00:45:34,80
SEABIRDS CALL
488
00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:41,200
Beneath the now calm water
in Porthdinllaen's harbour...
489
00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:45,160
there's devastation.
490
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:53,520
Large swathes of seagrass have been uprooted.
491
00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:59,00
And the sea stickleback's nest
has been destroyed.
492
00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:05,760
There are no signs of any eggs.
493
00:46:07,80 --> 00:46:08,960
And dad is missing too.
494
00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:12,400
SEABIRDS CALL
495
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:20,320
Nearby, on board the Gwynfaen...
496
00:46:23,720 --> 00:46:27,760
the once female Cuckoo wrasse has survived
the battering.
497
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,480
With the sex change complete...
498
00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,240
he now leads his hareem...
499
00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:50,40
ensuring the future of the shoal.
500
00:47:00,40 --> 00:47:02,480
For all the devastation they wreaked
501
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:06,840
the storms have not defeated
one dogged traveller.
502
00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:15,480
Some three months after setting out
on his epic journey
503
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:18,360
our determined young spider crab...
504
00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:22,360
has finally reached his destination.
505
00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:29,440
He's joining hundreds of other spider crabs
506
00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:33,640
all drawn here for an annual mass gathering.
507
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:39,920
Their arrival is perfectly synchronised
with the end of the summer.
508
00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:42,880
When the sea is at its warmest.
509
00:47:45,40 --> 00:47:48,920
The ideal conditions
when you're about to moult.
510
00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:54,720
The young knight casts off his old carapace
511
00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:58,120
to reveal a new suit of armour.
512
00:48:01,80 --> 00:48:03,560
He's succeeded in his right of passage
513
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:05,280
and won't moult again.
514
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:11,440
In a day or two, he'll start his long journey
back to the deep.
515
00:48:13,40 --> 00:48:15,200
This time, to find a mate.
516
00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:18,400
SEABIRDS CALL
517
00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:22,240
As the days shorten
and the sun's power starts to fade
518
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:24,560
the tourists have gone.
519
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:27,720
Now, the beach is littered
with the husks
520
00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:29,920
left behind by the spider crabs.
521
00:48:33,720 --> 00:48:36,640
And in the kelp forests off Pembrokeshire...
522
00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:40,760
the female cat shark has returned.
523
00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:48,840
The tough mermaid's purse held firm
in the storm.
524
00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:52,880
The baby is still alive
525
00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:55,760
and has more than doubled in size.
526
00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:02,800
In a few weeks,
a fully formed cat shark will hatch out.
527
00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:07,40
Time to move on.
528
00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:12,00
Over the winter,
the shallow kelp forest
529
00:49:12,80 --> 00:49:14,720
will continue to protect her offspring.
530
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:23,760
BIRDS CAW
531
00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:26,560
Off the coast of Anglesey...
532
00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:32,120
the Arctic terns are heading south.
533
00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:42,240
Their young now strong enough to fly.
534
00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:45,920
They'll be back next year...
535
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:51,320
having flown some 35,000 kilometres.
536
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,40
Back to the shallows of Wales.
537
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:03,360
Back in search of the sun.
38947
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